21st Century
Learning Space
Victorian Premiers’ Reading Challenge
Yes, it’s on again! The Victorian Premier’s Reading Challenge continues for another year. Students in Foundation to Year 2 will be sharing 30 books with their classroom teachers. Students in Years 3 to 6 are challenged to read 15 books for the year. As in previous years, every student in the school is registered to participate in the Reading Challenge. The passwords and usernames were given to teachers in Year 3-6 last week so that students can begin to enter the books they have read onto the Reading Challenge website. Curl up with a book and start reading!
Family Reading Month
May is Scholastic Australia’s Family Reading Month! A Reading Family takes the time to read together for 20 minutes, or 3 books a day. Launched in 1996, Family Reading Month is an annual national event designed to build partnerships between home and school, ensuring that families are involved and encouraged to support children’s literacy development. Families are encouraged to come together to share a love of reading. It is designed to get more kids reading with their families.
As role models, an adult reading to a child can have an enormous effect on them. I encourage everyone to take a moment to read and talk with your child about your favourite children’s books. Reading stretches imaginations and encourages independent thinking, it promotes good listening skills and builds vocabulary.
Let’s help to grow a child’s enthusiasm for the wonderful world of books!
Australian Children’s Laureate 2022 - 2023
What is an Australian Children’s Laureate? What does a Children's Laureate do?
The role of Children's Laureate is awarded once every two years to an eminent author of Australian Children's books to celebrate outstanding achievement in their field and to acknowledge their importance in creating the readers of tomorrow.
Australia did not appoint Children’s Laureates until 2012. The Australian Children’s Literature Alliance (ACLA) decided to appoint our first Laureate with the purpose to “promote the transformational power of reading, creativity and story in the lives of young Australians, while acting as a National and International Ambassador for Australian Children’s Literature.” Two popular well known authors, Alison Lester and Boori (Monty) Prior, accepted and shared the appointment back in 2012 and since then Jackie French, Leigh Hobbs, Morris Gleitzman and Ursula Dubosarsky have all had a stint at the two year roll.
I was very pleased to read that Gabrielle Wang has been appointed to the roll for 2022-2023. Gabrielle is a highly regarded Australian author and illustrator of Chinese heritage. Her stories have captivated children as they are a mix of Chinese and Western culture with fantasy and the importance of family connections and friendships being strong themes throughout.
Her first book, The Garden of Empress Cassia, is wonderful and I have kept an eye on her work ever since. I have not read all of her books, however I have thoroughly enjoyed The Pearl of Tiger Bay, A Ghost in My Suitcase and The Wishbird, all of which I would highly recommend. On Gabrielle’s website, she was asked “What influences your writing?” and she replied, “My Chinese heritage influences all my work. I like to include Chinese philosophy and folktales in my novels. When I was a child I did not realise how wonderful it is to have two cultures, Australian and Chinese. Now I certainly do.” Gabrielle’s theme for the next two years is “imagine a story.” I look forward to sharing Gabrielle’s Children’s Laureate journey with you all.
If you would like more information regarding Gabrielle Wang go to her website https://gabriellewang.com/ or if you would like to discover more about the Children’s Laureate’s check ACLA’s website at www.childrenslaureate.org.au/ and https://www.childrenslaureate.org.au/gabrielle-wang
ACLA’s motto is “Reading Changes Lives!”
Jackie Hicks
21st Century Learning Space Manager