This year's Book Week theme celebrates all of the stories that make our country so special - "Australia: Story Country". We are exploring stories from Aboriginal and Torres Strait Island stories (The Dreaming), Outback Stories and Famous Australians. See our #BPSBookWeek2016 tag on our Twitter feed for pictures from our Book Week events this August.
Our students have already created art works for the Rockdale City Library Book Week Art Competition which closed on August 8. Our talented artists have drawn, painted and used pastels to create Australian landscapes, mythical creatures like those found in Emily Rodda's books, and their own tree houses inspired by Terry Denton and Andy Griffiths' Treehouse series.
On Monday, 15th August, 'Perform! Educational Musicals' will present "Fair Dinkum', a musical based on some of the books short-listed this year by the Children's Book Council of Australia. Always exceptional quality and engaging for our students, 'Fair Dinkum' sees the formal beginning of our Book Week celebrations.
Throughout Book Week, classes will be attending the Bexley Branch of Rockdale City Library to explore the Library, read an Australian-themed book with the Librarian and complete fun activities. Class Branch Library visits encourage our students to join their local public Library, tell their parents about the Library's services and encourage them to make links with the Library that they can use as they get older and move on to high school and further education.
On Monday, 22nd August, local author Robert Vescio will be visiting our Kindergarten, Year One and Year Two students to read his new book, "Barnaby and the lost treasure of Bunnyville". Author visits always provide our students with a great opportunity to ask questions about developing story ideas, drafting and revising writing and the publishing process. Books will also be available for purchase and signing on the day.
Finally, on Thursday, 25th August from 9:15am, our annual Book Character Parade will be held in the School Hall. To match this year's Book Week theme, students are asked to dress up as an Australian book/story character or famous Australian.
We have here just some of the great Australian books that you can draw inspiration from, but I predict that there will be lots of Tiny Timmy's (Tim Cahill) coming to our parade this year!