Highgate’s World Book Day festivities last week provided a chance for pupils and staff across the school to celebrate and share their love of reading.
With author talks, assemblies, craft activities, costumes, book recommendations and themed decorations, this popular event is an important opportunity to laud ‘reading for pleasure’ as an activity that we value and enjoy.
Pre-Prep and Junior School children unleashed their creativity through an array of entertaining costumes, inspired by the literary legends that have captured their imaginations and fuelled, what we hope will be, a lifelong love of reading.
The day began with an assembly presented by our Junior School pupil library assistants who spoke about the importance of sharing stories, not only through reading or dressing up together, but by donating unwanted books to charities or supporting the World Book Day charity in various ways. They then told a story they’d written, about how they saved the Junior School from an ancient Egyptian librarian goddess.
The Junior School Librarian, Lauren Johnston, enthused: “World Book Day is probably my favourite day in the school calendar as I love seeing everyone’s costumes; this year, it was lovely to see so many joint costume ideas between friends and siblings.”
Lauren continued: “It’s a pleasure to work with a group of library assistants who reflect the rest of the pupil body in terms of their enthusiasm for reading, and I’m encouraged whenever any pupils recommend a book or author to someone else. For anyone struggling to find their reading niche or who may find reading a challenge, it is invaluable to have readers around to set an example and to offer advice. Encouraging one another in their learning is a skill that pupils will take with them as they journey up through the school, and one which will hopefully stay with them beyond that.”
Pre-Prep children enjoyed a visit from the author Rosemary Clunie, who spoke about her book Serena and the Little Blue Dog, which inspired craft activities through the day. Junior School pupils heard from authors J.P. Rose and Davina Tijani during the week.
In the Senior School, teachers offered a short snippet of their recommended book at the beginning of every lesson. Pupils and staff decorated their classroom doors to represent a different book, and a selection of book clubs, bake sales, poetry writing, recommended reading lists and lunchtime book excerpts helped to proliferate the literary theme across the school.
Keith Brown, Assistant head (Director of Studies), concluded: “We know that one of the biggest incentives for children to read is to feel part of a community that views reading as a significant and enjoyable activity. Whilst we champion these values year-round, World Book Day is a great occasion to bring these ideals to life and to share our collective enthusiasm!”
