By Miss Coote (Year 4 Teacher)

Wednesday 27th September was the launch of the Years 3 and 4 lunchtime book club. The main objective of this club is to cultivate a genuine passion for reading among the students in it while also providing them with exciting opportunities to interact with stories and settings in innovative ways. During our inaugural book club meeting, our focus was on non-fiction literature, aligning with the students' need to enhance their information recording and retrieval skills. The session began with the reading of This is New York by M Šašek, a beloved children's classic renowned for its vivid depiction of life in New York City, with particular attention to city life's intricate details.

To breathe life into the narrative, the students utilised their newly acquired VR headsets, embarking on a virtual journey to New York. Guided by Amy, the Junior School Captain from the Senior School, they had the exceptional opportunity to explore the city first-hand. As they traversed various landmarks and neighbourhoods, the students eagerly established connections between the details they had absorbed from the book and the captivating scenes they could see through their headsets. This interactive experience succeeded in bringing the story to life in an extraordinary manner, and it turned out to be an immensely enjoyable session!

Throughout the session, the girls honed their fluent thinking abilities by delving into diverse perspectives and methods of comprehending a subject. The amalgamation of reading and virtual exploration enabled them to bridge the gap between literature and real-world encounters, rendering the book club an engaging and educative venture. I am already looking forward to our next session next Wednesday!