Reading Together® at Otahuhu Primary School

The March 2016 edition of NZ Principal Magazine has a substantial feature on Otahuhu Primary School, available here. Extracts follow:

Reading Together® programme

Quoting from Page 16:

A well-documented Reading Together programme is also available for parents. 'There is an art to reading to children,' says Jason, 'and through completing the Reading Together programme parents learn how to help their children in their reading. They learn how and when it is appropriate to give their children prompts and they learn strategies for reading, but most especially, they learn how to enjoy reading with their children. It is confidence building for parents and great for the children. Parents attend three sessions each week and they choose the times that are convenient to them either in the morning, mid-afternoon or in the evening. On completion of the course there is a graduation ceremony. 'This is a big celebration,' says Jason, 'because for some of my parents it may be the first time they have ever graduated in anything!'

Otahuhu Writers in Schools Project

Quoting from Page 17:

The Rotary Club's help doesn’t stop at toothbrushes. They also supply every year four child with a dictionary to take home. Further, they help sponsor the 'Author in School' programme, where a resident author, chosen from a list provided by the National Library, the New Zealand Book Council and the Otahuhu Library, helps the children to create books from stories that the children have written themselves. 'Vasanti Unka was our resident author,' says Jason, 'and the Rotary Club and New Zealand Book Council funded the sessions.' The children's stories were based on the school values of honesty, respect and excellence. When it came to printing the books more generous assistance came from the school's Konica Minolta representative, Aletta Manuofetoa, who organised the printing and publishing of the books. The book launch was held in the Otahuhu Library with the Rotary Club and Otahuhu Principals' Association hosting it. 'The Library was packed with parents,' said Jason, 'and all of the kids involved in the writing of the book were given a free copy to take home. It was a tremendous celebration for all of us,' he said proudly.