Year 2 News

National Simultaneous Storytime

Last Wednesday 22 May it was National Simultaneous Storytime.

National Simultaneous Storytime (NSS) is held annually by the Australian Library and Information Association (ALIA). Every year a picture book, written and illustrated by an Australian author and illustrator, is read simultaneously in libraries, schools, pre-schools, family day cares, childcare centres, family homes, bookshops and many other places around the country.

The year 2 students gathered together to join in the live reading of the picture storybook, ‘Bowerbird Blues’ written by Aura Parker. The live stream began with the students being able to watch a Satin Bowerbird in its natural habitat. There was a great deal of excitement as the students did the count down to the reading of the book.

Bowerbird Blues from Aura Parker stars a beautiful bowerbird on the search for blue! It’s a moving story of longing and connection, that unfolds as the bowerbird’s search sends him soaring across the sea, sky and city. He swoops and snatches vibrant treasures for his collection, and soon his bower – a mix of natural and unnatural objects – attracts something greater and more fulfilling than he could ever have imagined. 

We also did our own reading of Bowerbird Blues and talked about the beautiful alliteration throughout the story.

Swooping, snatching, scouring, scavenging

Peeping, peering

Searching, seeking

Sliding, slipping

Wanting and wandering

Fluttering, fidgeting

Bibs and bobs building

Smiling, soaring

Floating, feeling

We have been revising adjectives in year 2 and were able to identify the adjectives throughout the story.

perfect, magnificent, brilliant, vibrant, wonderfulness, strong, tiny, full, crackling, rustling, strong, marvellous, icy, sparkling and glistening.

Finally, we found all the active verbs throughout the story which were all bird behaviours.

looking, finding, keeping, sliding, fidgeting, tinkering, sharing, swooping, snatching, scouring, freefalling, gliding, weaving, nesting, peeping, peering, soaring, fluttering, diving, sinking and cuddling.

Creating Our Own Bowers

The students learnt all about how Satin Bowerbirds create their bowers to attract a female. Satin Bowerbirds also decorate their bowers with many blue things from the environment. The students enjoyed creating their own bowers. We hope you enjoy our photos of our bowers.

Bowerbird Fact File

During one of our Literacy sessions the students read an information report with many facts about Satin Bowerbirds and then were asked to answer several questions using the text. They also drew a labelled diagram of a Bowerbird and bower.

Treasure Activity

During our Literacy groups this week the students also completed three more activities to tie in with Bowerbird Blues. The students completed a worksheet featuring several empty hearts. They were asked to fill the hearts with drawings of things that they treasure and keep close.