Library News

Cancer fight goes by the book as students Write a Book in One Day

Creative ideas, collaborative team work and critical decisions were in copious amounts on Friday 28th August when seven teams and forty students took part in the annual event, Write a Book in a Day

 

The students, who worked in teams of five to eight students, were provided with a unique set of story parameters on the morning of the event and then had 12 hours to write, illustrate and publish a book. Starting at 8am in the morning and not finishing until 8pm that night, students were faced with the added challenge this year by Stage 4 Lockdown restrictions which meant that the entire event had to be held online via Microsoft Teams.  Not to be deterred, the students worked tirelessly to produce books between 3500 to 5000 words that will be donated as e-books to children undergoing treatment in hospitals around Australia. 

 

The event that is run by the independent national charity, The Kids Cancer Project, aims to raise vital funds for kid’s cancer research and students raised money to support this really important cause. 

 

This was such a positive event that inspired collaboration and community spirit during this really challenging time. Not only did the students develop leadership skills, engage in teamwork and creative problem solving, they also had fun writing and illustrating a book for a really important cause. 

 

Our very clever students' stories are attached below. Why not grab a cuppa and enjoy some holiday reading?

Student Reflections 

It was a great occasion for us to enjoy something we love doing and through that, make somebody else's life more enjoyable as well. It was difficult at times, but it also helped us all grow as individuals and to become better at adapting to collaborative tasks. Everyone did their part wonderfully and made it an incredible experience that I'm sure we would all love to replicate and emulate next year. Thank you so much to Ms Pearson and Ms McQueen for informing us of this opportunity, I had a great time! 

 - Devanshi BALODI, 11A

 

The Write a Book in a Day competition was a wonderful experience, which provided the opportunity to interact with our friends and teammates in a time where all the odds were against us to do so. The competition was not without its stresses; trying to finish the very last chapter, trying to colour our last illustration as the time slowly ticked down, but ultimately, the satisfaction of finishing and (virtually) holding our book was more than worth it in the end. Thank you to Ms Pearson and Ms McQueen for the opportunity to take part in this great cause and to my great team Noveltea!

 - Megan Choo, 10Y

 

Write a Book in a Day was an experience unlike any other. It provided us with the opportunity to do something we love while allowing us to bring joy to others' lives. We faced our fair share of difficulties throughout the day. In fact, at one point, I almost thought that we would miss the deadline. However, we persevered and learned many different things in the process. In the end, all the effort proved to be worth it, and we could proudly look at our creation. Thank you to Ms Pearson and Ms McQueen for giving us this opportunity. 

 - Tanvi Mishra, 8C

 

Write a Book in a Day was an event which not only allowed us to be super creative but also gave us a great opportunity to interact with one another while creating a book. As an illustrator, it was lots of fun to unleash my imagination and explore all the different variations of art.  This event was packed with fun and this could not be possible without my fantastic group 5 SHADES OF AMAZING. A big shout out to my partner Niharika who also made fabulous illustrations for the book. And a great big thank you to the teachers who helped run this event and were there whenever we needed; Ms Pearson and Ms McQueen.

 - Luvleen Chand, 8I

 

This was an amazing opportunity for all of us. It gave us a chance to make new friends, have fun and let our imaginations run wild. It was an honour to give children in hospital some entertainment, which warms the heart. Thanks to everyone who participated and especially Ms. Pearson and Ms McQueen!

 - Yulia Xu, 7E

 

The Write a Book in a Day event was such a great way to interact with others during this unprecedented time. I am especially grateful that we received the opportunity to create a book for children in hospital. A special thanks to the wonderful Ms Pearson and Ms McQueen!

 - Noor Ayaz, 7H

 

Planning, writing and illustrating a book in a day with my fellow teammates from CODE READ was an immensely satisfying experience, and although it was conducted virtually is was no less enjoyable. This of course couldn’t have been coordinated without the patience and guidance of Ms McQueen and Ms Pearson, so thank you for providing us with this opportunity!

 - Shania Desouza 10Y

General Library News - Term 3 

Term 3 has been a bit of a rollercoaster as the Library staff initially worked at school with senior students, while juniors worked remotely. Once the Lockdown began at the start of August, all our staff were working at home. We used this time to add some additional pages to the Library web app, to support student work, and provide more online resources for research and study skills, and encourage wide reading. We devised an online Book Club to meet on Mondays and Thursdays, and a core of interested students have been taking part regularly, as they missed their weekly meetings at school.

 

The Shadow Judge program for the Children’s’ Book Council of Australia has also continued online, with students reading eBook versions of the chosen books, and sending in their wonderful reviews fortnightly. Ms Pearson has also been running a weekly Book Trivia Quiz and Word Games so students could earn house points. All these endeavours have helped to keep the students connected at home, and to encourage them to keep reading. 

 

Our staff have also enjoyed working with the teacher aide program to support students working from home. We look forward to being back at school next term and the thought of an October Book Week and a fun dress-up day to celebrate all our wonderful readers at BHHS.

 

 - Kylie Pearson and Dee McQueen