Literacy Update
Opportunities to engage your child to write at home.
Please take some time to discuss the Short Story Writing Competition and the Pen Pal opportunity with the Sacred Heart Community with your child/children.
2024 KIDNEWS Short Story Writing Competition
The KidsNews 2024 Short Story writing competition is open.
The competition is free to enter, if you are interested in participating, please start writing and enter! The competition has opened and will close on Friday May 31st. The competition has three age groups suitable for primary schools;
- Foundation -Year 2
- Years 3-4
- Years 5-6 to Year 4
Stories need to be between 250 and 750 words for students in Foundation; and between 500 to 1000 words for students in Years 5 & 6. You can enter a story you have already written, or you can start something new.
Jackie French is again leading a panel of judges who will select the winning entries with the first prize winner in each age group scoring 10 copies of the story published by HarperCollins.
If you would like to enter, please click on this link here and fill in the form. You can upload your stories and consent forms all in one spot from home. Where it asks for a teacher’s name, fill in my name and email address and the school telephone number (see below).
If you would like any assistance or advice regarding the competition, please send your child to come and talk to me or send through an email.
Jacqueline Morphy
8598 6444
jacqueline.morphy@education.vic.gov.au
PEN PAL OPPORTUNITY
Some of the members of the Sacred Heart Community have few close connections. Imagine contributing to a little joy in their day. Receiving a letter and picture from students at a local school could be the only interaction some of these St Kilda community members have to look forward to. We are planning to deliver one letter each month.
I am thrilled that we already have some families express interest in this initiative. Please email me as soon as possible if you would like to be a part of this writing. We can provide paper if required and I can spend some time with the students interested, helping them brainstorm some ideas to share in their letters.
Book Recommendations
Picture Story Book
Our Flag, Our Story The Torres Strait Islander Flag
by Bernard Namok Jnr, Thomas Mayo, Tori-Jay Mordey
Bernard Namok Jnr was a young boy when his dad designed the Torres Strait Islander Flag. The flag is a symbol of unity, shared identity and pride for all Torres Strait Islanders. This book shares the story of the flag and what it represents.
Iniko’s (5/6L) Dad, Matthew Bowden has done some work with Bernard Namok who designed the Torres Strait Islander flag and he recommended this book for our school.
Middle Fiction
The Grandest Bookshop in the World
by Amelia Mellor
Pearl and Vally Cole live in an enchanting bookshop that is filled with curiosity and adventure. This bookshop is not just any ordinary bookshop. In 1893, Coles’s Book Arcade in Melbourne is known as the grandest bookshop in the world. Siblings, Pearl & Vally approach every day with joy as they are greeted with talking parrots, voice changing sweets and even a new story written just for them by their eccentric father.
When the siblings learn that their Pa shas risked the Arcade in a shocking deal with the mysterious Obscurosmith, they devise a sneaky plan. A fun and quirky story that will thrill any readers that enjoy books similar to Harry Potter.
This story is the first in a series (the third is to be released very soon) and it holds a special place for the SKiPPS community as it based on an actual bookstore that was once owned by Mr Cole who is Rosa & Becky Saldana’s Great-Great-Great Grandfather. The Cole family in the story are the actual family from the bookstore, it was called Coles Book Arcade and was in Bourke Street, Melbourne.
Given, both book recommendations this week have connections with the SKiPPS community, multiple copies have been purchased and these books are available in each year level’s classroom libraries.
Interview with Michelle Bove, Assistant Principal
What are you reading at the moment?
The Dictionary of Lost Words by Pip Williams
Why did you choose that book?
This book was recommended through the staffroom book share. Many staff had read it and highly recommended it.
What is the story about?
The story is a narrative based around the collection of words for the dictionary and how words were selected to be included. The relationship between a young girl and her father is the impetus for relationships with colleagues within the workshop. The daughter’s interest in words takes us on a journey that has her meeting new and exciting characters and opportunities.
Some take aways...
Genuine interest in how words make their way into the dictionary. As a teacher, dictionaries are books that we use often. It is interesting to think about the ‘Behind the Scenes’ of how dictionaries get their words and meaings!
Did you enjoy the book?
I am really enjoying the book when I have time to slow down and completely immerse myself in the story.
BOOK CONTACTING
You would think EVERY book in our school would be contacted by now but I have to break it to you …… there are still loads to go! I am working my way through each of the classroom libraries and removing books that need to be covered.
There are a group of parents that have been ABOLUTELY AMAZING …. I cannot stress that enough. It would be great to ease their load and spread out the work. I always have a bag of books and a roll of contact available in the Foundation space, so please come and see me or ask Wendy in the office. I am so grateful as books that are contacted definitely have a longer life span meaning more kids get to enjoy them.
THANK YOU!!!
Jac Morphy
Leading Teacher
Literacy
jacqueline.morphy@education.vic.gov.au