Wellbeing Wednesday
Positive messages from our teachers during COVID times
Matt Brinson, Head of Senior School
Given the news of extended lockdown, I think this simple message is a timely one for us all.
Thanks to Mrs Pewtress in the ELC for the reminder.
SIMPLIFY, SLOW DOWN, BE KIND
RESTING IS DOING
Mr Hewitt, Year 6 Junior School Teacher, has provided the below excerpt from a new novel by English Author Matt Haig. Matt's website quotes, 'books are our maps' ... maybe they will be a map out of isolation boredom?
REMEMBER TO LOOK UP
Our thanks to Mrs Goldenberg, Community Service Program Director, who found these beautiful words for us.
Year 5 Wellbeing Wednesday highlights
Year 5s share their wonderful highlights of what activity they have enjoyed so far from Wellbeing Wednesday!
Engaging with books beyond reading
Kathryn Schravemade, Head of Library and Digital Resourcing
One of the things I love most about working in a school library is the sharing and engaging in stories that happens around our class ‘campfires’.
This is often time spent discussing novels we’ve read recently; how they might have moved us, shaped our viewpoints or simply given us a chance to escape to a different world.
Interestingly, students are more likely to borrow a book to read during these classes, as they get a chance to hear recommendations from their teachers or peers that offer them a connection beyond the blurb or front cover.
I recently came across an article in The Conversation by Dr Margaret Merga titled Books offer a healing retreat for youngsters caught up in a pandemic. It reminded me how important it is for us to encourage our children to continue to make connections with books during lockdown.
Merga discusses the rise in emotional stress and anxiety we see in young people during lockdowns and how several studies have demonstrated books to be an important tool to help escape stress, find role models and develop empathy.
SIMPLE WAYS TO ASSIST YOUR CHILD WITH CONNECTING TO BOOKS DURING LOCKDOWN
While we are continuing to encourage our students to read in our 'pivot to remote library' lessons, there are several other ways you can assist your child in making connections with books during lockdown.
This could be through following your local bookstores or favourite authors on social media, keeping an eye out for free online events, or signing up for an online book club such as Bec Sparrow and Jane Sullivan’s Rebel Readers Alliance.
JUNIOR SCHOOL AUTHOR WORKSHOPS
This past fortnight, our Junior School students were given the opportunity to build connections beyond reading by engaging with authors in online workshops.
Our Year 6 students participated in an online workshop with Danielle Binks, author of their class novel The Year The Maps Changed. Danielle engaged students with the story behind why she writes and how events in her life have shaped her characters and storylines.
She encouraged the students to partake in wider research around the stories they want to tell, and shared that when she was struggling to write, it was usually because she wasn’t reading enough.
On Wellbeing Wednesday, all Junior School students were given the option to attend a session with renowned children’s author, Deb Abela. Dressed in her favourite bear onesie, Deb had the students laughing out loud as she shared the scary, but true life events, that inspired many of her stories.
It was fabulous to see the delight and engagement on students’ faces as they participated in her stories and writing activities. Deb quickly jumped to one of our most borrowed authors on the Kilvington ebooks platform, Wheelers, shortly after her session!
Both Danielle and Deb are advocates for engaging with stories outside of the physical book. I highly recommend visiting their websites/social media for free online events, activities and videos during lockdown.
For younger students, we also have free access to Storybox Library; available through the Library KCEE page.