A message from the Principal

I’m thrilled to share our celebrations of Book Week, which this year are so full of activity that it has become three weeks of celebrating books, reading, and imagination!

2025 Theme: Book an Adventure!

This year's Children’s Book Council of Australia (CBCA) Book Week runs from 16 to 23 August 2025, marking a remarkable 80th anniversary of inspiring young minds through literature. The theme, “Book an Adventure!”, invites us to journey through stories filled with wonder, curiosity, and courageous exploration. 

Author Visits: Sparking Creativity & Storytelling

• This week, we’ve been incredibly fortunate to host author–illustrator Lucinda Gifford in our F–2 classes. Lucinda, based in Melbourne, studied architecture in Scotland, then turned to creating picture books brimming with magical creatures, quirky scenes, and delightful characters, from dragons and cats to magical frogs. She has illustrated over 40 books, nine of which she also authored. Her book Whitney and Britney Chicken Divas even featured in National Simultaneous Storytime in 2020

Today, our Years 3–6 students welcomed Felice Arena, one of Australia's most beloved children's authors. Felice captivated the students with stories and insights from his prolific career: creator of the bestselling Specky Magee series, the action-packed Sporty Kids and Andy Roid series, high-energy historical adventures like The Boy and the Spy, Fearless Frederic, A Great Escape, and picture books including Pasta!, Cheese!, and the uplifting My Big Secret. His books have garnered countless awards and nationwide acclaim

Both authors shared their creative journeys, offered drawing and writing tips, and inspired our students to discover the worlds that live within every page.

Coming Soon: Dress-Up Parade & Class Voting

Next week, we’ll have our Book Week Dress-Up and Parade on Friday, 22 August. Families and students are warmly encouraged to dress as their favourite book characters, and especially to draw inspiration from our Book Week theme, Book an Adventure!

Each class has received copies of the 2025 CBCA Book of the Year shortlists. Together, students are engaging with these extraordinary books, discussing them, and casting votes for their favourites. 

Students’ votes will be collected on boards in the quadrangle - look out for the class-winning books to be announced at assembly on Friday.

Theatre Magic with Meerkat Productions

We’re delighted to welcome Meerkat Productions in Week 6 (commencing 25 August). They will bring two beloved books to life in our PA space on Thursday 28th August:

• F–2: Garden of Broken Things
• Years 3–6: Small Acts

These immersive performances promises to ignite our imagination and bring the magic of storytelling to life.

Celebrating Curiosity & Creativity

At SKiPPS, Book Week is more than a theme - it’s a living celebration of curiosity, creativity, and the endless possibilities of our imaginations. From author workshops and classroom reading to performances and parades, this three-week adventure celebrates how stories connect us, challenge us, and help us dream bigger.

Thank you for being part of this incredible journey through pages and worlds. Let’s keep adventuring, one book at a time.

Neil Scott

Principal