Monthly Archives: August 2012

Pesky Problems

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RCH teachers have got your number!

Hot on the heels of Children’s Book Week, celebrations for  National Literacy and Numeracy Week are taking place each day at The Royal Children’s Hospital. With a focus on puzzles, games and brain-teasers, we’ll be encouraging children and families to exercise their mind muscles and flex their brain biceps.

Jackson works on some pesky problems

What’s on?

Monday 27–Friday 31 August

12.00pm–2.00pm

Pesky Problems and Wonderful Words on Main Street

Using iPads, interactive whiteboards, pencil, paper and mental arithmetic, children and adults will have the opportunity to enjoy Maths-based floor games and ‘Brain Snack’ problem-solving activities that will addle adults and confound kids!

We’ll also be challenging children with word puzzles that will have even the biggest bookworms bamboozled, as well as sharing books created and self-published by children during Children’s Book Week at the RCH.

Join us for some problem-solving fun!

Special events:

Monday 27 August

Go Away Mr Worrythoughts!

10–10.45am

Where: Ella Latham Auditorium

A performance by Frankston Arts Centre based on the book by Nicky Johnston that aims to help little worriers find happiness.

Click here for more information on National Literacy and Numeracy Week.

 

 

 

The RCH Reading Hour

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To mark the end of Children’s Book Week celebrations at the RCH, today we invited children and their families to join us for The RCH Reading Hour in the hospital’s Main Street.

Tayla enjoys a favourite picture book with RCH teacher Renee during the RCH Reading Hour

With a wonderful array of books from the Children’s Book Awards shortlist generously donated by Scholastic Australia and KOALA Kids, children, babies, parents and friends sunk into comfy beanbags for a leisurely read on a cold, wintry Melbourne afternoon.

The aim of The Reading Hour is to encourage parents and carers to read to their child for at least ten minutes each day, to ensure their child has the best chance of becoming a good reader with all the social and educational benefits that brings.

Official Reading Hour celebrations are being held around Australia this Saturday from 6-7pm. For more details visit The Reading Hour website.

 

Three cheers for Bob!

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Bob Graham with some fans in the Day Medical Clinic.

 

Bob drew this fantastic image of a baby and a dog in front of an audience of patients, parents and RCH staff in the Day Medical Clinic.

 

Bob Graham shows an illustration inspired by a park near his house where he watches people, dogs and other creatures for inspiration.

 

 

 

RCH patients had the pleasure of hearing the charming Bob Graham read from some of his award-winning picture books and talk about the inspiration behind these delightful bestsellers yesterday. Bob shared some of the sketches that have become illustrations in his books, and the visual diary he takes everywhere to record inspiring images and ideas.

Bob’s message to children was that we all have stories to tell and some of the best stories are the ones that happen right around us in our everyday lives.

We are thrilled to hear that Bob Graham’s delightful book A Bus Called Heaven was awarded Picture Book of the Year in the 2012 Children’s Book Awards announced last week. A well-deserved award!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Kids as publishers

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Children’s Book Week is an important celebration at The Royal Children’s Hospital and RCH teachers have been helping children to publish their own picture books throughout the week.

Summer with her ‘Giraffe’ page for the Animals book created by children at the hospital during Children’s Book Week.

Using self-publishing techniques learned in a recent workshop with Kids’ Own Publishing, teachers helped children to make ‘hot-dog’ books (the pages are folded like a hot-dog), and collaborative books where each child contributes a page that is then laid out on an A3 page then photocopied, folded, stapled and shared.

Children have used fabric, felt, magazines, cellophane and a variety of colourful and textured materials to create collage pages for their books.

Laura’s ‘ice-cream’ page for the Food book created by children at the RCH.

Children’s publishing is  a community-based approach to developing early literacy and a way of  encouraging an early love of reading – particularly pertinent as we celebrate the National Year of Reading in the hospital.

Another page from the Food book.

Jacob and Summer are busy creating collage illustrations for their self-published books.

Champions Read!

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The Education Institute loves books, especially books for children. One of our favourite celebrations at the RCH is the annual Children’s Book Week, where we celebrate Australian authors and illustrators and explore the fantastic titles that make up the shortlist for the Children’s Book Council of Australia’s Book of the Year Awards.  In this National Year of Reading we have lots of wonderful activities planned for patients, families and hospital visitors during Children’s Book Week with a focus on making books to share with families and friends. We hope you can join us for this special week.

What’s on?

Monday 20–Friday 24 August

12.00pm–2.00pm

Making Books and Radicool Reading on Main Street

Children are invited to join us for book-making workshops where they can create their own ‘Hot Dog’ book to take home. We’ll also be looking for the most ‘Radicool’ Readers who can take a snapshot of themselves, friends or family reading in an unusual place.

Special events:

Wednesday 22 August

Meerkats Book Launch

2.00pm – 3.00pm

Where: The Meerkat Exhibit, Specialist Clinics, Ground Level

The RCH Education Institute launches The Royal Children’s Hospital Meerkats, a delightful book of stories and artworks created by RCH patients, in which the meerkats enjoy all kinds of adventures.

Friday 24 August

12.00pm–1.00pm

The RCH Reading Hour

Where: Main Street

The hospital will celebrate the RCH Reading Hour during Book Week.  The aim of the Reading Hour is to encourage parents and carers to read to their child for at least ten minutes each day, to ensure their child has the best chance of becoming a good reader with all the social and educational benefits that brings.

Pull up a bean bag on Main Street and join us for a leisurely read between 12.00pm and 1.00pm on the Friday.

Golf program tees off

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July marked the commencement of The Royal Children’s Hospital (RCH) Education Institute’s integrated sports education program for children and young people and it’s proving a very popular activity indeed.

With the support of Volunteer and PGA Teaching Professional Ryan Ward from the Stay Balanced Golf – Game Improvement Centre at Sunshine Golf Club, an eight-week golf program has commenced which engages children and young people in learning through sport.

This new RCH golf program recognises that sports can play a significant role in the hospital environment by building a sense of community, encouraging greater participation within the community and reducing feelings of isolation for children and their families.

“Due to their health condition, many young people at the hospital may not have had many opportunities to be involved in sport.  This program allows children and young people to participate safely, encouraging healthy lifestyle choices”, said Ross Dullard, Leading Teacher at the Education Institute.

Specialist golf training equipment has been generously supplied by SNAG Golf Australia/New Zealand who is supporting the RCH golf program.

Ryan Ward shows young learners the basics of golf.

“The equipment is perfect for the hospital environment as it can be adapted for use in any space – indoors or out – which means children and young people of all abilities can take part.  And, the hospital has so many spaces that are just right for golf, it’s great to be able to use them more creatively”, explained Ross.

The program consists of both theory and skills sessions and is set to finish on a high as participants take part in a tournament at the hospital in early September.

Children and young people will learn not only about the history of the game and how it works but also develop skills in design, problem solving, project and event management.  Importantly, the project will encourage group interaction and collaborative learning.

The outcomes of this program will contribute to the RCH Education Institute’s growing evidence base for future sports related learning programs at the hospital.

Young learners are encouraged to participate.  To get involved contact RCH teacher Hamish on the Platypus ward on (03) 9345 9455.