Book Week at Bialik College: Bringing Stories, Creativity and a Love of Reading to Life
At Bialik College in Melbourne, Book Week is more than a celebration of favourite characters. It's an opportunity for students to discover the joy of reading, explore their creativity and see how stories can come to life beyond the page.
Under this year's A Symphony of Stories theme, students across the Bialik Children's Centre (BCC), Early Learning Centre (ELC) and Primary School spent a week immersed in books, storytelling, illustration and imaginative play.
And when we say immersed, we mean it.
If a child wasn't reading a story, there was a reasonable chance they were wearing one, creating something inspired by one or talking to someone who writes them for a living.
Inspiring Young Readers Through Real-World Experiences
Throughout Book Week, students met authors and illustrators Julie-Ann Grasso, Cassy Polimeni and Amelia Mellor, enjoyed a live performance and listened to staff share stories during recess and lunch.
There were costumes, creative activities, musical instruments made from everyday objects, photobooth moments and an art competition that saw six student designs selected for new Bialik bookmarks.
These experiences offered students different ways to engage with literature, bringing together reading, art, performance and imagination.
And yes, we may even have spotted Gary Velleman genuinely smiling. A rare Book Week sighting.
From Reading Books to Creating Them
One of the week's highlights was a five-day residency with author and illustrator Sarah Allen in the Bursztyn Family Learning Hub.
Working alongside students, Sarah developed Birds and Bugs of Bialik, drawing inspiration from the wildlife found around our own little patch of Melbourne.
Students had the opportunity to meet and draw with a working author and illustrator, experiencing firsthand how observation, imagination and creativity can become part of the storytelling process.
For Year 1 student Luna S, the inspiration went one step further.
Luna wrote her own book and arrived at the Book Week parade dressed as Slinky, a character she had created herself.
Her explanation of the writing process?
"As soon as I wrote 'once upon a time' the story just happened by itself!"
A suspiciously efficient creative process. And a lovely reminder of what can happen when children are encouraged to follow their imaginations.
Building a Love of Reading at Bialik College
Book Week offered a glimpse of the many ways students can connect with stories at Bialik College.
Through encounters with authors, opportunities for creative expression and shared reading experiences, students were invited to see books not simply as something to read, but as a starting point for curiosity, conversation and creativity.
Because developing a love of reading isn't only about the words on a page. It's also about the worlds those words open up.
Thank you to our students and staff for embracing the spirit of Book Week, and especially to our Library team for creating a week in which books became very difficult to ignore.