20 June 2017

On Wednesday 24 May, nine students from Christian Brothers College (CBC), St Kilda East, in Year 7 and 8 volunteered to participate in National Simultaneous Storytime at St Mary’s Primary School across the road. The CBC students read this year’s book, The Cow Tripped over the Moon, to groups of St Mary’s classes.

CBC Principal, Gerald Bain-King, attended the session and reported back to the school community. ‘The Year 7 and 8 students were reading to Grade 1 girls and boys a story which was part of the National Simultaneous Storytime program. This event is organised by the Australian Library and Information Association and has involved libraries and schools all over Australia - reading the same story to children at an equivalent time (around 11.00am). Watching two of our students read the story was a really enjoyable experience. They were animated, warm and teacherly – very professional I thought!

‘At the end of the read, the Grade 1 students had the opportunity to ask questions or make comments. One girl put up her hand and asked whether the boys were nervous, which they said “a little bit”. This question was quickly followed by a statement from another Grade 1 girl who said she admired the resilience that the boys showed. “That’s not bad”, I thought, “fancy a Grade 1 student talking about resilience”.

‘Turning to one of the teachers I indicated my surprise at the student’s use of such a sophisticated term, and she said that the students do a lot of work around resilience, and that it’s now a term they commonly use. The other key concept/word as part of the program, is “perseverance”. It is great that primary schools are embedding these important emotional, social and critical learning skills at such an early age.’

George Missailidis, a Year 8 CBC student said, ‘I loved being part of it. I missed being part of primary school. When I was in primary school, in grade 6 I was top of the school and then going into year 7 I was bottom of the school and when I did the story time it was nice to have everyone back together and it was really enjoyable. It was a really nice experience and I hope to do it again next year’.

National Simultaneous Storytime is held annually by the Australian Library and Information Association. Every year a picture book, written and illustrated by an Australian author and illustrator is read simultaneously in libraries, schools, pre-schools, childcare centres, family homes, bookshops and many other places around the country.

For more information visit www.alia.org.au.