Welcome back everyone to Term 4.

While we might be returning to Remote Teaching and Learning for now for our Primary students, there is excitement on the horizon to know that very soon our students have the staggered return to onsite learning.

The continuation of the Sunset Series for our students where different Donnybrook staff read a story that is shared with the students on Seesaw, has been a great way to further connect and share the joy of reading with our students. Over the break I read many enjoyable books of a variety of different authors and topics. One of those books was written by Mem Fox ‘Reading Magic’. Mem Fox discusses the emotional and intellectual impact reading aloud to children has on their ability to learn to read and lists some great books to read with children. The happiness I see on students face when I read to them in class or even online is something for us all to appreciate.

Late last term, I was teaching a Year 5 class for the day. I offered for them to select one of the 3 picture story books that I had to read to them, they wanted all 3. When I taught them again after lunch, they wanted me to read more. By the end of the day, I had read them 6 picture storybooks and a short Paul Jenning’s story. This demonstrated to me that students in Primary school no matter their age, love to be read to. They take pleasure from reading the stories with different voices, joining in different parts together or taking in turns to read.

During the break, I found on my son’s bookshelf the book ‘Time for Bed’ by Mem Fox. If you have not read it with your child you should. It is a great book with repetition in it that allows children to read with you, but it also has different rhymes such as Piggy went to market, Round and Round the Garden and others that are fun to read. Sometimes in the business of the day or trying to get dinner made, we might not have that chance to stop and read together with our children a story book or five. Maybe that is a challenge we can all take - let’s read each night with our kids. Let’s share what our favourite book is to read together.

Rebecca Riley - Assistant Principal - Primary (Donnybrook)