01 September 2023
Book Week planning for families began back in Term 2 when the Book Tree Building Project was announced. Boys and their families were invited to make a Book Tree from recycled materials and to let their imaginations soar! 67 students were involved in 62 trees that “grew” in the Junior School Library to create a Book Tree Forest. Many families came to admire the forest and the wide variety of trees over the last couple of weeks.
The Book Week Parade launched Book Week this year and was held in stunning weather on Monday of Week 5. There was an exciting vibe through the buildings as students prepared to parade, with a huge number of families lining the edge of Girdlestone Oval. All of the students in the Junior School had heard the story of “Frank’s Red Hat” in the lead up to Book Week. Frank is an inventive penguin who tried to convince his penguin friends to wear one of his knitted beanie creations. Based on this book, staff dressed as penguins and then combined to waddle in a huddle to the amusement of those watching.
Students in Years 3 to 6 were challenged throughout Book Week to escape from “Willy Wonka’s Invention Room”. Four invention rooms were setup in the library with teams of four students solving puzzles and finding clues in an attempt to escape. Teams needed to solve the clues and identify the correct test tube to ensure their escape, but only once the liquid in the test tube changed colour. Photograph opportunities were also available with an Oompaloompa and the Wonkatania boat, which added to the Willy Wonka experience. Due to the massive demand, the escape room was open for seven days at recess and lunch to allow 252 students to test their clue solving ability.
Thank you to the Junior School Library team for their efforts in putting together this incredible week and the maintenance teams for their teamwork in setting up equipment, moving furniture and their building and construction. The staff in the Junior School were extremely supportive and looked amazing for the Parade. Finally, I would also like to thank families and students for their enthusiasm during Book Week and for Reading, Growing and Inspiring together.
Mrs Sue Dansie
Teacher-Librarian