In the Know

Program Highlights

The Victorian Premiers' Reading Challenge 

The Victorian Premiers’ Reading Challenge (PRC) is up and running again at Kilvington. This Challenge will run until Friday 8 September 2017, and is open to all students from Prep to Year 10.

 

The purpose of the Challenge is to encourage children to read more. It promotes a love of reading and offers lifelong benefits to students.

 

Junior School parents will receive their child’s username and password via return email so they can start to log the books their child reads. Senior School students can send their name and year level to library@kilvington.vic.edu.au from their school email address. We will send to their school email their username and password for the Challenge.

 

The Library has Reading Challenge year level lists of all the books in our library collection for students to borrow. Many of the PRC books have colour coded PRC stickers on the spine to make it easier for students to browse and choose. Our library staff team can help you with finding and recommending PRC books.

 

So, nothing more to do than encourage kids to sign up online and get reading!

Kilvington Reads Festival

In May 2017, we once again celebrated the Kilvington Reads Festival with author and illustrator workshops to inspire and enthuse our students and staff!

 

Students participated in a Book Mark competition and Junior School students dressed as their favourite book character. The Book Club students represented an inspirational literary thought for the day, with literary quotes chosen by staff. 

 

Students from both the Book Clubs, Junior School Years 5 and 6 and Senior School Year 7 Book Club, organised a literary quiz for all the staff. They also enjoyed a celebratory morning tea at recess. Junior School Library Leader, Hugo Della Bosca, and Head of Library Resource Services, Mrs Jane Viner, cut the 'Read' cake and thanked the staff and the students for their participation.

 

Students participated in a 'Shopping List' activity in their English Reading or Library class during Term One and were invited to select a book for the McKie Library collection. A student selection label has been added to the book and the library catalogue. Students will then be able to search their selection under their name and Kilvington Reads 2017. Books will be available for borrowing in late May.

 

In 2017, we incorporated the ALIA (Australian Library Information Association) National Simultaneous Storytime into Kilvington Reads.

The Senior School Leaders read an interactive story activity with the ELC groups. The book chosen by ALIA was The Cow Tripped Over The Moon  by Tony Wilson and Laura Wood. ELC students had fun with a colouring activity with the leaders.

 

Jane Viner - Head of Library Resource Services

A New Take On Dr Seuss Poem 

Last term, Year 7 students were challenged to write a poem based on the classic Dr Seuss book Oh the Places You’ll Go,  by writing with similar themes and techniques. David Overton’s poem, The Moose Hunter, adeptly encapsulates the style of Seuss, while maintaining and imparting a new, intriguing premise and story. 

 

Sophia Zikic and Aidan McShane - English Captains 

 

Here is the poem:

 

The Moose Hunter 

Bonjour, hello, ciao, hi, konichiwa

My name is Jonathan Trotski Lawa.

I’m an explorer from far off Lawoose,

With a strange fascination in the mammal called moose.

 

I travel the world finding moose in the wild,

From the crazy mad moose to the moose that are mild.

And today I embark on my greatest journey yet,

Even greater than finding yeti-moose in Tibet.

 

I will journey far up to Mount Kinkaladoose,

And I will try to meet the mysterious moose!

 

Yet, to get to the top won’t be a piece of cake.

I will journey through snow and a desert that bakes.

And when I get to the top I’ll face the most evil things,

Who rule over the mountain like great, grotesque kings.

The guzzly worms…

The guzzly worms are the size of a whale,

But they burrow through rocks, they’ve the skin of a snail.

And they guzzle through earth, they eat all the rocks up,

And they love to eat people,

Swallow them in one gulp.

 

So do I dare go,

And do I dare stay,

For such an adventure you don’t find every day.

 

And will you come with me,

Brave guzzly worms, and deserts and danger at every turn.

You have springs in your feet, and moose in your mind.

So nothing can stop you, you won’t fall behind.

 

Your name will be known as far south as Pakaet,

So we’re going right now, because you couldn’t wait.

 

David Overton - Year 7  

MindScholar's Optimised Learning Workshop

Year 11 students participated in MindScholar's 'Optimised Learning' Workshop over the past three months. Comprising of a number of workshops and group coaching sessions, students were exposed to a number of key mindset and learning strategies to help improve their studying, learning and well-being.

 

Some of the specific topics covered included:

  • Managing stress and anxiety
  • Combating procrastination and improving motivation
  • Understanding different studying techniques and learning styles
  • Improving memory and the importance of active  and reflective learning
  • The benefits of developing a Growth as opposed to a Fixed Mindset
  • Managing negative thinking

A key theme from the workshop was that students are ultimately in control of their own learning experience – irrespective of natural ability.  As advocated by the Growth Mindset, improvement is always possible, provided a continual willingness to reflect on, and be open to better ways of doing things.