08 Sep 2015
Tea Gardens Public School students and staff went all out showcasing how "Books Light up Our World" celebrating book week, dressing up as their favourite book characters.
The day, organised by the school's librarian Rachel Cooper, with the help of her dedicated committee, was an enormous success, with students embracing the event with enthusiasm.
The students were eager participants on the day, with many spending the last few nights busily preparing their outfits. "It was great to see the kids so enthusiastic about dressing up and excited about the day," Ms Cooper said.
"Paddington, Spiderman, Dorothy and the Cat in the Hat were just some of the many stars in our parade. the children and the parents did a marvellous job as did local organisations like St Vinnie's who assisted many kids with last minute costume additions."
Tea Gardens / Hawks Nest Pre School came to the parade and afterwards participated in some shared reading with Kindergarten and Year 3 / 4 students. "This provided a fantastic opportunity for the students at the school to read to the pre-schoolers and build a connection in preparation for many of these littlies coming to 'big school' next year."
Throughout the rest of the day in keeping with the theme that "Books Light Up Our World", the Tea Gardens students learnt about light through a variety of science experiments including constructing light mazes, making rainbows using prisms and creating their own lava lamps. In addition, they used technology to design book covers, made lanterns, put themselves into a book, dramatized some of the short-listed books and artistically designed some of their own light bulbs. Ms Cooper said one of the most important aspects of the day was a focus on literacy and learning, a fact certainly highlighted by the variety of activities undertaken.
During the week, funds were also raised to support the Indigenous Literacy Foundation as part of the Great Aussie Book Swap. in excess of $120 was raised to support the purchase of books for students in remote Indigenous communities.
A presentation was also given by Tea gardens Public library officer, Carol Johnson to promote the services available at the local library.
From cover to cover, it is a day that will be remembered fondly for a long time.