23 August 2023

Students and teachers at St Aloysius’ School, Queenscliff, have celebrated Book Week with a parade through their seaside town.

Inspired by the Children’s Book Council of Australia (CBCA) Book Week theme ‘Read, Grow, Inspire’, the school community dressed up in recognition of their location and to honour the CBCA shortlisted book, A is for Australian reefs, by Frané Lessac. ‘Our children live, love and learn about our local environment’, said the school’s Teacher Librarian, Angela Ritchie, ‘and our local environment is the sea and the bay’.

The celebrations began with a book reading and activities at Queenscliff’s Marine and Freshwater Discovery Centre before a parade through the town. With the support of Cr Isabelle Tolhurst, Mayor of the Borough of Queenscliffe, the town’s main shopping street, Hesse Street, was renamed ‘HesSEA Street’ for the day in recognition of the school’s commitment to books and the local environment.

The parade along the main street, originally devised during periods of COVID-19 restrictions, has become an annual part of the school’s Book Week celebrations. ‘There were people sitting on verandas calling out and waving, parents in the street, grandparents in cars – and the feeling that came from the community supporting our students was exceptional’, said Angela. ‘It’s been a wonderful way that we can celebrate Australian writers and illustrators, as well as forming connections with the community we love.’