Today’s seminar in pictures

Our highly successful Reading Beyond 2012 conference was organised by Paul Collins, of Creative Net Speakers’ Agency, who hires out Australian authors and illustrators without the cost of a booking fee.

It was a great way to equip teacher librarians with strategies to keep the National Year of Reading momentum chugging along beyond 2012. Here are some photos of the day:

Judith Ridge, MC and keynote speaker, introduces the day’s program

Deb Abela at the PMBW teacher librarians’ conference, Reading Beyond 2012!

Deb Abela

Louise Park reveals some secrets about Zac Power and Boy vs Beast

Teacher librarians learn a secret code involving a Chicken Dance manoeuvre

Paul Collins presents a writing activity based on the 12-Act Structure of fantasy novels

In pairs, PMBW’s teacher librarians create outlines for their own fantasy novels

Susanne Gervay tells the very personal story of Ships in the field

Susanne Gervay

Louise Park and Kim Miller

Susanne Gervay, Deb Abela, Paul Collins, Judith Ridge and Sophie Masson

MC Judith Ridge and a panel of authors: Meredith Costain, Kim Miller and Sophie Masson

Susanne and Ian, with his badge-draw prize elephant puppet

Jackie Hawkes farewells a retiring Honor White

Teacher librarian and committee member Honor White is honoured at the PMBW teacher librarians’ conference.

Photos courtesy Ian McLean and Paul Collins

UPDATE: If you Google all the authors listed, most of them have websites. Deb Abela specifically offered to send out her teachers’ notes and links to anyone who emailed her.

Paul Collins and Ford Street Publishing have notes for their authors (including Susanne Gervay’s “Ships in the field”).

Judith Ridge runs Westwords and is very keen to get western Sydney schools (and beyond) involved in their events.

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November 2

Reading Beyond 2012!: a PMBW literary conference

Where to now, after the 2012 National Year of Reading?
Applications have now closed for attending our 2012 conference. Here are some important details:

Date: Thursday 8th November 2012 (Term 4)
Venue: Penrith Panthers
123 Mulgoa Road, Penrith NSW 2750
Phone: (02) 4720 5555

Registration is from 8am and the Conference runs from 8.45am – 4.00pm. In ground free parking is available at the front of the Club. Please enter Panthers from the side door on the right hand side of the Main Entrance and proceed up the escalators. You will not need to sign into the Club unless you wish to enter other areas of the Club. If you have any special dietary requirements please contact Colleen Allen (Panthers Events Manager) on 02 4720 5531 ASAP.

Paul Collins (one of our guest presenters and book publisher) will have a wide range of books for sale. Payment will be by cash, credit card or the school may be invoiced. You will be able to take purchases with you on the day and have them autographed by our guest authors!

Scholastic, World Book, Elizabeth Richards and Bizfurn will also have trade displays.

Please check your enrolment status on MyPL@Edu; “Confirmed” indicates that your $120 course payment has been received, “Tentative” indicates that payment still needs to be made. For any queries regarding the Conference please contact either Jenny Scheffers (Caddies Creek PS) or Lee Arundel (Blacktown South PS).

The Committee looks forward to sharing a very exciting and dynamic day of literature and professional development with you!

CONFERENCE PROGRAM:
8 am Registration.
8.45am Welcome & General Business.
9am Judith Ridge – speaker & MC for day. CS Lewis said, “We read to know we are not alone.” Reading is not just a solitary pursuit, but has become a shared experience. How to encourage a reading community and introduce Westwords Bookclub .
9.45 am Deb Abela – The write stuff! An activity to get your kids writing their own stories.
10.30 am Morning Tea.
11.15 am Louise Park – Boys who love computer games and not reading, girls who like reading but want more than fairies and ponies. Engaging readers on their own terms.
12pm Paul Collins – Audience participation on creating a fantasy novel outline from a 12-point structure.
1pm Lunch.
2pm Susanne Gervay – Australia is an immigrant nation in an immigrant world- presenting complex yet accessible visual literacy and identity through the book “Ships in the field”, a moving exploration of the migrant experience.
2.45pm Panel Discussion: Kim Miller, Meredith Costain and Sophie Masson – Reading the Future.
3.30 pm Thanks, Evaluation & Lucky Badge Prizes.
4pm Conference concludes.

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August 27

Reading Beyond 2012!

In support of The National Year of Reading, the Penrith, Mt Druitt, Blacktown & Windsor Teacher Librarian Professional Learning Group is proudly hosting an exciting Literary Conference. This major professional development event will be held on Thursday 8th November Term 4, at Penrith Panthers.

The Reading Beyond 2012! Conference, which is a celebration and exploration of Australian literature, aims to:

· expose delegates to a wide range of well-known and award-winning authors

· provide delegates with practical and successful teaching strategies that will extend students’ writing skills

· provide suggestions for promoting students’ continued interest in reading, particularly in the transition to high school

· provide discussion about the current trends in reading and book publication.

Please see the program below, which provides full details of the day.

8 am Registration

8.45am Welcome & General Business

9am Judith Ridge – speaker & MC for day. CS Lewis said, “We read to know we are not alone “. Reading is not just a solitary pursuit, but has become a shared experience. How to encourage a reading community and introduce Westwords Bookclub.

9.45 am Deb Abela – The write stuff! An activity to get your kids writing their own stories

10.30 am Morning Tea

11.15 am Louise Park– Boys who love computer games and not reading, girls who like reading but want more than fairies and ponies. Engaging readers on their own terms

12pm Paul Collins – Audience participation on creating a fantasy novel outline from a 12-point structure

1pm Lunch

2pm Susanne Gervay – Australia is an immigrant nation in an immigrant world- presenting complex yet accessible visual literacy and identity through the book Ships in the field, a moving exploration of the migrant experience

2.45pm Panel Discussion (topic to be finalised): Kim Miller, Meredith Costain and Sophie Masson

3.30 pm Thanks, Evaluation & Lucky Badge Prizes

4pm Conference concludes.

Online registration through MyPL@Edu is now available. The course title is PMBW Term 4 Reading Beyond 2012! Conference and the course number is NR03812 (note 0 is zero). Please register as soon as possible, as numbers are strictly limited. When completing the online registration, please select the payment option Cheque, as there is NO DIRECT DEBIT available. Your initial registration will be listed as Tentative. Once your payment of $120 has been received, your enrolment status will be changed to Confirmed. Cheques, together with details of your name and school, should be posted to:

Attention: Lee Arundel, c/- Blacktown South Pubic School, 183 Flushcombe Road, Blacktown 2148

Please make the $120 cheque payable to Blacktown South Public School. There is NO GST involved in this registration payment. If you have any special dietary requirements, please contact teacher librarian Jenny Scheffers at Caddies Creek Public School ph: 8814-5916.

The Committee looks forward to sharing a dynamic day of Australian literature, professional learning and networking!

Jenny Scheffers
Chairperson
Penrith, Mt Druitt, Blacktown and Windsor Teacher Librarian Professional Learning Group

Instructions for registering
1. At our DET homepage click on the ‘My applications’ tab.
2. Click on the ‘M’
3. Scroll down & select ‘My PL@Edu’
4. Select ‘Search/Enrol for Event’
5. In the ‘Refine your search’ section locate the ‘course code’ box and type in NR03812 (0 is a numeral)
6. Scroll down & select ‘search’
7. You should be able to click on the course title, scroll down to ‘Event Enrol’ to register.
8. Don’t forget to select ‘cheque’ as your payment option.

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August 26

Capture the evidence: Shout it out!

Linda Gibson-Langford, editor of SLA NSW’s iLeader journal has sent information on this professional learning event:

15 September 10am – 3pm
The King’s School, Parramatta
Please direct any queries to Alinda Sheerman – asheerman@gmail.com
As a SLA NSW member benefit, this seminar is gratis (up to 2 members per Institutional Membership). Non-members $55 (incl GST).
Register before 3 September. Registration form at www.slansw.asn.au/events

Richard Glover and Debra Oswald
Richard Glover, ABC journalist, and Debra Oswald, writer and playwright, take us on a research journey through the salt lakes of western NSW, across the plains of imagination, to finally set us down in front of reality – ‘writing is hard work,’ says Glover, ‘and it is libraries that not only nourish writers, but create them in the first place’. Join Richard and Debra as they share their research journeys.

Debra Talbot
Teachers learning, or not, has been and remains the subject of research, a target for both reform and funding, and the core of much of the criticism leveled at teachers. So many of us with an interest in this area ask ourselves why the perception remains that teachers, including teacher librarians, are not learning effectively on the job. Debra will give us some insights into these issues and lead us in a Q&A on teachers’ learning.

Shared Workshop on Practitioner Research – 10 minutes each

Voice as evidence
Linda Gibson-Langford: Teacher Librarian, The Kings School
Historical Fiction Research
David Woodgate: Head of History, The Kings School
Reflection on Practitioner Research
Peta Gresham: English Teacher, The Kings School
Digital Storytelling Research Group
Suzana Sukovic: Head of Library, St Vincent College
Guided Inquiry Projects
Lee Fitzgerald: Head Teacher Librarian, Loretto Kirribili
Jenny Scheffers: Teacher Librarian, Caddies Creek Public School
Sharon McGuinness: Teacher Librarian, Thirroul Public School
The 100 Acre Wood: Integrating Learning through Literature:
Team Presentation – Kate Bradley: K-2 Coordinator and Alinda Sheerman: Head of Information Services, Broughton Anglican College
Data Collection techniques:
Di Laycock: Teacher Librarian, Barker College

Outcomes:
6.1.1 Demonstrate a capacity to reflect critically on and improve teaching practice.
6.2.1 Reflect critically on teaching and learning practice to enhance student learning outcomes.

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June 14

Committee meeting minutes – Wednesday 6 June 2012

Venue: Penrith Panthers
Meeting opened: 4.10pm
Present: Jenny Scheffers, Honor White, Jan Poona, Lee Arundel, Ian McLean, Cathie Cattermole, Belinda Guymer, Sue Pitt, Bonnie Manwaring, Lorraine Baxter, Ilse Roorda-Erich and Michele Young.
Apologies: Fran Mead, Lyn Drew, Julie Grazotis, Belinda Doyle, Shelley Napper and Susan Burke.

Jenny:
* Happy Birthday to Jan from the committee
* Updated committee members list
* Thank you letter sent to Cambridge Park HS catering team (teachers and students) for the preparation and serving of food at our T2 meeting
* Oasis beginners’ course – Tuesday 26 June at Banks PS (TL – Julie Grazotis) – 20 delegates, Cost – $40, Facilitators – Doug Jenkins and Bronwyn Jackson
* Thank you to Julie for organising the session.
* Term 3 Afternoon Tea – Catherine Cattermole, TL at James Erskine PS
* On behalf of the committee, Jenny will write a letter to DEC re concerns about proposed restructuring.

Lee:
Reported on finances in the bank.

Ian:
* PMBW blog site with Edublogs has been updated to “Pro” – more space now available and we can now embed video links – cost $42.04
* On MyPL@DEC, the PMBW Professional Learning Day of 2.6.11 is recorded as a one-hour event instead of one-day – Jenny to follow up.

Cathie:
* Evaluation review of PL meeting – very positive. Refer to report.
* Term 3 Afternoon Tea – Wednesday 29 August (Week 7), TL – Catherine Cattermole, James Erskine PS, 3:30 – 5:00pm, Book Week discussion, Cathie to email Jenny regarding school information – phone number, address, parking etc.

Term 4 2012 Professional Learning Conference:
* Literary Conference, Thursday 8 November 2012
* Possible conference title – “Reading Beyond 2012!”
* 120 delegates
* Venue – Penrith Panthers
* Notepads, pens, mints, water on each table
* Event organiser – Paul Collins – Melbourne based agency – 50% deposit based on 100 people
* Sue to request an invoice from the company and pass on to Jenny – give to Lee for payment
* Possible sponsors – Raeco, Elizabeth Richards, Fry’s Library Supplies, Teachers’ Mutual Bank (formerly Teachers’ Credit Union)
* Presenters to have their books for sale on the day
* Showbags – have 63 bags in reserve, Place an order for 150 bags – $500
* Sue to follow up donation of books for show bags from Scholastic.
* Discussed possible agenda.

Next Committee Meeting: Blacktown Sports Club, 3.45pm Date TBA
Meeting closed: 5.20pm

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May 22

On the mat!

Score! Score and score! Look what Ian McLean won in the “Lucky Door Prize” badge draw at today’s professional learning day! A beautiful “National Year of Reading 2012” mat for his school library, from Syba Signs (thanks Phyl Williamson and Jodie Wilson). You can order your own “NYoR 2012” mat by clicking HERE.

The wine and engraved glass were presented to Ian on behalf of the PMBW TLs committee in recognition of his recent “John H Lee Award” from School Librarians Association of NSW. Paul Macdonald, of The Children’s Bookshop, Beecroft, was similarly recognised. Paul, one of our guest speakers today, was the inaugural winner of SLA NSW’s “Maurice Saxby Award” for services to teacher librarians.

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