Adventures in Term Two

 

National Simultaneous Storytime

 

We are looking forward to participating in National Simultaneous Storytime on Wednesday the 22^nd of May. This year the chosen text is Bowerbird Blues by Aura Parker.

Bowerbird Blues stars a beautiful bowerbird on the search for (you guessed it) 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 (ALIA 2024).

The Australian Library and Information Association reports that, in 2023 more than two million children read the same book on the same day. “NSS throws an international spotlight on the important work that libraries do every day” said ALIA Acting CEO Trish Hepworth

She further states:

“When we read together it helps language development, learning and literacy, all while building community. It’s also a lot of fun.”

As we celebrate National Simultaneous Storytime, we will look back on many of the texts that we have enjoyed in previous years. The whole experience is a true celebration of reading.

The Term Two Library Program

 

Early Stage One

The work of Colin McNaughton is a wonderful vehicle for introducing young readers to visual literacy. Visual images are becoming increasingly more important in the modern world. Most information is presented with a combination of words and images.

It is essential that students develop the ability to decode, interpret, question, challenge and evaluate texts.

In this study the students use visual images to help them read and understand texts. Visual information can support reading and help the reader to make meaning of the text. The humorous and entertaining work of Colin McNaughton is a great place to start such a study.

Stage One

 The library lesson series for Stage One has been designed to support the stage one geography unit that is being covered in class lessons.

The library unit will be a literature-based on the theme of sustainability. Both fiction and non-fiction texts will be studied

The main objective is to investigate the reasons why some places are special to people, and how they can be looked after.

The unit will seamlessly integrate with the library unit in term one which dealt with Indigenous sacred places.

Stage Two

In 2022 the Stage 2 teachers requested that the library program be linked to the Science unit which they were studying. They also requested that the students learn to evaluate websites and use accurate search words when researching information.

 

Again, this year, in the Stage 2 Science program, the students will be making cars and testing their designs.  Therefore, the library research topic is about cars.

All the research questions and necessary links are in a Stile lesson. However, the students will record their answers in individual workbooks.

Stage 3

In the first half of this term, the students will be completing their Information Fluency investigation researching the question, why are the characteristics of materials important when designing and producing?

The students have completed their workbooks and are now busily researching and writing their speeches which will conclude the unit.

A literature study is planned for the rest of the term.

The Premier’s Reading Challenge

The challenge will conclude on Friday August 23^rd and many students are happily reading selections of the many examples of quality literature that is available in our library.

 

 

 

 

 

Welcome to the Library in 2024!

  

It is exciting to be back in the library this term with all Cromer students enthusiastically borrowing and participating in the library lessons.

I encourage all students to borrow regularly from the library collection which houses over 11,000 fiction and 4,000 non-fiction texts. I am sure there is something to interest everyone!

Premier’s Reading Challenge

I would like to encourage all our Cromer students to participate in the Premier’s Reading Challenge. It will open on Monday February 26^th and close on August 21^st. We have an extensive range of PRC books in the library.

Follow the link above to learn all about Sami Bayly, who created the PRC poster.

 

The Library Program Term One

Kindergarten

It is important that our kindergarten students learn to love the library and experience the joy of exploring new worlds in books. We encourage them to explore all areas of the library and make personal discoveries of genres that interest them.

We begin our library studies learning the difference between fiction and non-fiction books. The pictures, words and elements of both genres and the reason for reading them will be examined.

Teaching the difference between fiction and nonfiction requires students to understand the difference between real and make-believe. Large-group and small-group activities will give the students practice in identifying the different types of books.

 

Stage One (Years One and Two)

In term one the library program will be linked to the history unit that is to be studied in class. It asks the question: How Are People Connected to Places?

In support of this unit of study we will be deeply diving into five texts which illustrate the importance of connection to country for Indigenous people.. The texts are:

Open Your Heart to Country by Jasmine Seymour.

Ceremony by Adam Goodes and Ellie Liang

Baby Business by Jasmine Seymour

Somebody’s Land by Adam Goodes and Ellie Liang.

Each text contains illustrations which appeal to the very young, while sharing a deeper message for older readers. They invite the reader to reflect on the importance of place to, not only Indigenous people, but everyone.

 

 

Stage Two (Years Three and Four)

The stage two staff has asked me to focus on experiencing and understanding various forms of poetry in our library lessons with a particular emphasis on the skills of inferring, summarising and making connections.

Poetry is a form of expression. Writing it enables us to express our feelings and thoughts on a subject and reading it encourages us to connect and find meaning in our experiences.

 Poetry can have a positive impact on the social and emotional learning of children. It may offer them a new way of thinking about issues and events in their lives.

The aim of this unit is to explore the many devices used in poetry and to provide the students with the opportunity to express themselves in a variety of poetic forms.

 

Stage Three (Years Five and Six)

The library unit is aligned with the Science and Technology Unit which asks the question: Why are the characteristics of materials important when designing and producing?

Investigations will include:

Comprehension tasks, an investigation task entitled Escape the Science Lab which sets the students on an adventure exploring the properties of matter, and a research assignment investigating materials used by Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander People as hunter, gatherers.

The unit will culminate with a research task of a particular product and its properties, origins and uses.

 

Author Visit

New author, Fiona Evans, visited Cromer on Monday 27/11 to read her first children’s book to some year one students in the library.

The students loved The Magic Mermaid Shell which Goode Books describes as:

The tale of a young mermaid princess, who can count on her friends to help save the kingdom from a dragon and a mischievous witch. A sweet story about friends helping out in times of need, aimed at preschool and kindergarten children ages 3-6. ... Google Books

The students had many questions to ask Fiona after the reading and launched with gusto into the two activities that she presented in response to the text.

In my experience, children love to meet authors. Their interest in reading is truly spiked when they have the opportunity to interact with an author in the flesh.

 An Inspiring New Author

I am thrilled to announce that three copies of Orlando’s Garden by local author and friend Stephanie Paulson have been added to our library.

This beautifully illustrated picture book demonstrates how Steph has created a magnificent balcony garden with her son Orlando, young baby Leonardo and a new arrival on the way.

The reader embarks on an adventure with Orlando in learning the beauty of nature, the joy of planting and growing and the importance of sustainability.

The final pages of the book provide detailed gardening activities for kids and some questions for research and reflection.

We are reminded that a successful garden can be created in the smallest of spaces and the adventure continues with Steph’s small space gardening inspiration on Instagram.

Term Four in Our Library

 

It was with great excitement that we welcomed the Scholastic Book Fair into our school for the first time in three years. The quality of books on offer did not disappoint and I know that our grandparents enjoyed purchasing books for their grandchildren on their special day. The book fair is always a wonderful opportunity to expose our students to a wide range of quality literature.

 

Kindergarten

The students will study a range of picture books from our collection. Picture books are not only fun and delightful to read, but they are also a crucial tool for developing a child’s literacy and language skills in the early years and beyond.

 

Stage One

The students are undertaking an author study of the work of Colin Thompson.

They are enjoying identifying the following elements which are features of the work of the author:

Happy endings

Everyone winning

Nonviolent resolution

Imaginative and creative

Challenging stereotypes

Faith and hope

Peace with the environment

 

Stage Two

A unit of work has been designed to support the geography studies being undertaken in the classroom. We are addressing the question:

How do people's perceptions about places influence their views about the protection of places?

The question will be answered by investigating landmarks, national parks and sacred sites in Australia.

All work will be completed in Stile.

 

Stage Three

The first weeks of term have been dedicated to completing the study of the novel How to be prime Minister and Survive Grade 5 by Carla Fitzgerald.

In subsequent weeks the students will study episodes of the ACTF series Double Trouble.

This is s a story of different cultures, white and Aboriginal Australians and life in the city and in the bush.

Traditional ways of life and modern-day thinking are compared and examined. The story is an opportunity to explore Aboriginal culture without it being a tourist oddity. The major theme explores being exposed to a new and very different culture and having to cope.

Other themes to be studied in this course include Identity, relationships, family, twins, belonging, ancestry, stereotype, adolescence, growth and development, genre, humour and satire, expectations and decision making.

During this unit the students will undertake a visual literacy study of cinematic techniques used to create mood and tell a story while also analysing the underlying themes mentioned above.

Read, Grow, Inspire in Term Three

 The Presentation from Dr Cameron Stelzer

The presentation from Dr Cameron really ignited a spark in the students at Cromer. We enjoyed learning about what inspired him to write his books, how a book is produced and drawing techniques that he uses. The pictures of the Dr Cameron book stands below show how popular the books are. This is what we love to see, empty shelves because books are so popular.  

The Stands Before Dr Cameron's Visit

The Stands After Dr Cameron's Visit

Book Week

Every year schools and public libraries across Australia celebrate Book Week.  At this time, we celebrate Australian books and their authors and illustrators. In our library we participate in activities relating to the theme to highlight the importance of reading. The theme this year is Read, Grow, Inspire. In our library in Term 3 we will grow and be inspired as we study the books that have been placed on the Children’s Book Council of Australia Notable List and Shortlist.

The CBCA Awards were first established in 1946 and they are the longest running book awards in Australia. The books on the Notable list this year showcase the huge talent of our authors and illustrators and contain a wide range of themes, characters and stories. It is stated on the CBCA website that the awards aim to:

•  Promote quality literature for young Australians;
•  Support and encourage a wide range of Australian writers and illustrators of children’s books and;
•  Celebrate contributions to Australian children’s literature.

We have a large collection from this year’s notable list in our library and term three will see all of the students at Cromer embarking on some exciting reading adventures.

 

Visiting Author

This year we are excited about the impending visit of Dr Cameron Stelzer to our school. He is a performer, presenter and award-winning author/illustrator. We have a large collection of his books in our library, and they have been enthusiastically borrowed. Note the pictures of our book stand below.

     Sights at the 2023 Book parade

The Lbrary is a Busy Place in Term Two

 

Term two has begun with much interest and excitement in the new books, learning programs and activities in the library. We have enthusiastic students enjoying the library during first half lunch on Tuesdays and Wednesdays. We also have a large number of volunteers to be library monitors.

National Simultaneous Storytime

We are all looking forward to National Simultaneous Storytime on Wednesday May 24^th. The book that we will enjoy this year is Speedy Sloth by Rebecca Young and Heath McKenzie.

 

                        

ALIA explains the event as follows:

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, childcare centres, family homes, bookshops and many other places around the country. Now in its 23nd successful year, it is a colourful, vibrant, fun event that aims to promote the value of reading and literacy, using an Australian children's book that explores age-appropriate themes, and addresses key learning areas of the National Curriculum for Foundation to Year 6.

Event Information

NSS receives positive media coverage and generates a great deal of community interest. 2022 was our biggest and most successful NSS to date with over 2.18 million participants at over 59, 000 locations! (Australian Library and Information Association 2023).

 The Term Two Library Program

Kindergarten

The students will undertake an author study of the work of Nick Bland. Author studies allow students to dive deeply into an author’s body of work. The students can critically evaluate the author’s themes and characters.

Nick Bland is one of our foremost Australian authors for children. His work which is loaded with engaging rhythm and rhyme and colourful illustrations which support the texts results in a sense of adventure and enjoyment for all readers. This term the students in early stage one will study ten books by Nick Bland. It is expected that, as the students are exposed to such language features as rhyme, repetition, alliteration and personification supported by high quality illustrations they will be entertained and inspired to write creatively.

 

Stage One

The students in Stage One will be introduced to chapter books in this course of study. The books will be presented on the interactive whiteboard for group reading. Discussion sessions will take place after the reading of each chapter and the students will then respond to the text with a related activity.

The students will be encouraged to investigate the many chapter books in the library collection and borrow texts at their individual reading levels.

 

Information Fluency

Information fluency is the ability to critically think while engaging with, creating and utilising information and technology, regardless of the information platform or medium. 

Texts provide the means for communication. Students need to access, understand, analyse and evaluate information, make meaning, express thoughts and emotions, present ideas and opinions, interact with others and participate in activities at school and in their lives beyond school. Success in any learning endeavour depends on being able to make meaning from information.  (Information Fluency Framework. NSW Det)

 

Stage Two

The students will participate in research tasks using programs of study created in Stile. They will begin with a research project on the topic of ANZAC Day. Subsequent research projects will be in line with classroom learning.

 

Stage Three

The students will undertake a research project about World War 2 which is designed to build upon their background knowledge directly related to the novel Sydney Under Attack   by Sophie Masson which they studied in Term One.