We have feasted on a range of literacy experiences this week!  The students and staff have been privileged to work with quality authors: Phil Cummings, Amanda Graham and Danielle Clode.  Each author shared their journey, their struggles and successes and showed elements of their favourite texts.   Visits to classrooms showed students asking questions, handling fossils and turtle shells, trialling writing strategies, listening to texts, and drawing fictional characters.  These authors have been entertaining, engaging and inspiring.  We thank Phil, Amanda and Danielle for sharing their time, energy and talents.

A sample of students shared their experiences.

Room 23

Danielle showed us a couple of olden-day animals and fossils because she writes about them.  We got to touch some of them.  Genevieve

It was good.  Danielle brought a turtle shell, and a shark tooth inside a case and we saw some posters about animals that she writes.  Mitchell

Room 25

We got to read Danielle’s books and decide whether they were fiction or non-fiction.  I liked listening to her talk about her life in Pt Lincoln.  Holly

Danielle’s story in general, was very inspiring as she lived on a boat from a very young age and she was home schooled on the boat and then moved to Northern Qld and started high school and university and she didn’t know much about school or university  and she didnt know friends.  She studied animals at the zoo and especially the Fenic fox and then begin writing books for the museum.  The museum published her books and a publisher asked her to produced her own book.  She has a very flexible job with not only writing books, but also editing and graphic design work. Lachlan

Room 11

Amanda showed us how to draw a cartoon bilby and it was fun.  Blaine

Phil was a good storyteller.  He made loud and soft voices to make it interesting.  He was happy and made us laugh at his stories.  I’m not sure if all his stories are true or not!  Liliana

Phil told really good stories and he was funny.  he kept scaring kids but in a fun way.  He told us how to write more interesting stories by what we see, smell and feel.  Gracie

Room 5

Amanda Graham came to visit.  She read a story.  Hannah

On Tuesday Amanda Graham came to visit.  She read a story.  We drew a dog.  I love dogs.  Charlotte