International School Libraries Day

[Barbara Braxton <barbara@AUSTARMETRO.COM.AU>]

Dear Folks
As the co-ordinator for this special day on October 22 I would like to share
an idea with you that we will be doing at Palmerston and which you might
like to incorporate into your festivities to foster the theme of Learning
for Life.

We will start the day with a Parade of Nations with the children taking part
in a special ceremony to promote harmony among the world's children.

I envisage them dressing in their national costumes (in 1999 we had over 50
countries represented in the student body) and gathering in two large
circles in the school hall around a table draped with the flags of the world
and having a number of unlit candles on it.  There would be a large candle
to represent Peace, four smaller ones for Knowledge, Tolerance,
Understanding,  and Harmony and then another eight to represent the children
of Europe, Asia, North America, South America, Africa, the Pacific,
Australia and those without a country to call home.

After the children link arms to sing "It's a Small World" I am inviting a
special guest to say a few words and then light the Peace candle and then
from that student representatives would light the others.

After the candles are lit, I will have a group of students say the Prayer
for the 21st Century that our Year 4, 5 and 6 kids wrote in 1999 and then
link again to sing "I am Australian" as a finale. It is a most moving piece
of writing based on John Marsden's book of the same name.

The rest of the day would then be spent in a variety of activities based on
stories from around the world in a sort of tabloid format and I am hoping to
persuade the canteen ladies to offer a special international lunch.

Hopefully the candles would burn all day and we would finish at about 2.45
with another short ceremony where, for safety's sake, they would be
extinguished. But even with the flame out, the spirit would continue.


Please feel free to share this message with anyone you like, especially any
local lists and associations you might belong to so that we can make this a
truly international day.

I have a number of other ideas in the pipeline - I think I am having a
high-vibe day and will share these with you over the next few days.
Barbara Braxton
Teacher Librarian
Palmerston District Primary School
PALMERSTON ACT 2913
AUSTRALIA

T. 02 6205 7241
F. 02 6205 7242
E. barbara@austarmetro.com.au
W. http://www.palmdps.act.edu.au

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