As tradition has it, World Book Week started off with an exciting launch assembly! This year the game was Pictionary: it was a battle between ‘The Wonkas’ and ‘The Twits’. The teachers drew and the girls guessed! It was fast and furious. The winning team was the Wonkas, each girl receiving five house points!
Book Week then continued with visiting authors, fabulous costumes and most importantly, time to read!
Reception, Year 1 and Year 2 – as well as their peers at St Barnabas – were visited by picture book author Robert Tregoning. His message of being yourself and living colourfully was so much fun, he even got us up to dance together!
Illustrator and author, Clara Vulliamy, visited Years 2 and 3 for workshops about journalism, mystery solving and pets! Clara was amazed at Year 2 and 3’s engagement, telling us they were “exceptionally bright and sweet”.
Master storyteller and professional oral historian, Wendy Shearer, met with Years 2, 3, 4, 5 and 6 on Thursday to thrill them with her magical re-tellings of African and Caribbean folk tales. The pupils and teachers who were treated to Wendy’s theatrical interpretations of traditional stories were gripped by the need to know what would happen at every turn! At the end of each session, students flocked to Wendy to tell her their ideas for how they might like to tell the stories themselves. The spirit of oral storytelling is alive and well at Francis Holland Junior School!
Lisa Williamson spoke to Years 4, 5 and 6 – alongside pupils from St Barnabas – about her new book ‘Best Friends Forever’. Dealing with the joys and the difficulties of friendship, her work is fantastic for helping them navigate these ups and downs.
The costume parade (surely one of the highlights of the school year) was a sight to behold. So much care, thought and imagination had gone into everyone’s fancy dress. Staff and girls had taken the time to carefully curate and prepare their costumes …so many books had come to life!
Reading is at the heart and soul of the Junior School and it has been a very special week for us. We have been able to celebrate storytelling, books and reading and realise the many ways that they bring us closer together.
World Book Day Costume Competition
Overall Winners
1st Place: Stella, Year 1
2nd Place: Vivienne, Year 5
3rd Place: Blanca, Year 2
Year Group Winners:
Reception: Isla
Year 1: Gayatri
Year 2: Charlotte L H
Year 3: Ava
Year 4: Vera
Year 5: Cecily
Year 6: Manon
The Library Team
