This year we welcome Mrs Pip Fitzgerald to the library. She
will be taking classes every Wednesday and Thursday.
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I am pleased to
announce that students can, again, come to the library at lunch time. The
library will be open every Tuesday and Wednesday at first half lunch.
From week eight until the end of this term, Mrs Fitzgerald
will be ably assisted by Miss Remmington who will be taking my place while I am
on leave.
Premier’s Reading Challenge
The Premier’s Reading Challenge opens on February 27th
and closes on Friday August 18th. The students in years K-2
have already embarked on their reading journey. We are hoping that many
students in years 3-6 also take up the challenge.
The Library Program in Term One
Kindergarten
We begin the year in kindergarten by studying the difference
between fiction and nonfiction 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.
Each week examples of both genres will be presented dealing
with a particular theme. Interactive digital activities related to the theme
will also be included in the program.
This unit will serve as an introduction to the library. The
students will study a range of books by various authors and illustrators. The
parts of a book will be examined in detail. The students will understand the components of
the collection and where books are housed in the library. They will understand
the role of the author and illustrator and will share books for enjoyment.
Stages One and Two
The NSW English Curriculum defines visual literacy as:
The ability to decode, interpret, create, question,
challenge and evaluate texts that communicate with visual images as well as, or
rather than, words. Visually literate people can read the intended meaning in a
visual text such as an advertisement or a film shot, interpret the purpose and
intended meaning, and evaluate the form, structure and features of the text.
They can also use images in a creative and appropriate way to express meaning.
In these units, students will develop their understanding of
how stories can be communicated using images- both still images and moving
images.
Through an in-depth study of wordless picture books and
picture books with text, they will explore how visual narratives are
constructed. They will engage in interpretation of the settings, events,
characters and themes expressed in these texts. They will also learn some of
the visual codes and conventions used by illustrators to communicate their
stories and engage with their audience.
Stage Three
The students in stage three will study the book Sydney
Under Attack by Sophie Masson.
The text will immerse the readers in an action-packed story
in a background of historical events. Historical fiction teaches us more than
just facts. It takes us into the lives of people at a certain time and provides
a more human and in-depth look at their experiences.
The text follows the adventures of a twelve-year-old boy as
he deals with the aftermath of the 1942 attacks on Sydney during World War II.
2022 marked the 80th anniversary of the attacks and, through
the experiences of a few characters in the text, we are reminded of the way
everyone, both at home and overseas were affected by the events at this time.
It is a well-crafted novel, taking a real-life event, and
putting fictional figures into what would have been a scary and uncertain time
for many people. It makes the history and story accessible for younger readers
and has a reassurance in it that lets them know that by the end of the novel,
everything will be okay, and that there is always hope, and always a sense that
people can get through trying times and be reunited with their family. It
doesn’t go into the end of the war but allows the reader to imagine a time
where everyone is united and coming together and shows that good things can
come out of tragedy. (The Book Muse: Australian Literature Lover’s Blog 2022)
