What’s it really like living in a remote NT community?

Yesterday, I received the following letter from Ngukurr Community Education Centre in the NT. It articulates extremely well the challenges of living in a remote NT community and why a Programme like Books in Homes is so sorely needed. Would love to hear your comments!!! 

Kim Kingston 

(Click on the letter to enlarge)

Brenton E. McKenna - Book Catalogue Role Model for Term 1, 2013

We're very excited to release the first Books in Homes Book Catalogue for 2013!

 

We are so fortunate to have the amazing Brenton E. McKenna as this term's Role Model. Brenton is an Indigenous artist and writer and is located in Broome in the beautiful Kimberley Region of Western Australia. He has just published his first graphic novel, Ubby’s Underdogs: The Legend of the Phoenix Dragon, with Indigenous publisher Magabala Books - it is really COOL!!!! AND is available for participating Books in Homes students to choose from the Green section of the Books in Homes Primary Catalogue this term!

Don't forget the Books in Homes Role Model competition this term - every student who enters will receive an achievement certificate!!! AND we will choose 25 winners who shall receive one of every item highlighted on page 2 of the Book Catalogue which are donated by Scholastic Australia.

As a bonus question this term, we have asked students to draw a short comic strip showing who they read their Books in Homes books to. The winning comic strip will be published on a Books in Homes bookmark and distributed to participating students and families in Term 4, 2013.

Students will find details of the competition in their Book Catalogue.

So lets join Brenton and start drawing!

Majella Catholic Primary School, Balga WA

Majella Catholic Primary School in Balga outside of Perth incorporated their Book Giving Assembly into their Prayer Assembly which was held on Friday 7^th December. Their role model, Frané Lessac was also in attendance. She is both an Author and an Illustrator!

The assembly was full of excitement and the energy from the students was infectious! The students are just thrilled to be taking part in the Books in Home Programme!! So much so, that they are continually bring their books to school and home again everyday! They love them!!! You can tell from the BIG smiles on their faces!!!

Thank you Mainfreight Australia for your sponsorship at Majella Catholic Primary School!!!

Our Lady of Mount Carmel School, Waterloo

Our Lady of Mount Carmel School in NSW had their best Book Giving Assembly to date on Thursday 6^th December 2012! After lunch Assembly started off in the Library with the students meeting their Books in Homes School Role Model Christopher Cheng. The amazing author! He told the students lots of interesting stories and they were all very funny ones! Also both Warren O'Rourke and Marissa Bonett from QBE Foundation attended. They spoke to the students before they received their new books. Once the students received their books they were so happy and excited they even started to read them and forgot they were in an assembly! 

Our Lady of Mount Carmel School, Waterloo would like to say a HUGE thank you to the QBE Foundation and their volunteer reading mentors Angela, Carmen and Jamie. All the students were so excited that they got to see a BIG cheque from the QBE Foundation and this will help them to receive and read more new books next year! What a great way to end the year!

 Thank You QBE FOUNDATION for your support towards the 

Books in Homes Programme in six schools across Australia!

Whalan Public School, Western Sydney

The children at Whalan Public School really enjoyed their Monday morning on the 3^rd December 2012, as it was their Book Giving Assembly. The school was very grateful that their Books in Homes Role Model Marjorie Crosby-Fairall, a famous Children’s Illustrator and the UWS student ambassador, Edwin Concubierta were able to visit the school on this outstanding day. During the assembly, the students were inspired by Marjorie’s talk and presentation. They were all very excited to have a look at her portfolio that she had brought along.  

After the assembly, a special morning tea was held in the library where the School Leaders and a chosen group of Year 1 to Year 6 children could talk to Marjorie about the student’s art work that was on display in the library. Marjorie Crosby-Fairall and Edwin Concubierta spent time with a Kindergarten class when they received their book bags and they were able to sit and read with some of them.   

 

 

Many thanks to University of Western Sydney, Higher Education Participation Program - Bridges to Higher Education and Whalan Public School for sponsoring the Books in Homes Programme!!