THE LATEST IN BOOK REVIEWS

IMPORTANT

LINKS TO BOOKTOPIA


As you maybe aware, it has been announced that Booktopia has gone into voluntary administration. I am currently removing the purchasing links to  Booktopia. As there are hundreds of book reviews here's with links to Booktopia, this will take some time to do.Pease do not use these Booktopia  links to purchase books. You can however and it would be appreciated if you would use the links to Amazon and Apple Books which means we may get a few cents to help keep this site going.

JOIN US 

We are evolving and adding new dimensions focusing on books and a new section coming soon for healthy eating with quick and easy recipes that are healthy and delicious.

Receive our FREE BOOK REVIEWS newsletter with all the latest book reviews

SUBSCRIBE NOW

In Brief, Awards & Events

All My Own Work Program

NESA (NSW Education Standards Authority) has released an updated All My Own Work (AMOW) program to help students learn about scholarship principles and ethical practices.

An improved program is now easier to understand, featuring contemporary examples, including how to reference artificial intelligence, and interactive mini-quizzes covering:


  • plagiarism
  • academic integrity
  • acknowledging sources
  • working with others.

Students must complete AMOW or an equivalent program before they are entered into any Preliminary or HSC course.  More inforation is on the NESA webite


Perth Institute of Contemporary Art's Year 11 Master Class: Finding Your Voice and

Creating a Resolved Body of Work.


20 - 23 August 

Hear from PICA's Hatched Artist-in-Residence Frances Malcomson (TAS) about their artistic journey. These hands-on activities will help Year 11 students prepare for their Year 12 assessments by covering creative thinking and working processes. 


The workshop includes tips on linking authentic experiences to broader social, cultural and political contexts, research approaches, material experimentation, documentation and developing effective artist statements. 


For bookings and more inforation email PICA Tell them you saw this on scooldaysmagasine.

Improve student

outcomes

It takes a whole community to raise a child so they can develop and flourish. When teachers and school or education leaders work collaboratively with parents and carers, we know it has a positive impact on the learners’ education and wellbeing


Read the AITSL Spotlight report

Powerhouse Museum Discovery

Have fun and learn by exploring an eclectic mix of displays at the Powerhouse Museum's Discovery Centre in Castle Hill. As explained to us on our visit, it is the storage centre for the Powerhouse, The Australian Museum and Historic Houses. 


We found a myriad of fascinating  items on display, from old horse drawn carriages, a model of the Mars explorer, trains, a model ship, fossils, scientific intruments, numerous items from the mid twentieth century and a whole set of bicyles on the wall from the hobby horse to the pennyfarthing to the standard bicyle. Plus racing cars from the 1920s to the 1950s. 


Suspended from the ceiling of the very large halls are models of a flying boat, a light aircraft and a glider. 


It covers a huge space and there is an interactive play. area for younger kids and a coffee shop with good coffee. It is also worth noting that the tour guides and coffee shop people are helpful and friendly. 


And this is all free entry and free parking, but just be aware the signs to find it on Green Road are difficut to see. It is best to enter via Showground Road turning into Green Road. 


For opening times, touir information and more pop onto the Powerhouse website.

The HP Envy x360 2-in-1 Laptop PC levels up your work or downtime in every possible way, with an enhanced responsive touchscreen, amazing audio, and advanced collaboration technology—all backed by a design with recycled materials, serious power, plus all the apps and security features you need for an unstoppable you.

Books from Reviews Donated

One lucky NSW school has just received almost 100 books for their school library from schooldaysmagazine.com. 

These are the books that are reviewed on these pages. They are all in pristine, new condition ready for prirmary school children to enjoy and learn the wonderful stories, boosting their vocabulory and knowledge through reading.


 Over the years, books have been donated to several schools with just 11 students to over 1000, community groups and to help restart a library when it was lost in bushfires.


You can help keep this going by using the links in the book reviews to purchase books, it helps to keep this website live.All the work on this site is done volunatarily.

Office of the Children's Guardian

Free training sessions for people working or volunteering in child-related organisations in NSW.

SAFE Series Protective-behaviours Program; Child Safe Reporting: Creating a Reporting Culture; Developing a Child Safe Risk Management Plan; Child Safe Reporting Obligations and Processes;

Developing a Child Safe Risk Management 

More information go to the Office of the Children's Guardian website.

Smartphone Flickfest

Celibrating Australia’s - and the world’s – Smartfone Flick Fest (SF3) enters its spectacular 10th year in 2024.


SF3 has welcomed thousands of films from over 80 countries the past decade, with entrants ranging in age from 5 to 76. 

This year’s fest is set to be the biggest yet, with a slew of super cool masterclasses, partnerships and – as ever – rich prizes in their dozens up for grabs.


Submissions close on 1 September. 

The live festival screenings will again be held in the City of Sydney over the weekend of 15-17 November.


Two new awards make their debut too: Best Social Media Video; and the – controversial! – AI Best Film Award – which must be written by a human writer, but may be made using Artificial Intelligence technologies


More than $50,000 worth of prizes are on offer including Black Magic Design gear, rigs, mics, apps, iPads, cash prizes & more.


For more informatrion and to enter see the Smart Phone Flickfest website 

Postcards to the Advocate

a acyp video about consultations with young people about vaping .

The Childrens Advocate launched the Postcards to the Advocate - the report, based on feedback from hundreds of children and young people about their hopes for their future.


The engagement initiative, Postcards to the Advocate, was announced during Children’s Week 2022, with postcards sent to or­ganisations that expressed interest in participating. Children and young people were able to share their hopes for the future through drawings or writing. 


Pop onto the Advoate for Children's website for more information about this program.

Challenging conspiracy and fake news

agent C the word fake is written on white dice on a yellow background .

Agent C is a new project led by All Together Now focusing on online conspiracy theories and fake news. 


The aim of Agent C is to develop specialised training with and for young people in order to challenge divisive and hateful conspiracy theories and fake news. This includes but is not limited to far-right extremist conspiracy theories and fake news narratives. 


The aim is  to enhance the confidence and capacity of young people aged 14-21 to unpack and critically engage with hateful conspiracy theories and fake news and to have stimulating conversations with their peers encouraging critical thinking.


 For more information and participation visit the All Together Now website

Something New is Coming...

agent C the word fake is written on white dice on a yellow background .

Do get fed up with trying to think of healthy meals to make that are delicious and easy to prepare?


I have been creating healthy and delicious meals for many years and so many people ask me for the recipes. So now, I am going to share a few here, togther with inofrmation about health, nutrition and living well,


Make sure you are in the loop and I will send you a note once it's up and ready to go. Simpy click on this link to join my email notifications. That's it!

Adolescents Distraction at Bedtime 

turning around hating school to loving school .

As most people are aware there are several warnings and thoughts about the overuse of mobile devices before going to bed. So how many of us can relate to this new research from Flinders University in Adelaide, which has shown that using a mobile device can be a helpful distraction from negative thoughts positively affecting teenagers’ ability to get to sleep? Continue reading

NSW Premier's Teachers Scholarships

The NSW Premier's Teacher Scholarships provide $10,000 or $15,000 for a 5-week study tour, either within Australia or abroad.

The scholarships support teachers to explore best practice in their chosen subject area. Teachers can conduct formal study at tertiary education institutions, or research and observation visits to schools and relevant organisations.  

A wide selection of scholarship areas is availabl.

THere is moer informarion available on the NSW Dept of Educaton's website.

Turning around hating school to enjoying it

turning around hating school to loving school .

Imagine hating going to school or having a phobia attending to school. According to this article this is a growing trend but one school in Melbourne is changing this around and changing lives. It's a good news story. Kaylee was 'drowning' at school and hated going, but now she loves it. Welcome to the academy designed for the disengaged, click here to read on the ABC

Queensland Study Hub

A ground-breaking initiative founded by Oliver Barr-David, a first-year engineering student at the University of Queensland, is transforming the academic journey of Grade 11 and 12 Queensland ATAR students. The interactive and collaborative student platform, dedicated to supporting academic success, is quickly gaining recognition for its dynamic approach to knowledge-sharing and community engagement.


In his senior year of high school, Barr-David recognised the need for a supportive and collaborative space where students could come together to excel academically.


At the heart of the Queensland Study Hub is its commitment to academic growth and achievement. The platform also features access to accredited tutors specialising in various subjects, providing students with valuable insights and expertise to excel in their studies. For more infoation and how to join pop onto Queensland Study Hub


2024 HSC minimum standard tests open

Teachers can prepare for minimum standard tests on Schools Online


  • Student test nominations are now open on Schools Online > Online Testing.
  • Practice tests open on Monday 12 February.
  • The updated Test Administration Handbook and test resources are  available in Downloads > Memos and Documents > Minimum Standard Administration and Conduct.
Connecting STEM with Steam, Puffing Billy Railway

Expanding its curriculum-aligned education program, Endless Discovery,  the Puffing Billy railway in Victoria now invites students from Foundation to VCE on board the discovery train with the addition of three new programs and a virtual excursion experience. 


The programs are designed for student’s learning journeys in engineering and technology, encouraging young minds to learn outside the classroom through the unique history of a century-old heritage steam railway. 


Honing students’ skills in STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics) and Humanities, the new programs aim to inspire the next generation of scientists, engineers, and inventors through the steam locomotive, a mode of transport which gave the world many of the technological advances we benefit from today. 


The three new guided programs offered include:


  • Maths in Motion – Year 5 – Year 8
  • Puffing Billy Railway Pathways – Year 9 – Year 10 
  • Sustainable Tourism at the Railway – VCE (Year 11, Geography)

You will fnd more information on these STEM opportunties on the Puffing Billy website.

5 Tips to Help  Transition to High School

The transition to high school means there are big changes a coming for your teen. 


You can help ease any worries your child may have by preparing them before Term 1 begins. Dr Selina Samuels, Chief Learning Officer at Cluey Learning shows you how. Read More 

Try Apple TV

Sleek Geeks Science Eureka Prize 2024

It's time for students with a knack for communicating, and budding filmmakers with an interest in science, to pull out their cameras, presented by the University of Sydney.


For information and to enter visit the Sleek Geeks page on the Australian Museum's website.

What Food Is Good for Your Memory?


Can what we eat affect how well our memory works. Your friend’s address. A family holiday as a child. The name of that lady you see at work every day. Memory is our ability to recall information from the recent or distant past. But can what we eat affect how well it works? Continue Reading on the BBC 

Australian Children’s Word of the Year 

Australian students are becoming increasingly aware of the importance of online privacy and how to protect themselves online, a concern which has been highlighted through their writing, as ‘privacy’ is awarded Oxford Australian 2022 Children’s Word of the Year (CWOTY). 


The topic of privacy is especially relevant in this current environment, given the string of high profile cyber attacks and information leaks which have occurred this year.


Children’s language experts analysed more than 87,117 short stories and over 7.5 million words written by Australian students aged seven to 13 years old as part of Storyathon, Australia’s largest online story-writing event for students. Shortlisted words included ‘impact’, ‘information’, ‘opinion’, ‘pollution’, ‘privacy’ and ‘risk’.


Overall there was a strong trend towards words associated with the internet, data protection and online behaviour this year. Words such as, ‘‘information’, ‘privacy’ and ‘risk’ all experienced a significant uptake from students compared to the previous year. ‘Personal information’ and ‘online information’ were also common phrases that featured in the body of writing. 


Anne Bayetto, Literacy expert at Flinders University, highlighted the usage of the word ‘privacy’ had increased by 397 per cent compared to 2021.


For more information about the Oxford Australian Children’s Word of the Year website


Understanding Your Child's Report Card

Drawing on her experience writing and proof reading end of year school reports, Cluey Chief Learning Officer, Dr Selina Samuels, shares her top tips for deciphering report cards with schooldaysmagazine's readers. Read the article here.

Grant for RIA helps grow school ed reach

The Royal Institution of Australia (RIA) has received a grant from the Government of South Australia, which provides  the stability to grow other partnerships and allow RIA to continue essential, not-for-profit role making all Australians better informed about the science in their lives.


The SA Government’s support means RiA can continue critically important work of fighting misinformation with quality journalism and scientific facts. 


The great thing about science is that there are always new facts to learn and new ways of looking at things. High-quality science education can help students have fun with science and increase their likelihood of choosing careers in science.


RIA's current education initiatives support 6,000 science teachers,  many in remote and regional areas, with curriculum-informed teaching materials. The aim is to extend this support to parents and offer direct support to students themselves, with a focus on middle-school students . For more information and aboiut RIA visit RIA website

Awards for 22 Outstanding Teachers 

Twenty-two outstanding teachers have been recognised for their leadership, innovation and tenacious commitment to their students and communities at the 2022 Commonwealth Bank Teaching Awards. In partnership with national charity, Schools Plus, the 2022 Commonwealth Bank Teaching Awards celebrates and rewards educators for demonstrating. Continue reading  ... Read More

Share by: