“You can find magic wherever you look. Sit back and relax, all you need is a book!” – Dr. Seus
Dr Seuss would have been pleased to see that magic was brimming from every classroom this week, with imaginations and excitement running high during our Book Week celebrations. With two visiting authors, our annual book fair, World Book Day, tea party celebrations and the English Extravaganza in the Pre-Prep, there was something for everyone and it was a busy week for our aspiring bookworms.
The week got off to a brilliant start with a visit from children’s author and TV writer, Ciaran Murtagh, whose presentations and workshops inspired pupils from Nursery to Year 6 with his brilliant approach to story-telling and the writing process. On Friday, we were lucky enough to be joined by Andy Mulligan, an award-winning novelist, who spoke to Years 4-8 about his work, particularly focussing on the novel 'Trash' which is studied in school by our older children. Having a creative writing workshop with one of our favourite writers was definitely a highlight of the week.
Pre-Prep enjoyed their English Extravaganza morning, which was a fantastic celebration of reading, writing and teamwork. The children worked enthusiastically in their houses, rotating through a range of activities including making imaginative story maps, phonics activities and rhyming board games. It was a wonderful morning filled with laughter and a love of English!
World Book Day is always a favourite at MHS and once again we were blown away by the effort the children had put into their costumes: from Winnie the Pooh to Biggles, and everything in between, the atmosphere was electric as we paraded in the sunshine to show each other our costumes and celebrate our favourite book characters. In the Prep, Egan were victorious in the House Readathon competition and were invited during morning break to an Alice in Wonderland themed tea party as a reward for their success.
Book Week was a wonderful celebration of reading, and it was wonderful to see so many children excitedly clutching their new books and talking about their favourite authors. Long may it continue!
Mrs Henderson, Head of English
