World Book Day, the annual celebration of books, saw Leighton Park students taking part remotely on Thursday 4th March. Undeterred by the global pandemic, Librarian Grace Ritchie, organised a selection of activities for pupils to enjoy the global literary event from home. “World Book Day is a fabulous opportunity to celebrate our love of books and reading!” enthused Grace, “Reading for pleasure has long been shown to improve a child’s performance in school, but the benefits stretch far beyond academic success. It is such an important part of improving wellbeing and can often provide a much-needed escape from everyday life. Even more important in these challenging times!”
There was the opportunity to dress up as a character from a book of your choice and messages of encouragement to promote reading for pleasure. Lockdown has provided many people with free time for more leisurely pursuits and reading has become a great source of comfort to those unable to socialize outside the house. The Library has been ingenious in their distribution of books over the last year with students able to request particular titles or seek recommendations from the Library team and receive a beautifully packaged delivery of literary delight direct to their Tutor room.
The School’s Spring Term outreach initiative, Let’s Read Together, is currently offering primary schools four popular children’s books read aloud by Leighton Park staff and students on video. The majority of the schools receiving the recordings over the term have been sharing them with their pupils on a weekly basis but Loddon Primary School’s Year 4 Literacy Co-ordinator, Amy Baker, has been keen to save them up to share on World Book Day offering a focus to their student celebrations. Erin (Year 10) who read ‘Tiddler’ by Julia Donaldson commented, “I would just like to help and support this wonderful idea which I hope children in KS1 and KS2 will truly benefit from and enjoy.”
World Book Day usually plays a central role in Leighton Park own, more extended, literary celebration: the ever popular Book Week. The Library team organise our very own book shop open in the Cadbury Room and a host of visiting authors come into the School to speak to students and conduct book-themed workshops. Unfortunately, due to Covid restrictions this has had to be postponed, but plans are being prepared to hold this in the Autumn Term instead so students do not miss out.
The World Book Day £1 book tokens are ready and waiting for students returning to School on Monday 8th March and it will be possible for pupils to exchange them either one of the official World Book Day £1 books at the portable book stand on the Head’s Lawn or be used to receive a £1 discount off a book or audiobook from participating books shops before Sunday 28th March.
And the adults in the School community haven’t been forgotten either! The Parent and Staff Community have a longstanding Book Club which in usual times meets in the Library’s Fiction Room but over the last year has moved online combining a social and literary activities into a virtual event. The next Book Club meeting is taking place on Monday 8th March at 7.30pm and will be discussing ‘The Giver of Stars’ by Jojo Moyes. If you would like to join, and are a member of the Leighton Park community, please contact [email protected].
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