As we live through a time of closed borders and travel restrictions, never before have we desired so much to embark on a journey to our favourite or hitherto unknown destinations. This year's Book Week focused on this very journey to other worlds through reading.
For us here in Krylatskoe Upper Primary, Book Week started early by laying out the themes for each class with the help of a stick or twist game. To celebrate our individuality, each class was allocated a theme to stick to for the week. The joy of having an individual theme is that students could interpret it in many ways. Besides, Upper Primary students are known for their creative flair!
Year 5A had the topic of Horror, and enjoyed studying the gruesome characters and events from scary stories. As a result, they managed to transform their classroom into a haunted house filled with bats and ghouls. They even wrote some of their own spooky stories, filled with suspense and action. Year 5B, in turn, were lucky to have the exciting topic of Science-Fiction, which they fully embraced by studying the novel A Wrinkle in Time. Students explored the storyline and compared the book, settings, and characters to the film version of the story. In 5C, it was all about Adventure. That's why they decided to explore the world of James and the Giant Peach by Roald Dahl. Children recreated a storyboard of The Runaway Peach and studied the curious characters - heroes and villains alike!
Year 6A chose to embrace their Fantasy theme to the fullest by analysing author, scriptwriter, movie director and actor roles in The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe. This way, they ended up producing a shorter version of the film, starring themselves as full cast members! At the end of the week, the rest of Upper Primary enjoyed watching 6A's creative and impressive work. 6B were happy to receive the theme of Animations, for which they chose to celebrate iconic animated characters from the traditional Hungry Caterpillar to the modern Pokemon. Students also turned Dereck Redmond's famous 1992 Olympic semi-final race into a comic book with a modern twist. Finally, 6C got the traditional theme of Fairytales. Not to be outdone, the class decided to recreate the Brothers Grimm’s famous Hansel and Gretel. They indulged in a full sensory experience of tasting gingerbread and using a green screen to act out and produce scenes from the story infused with mind-blowing plot twists!
A range of themes allowed students to experience all manner of activities during the week. One of the most enjoyable sights was the theme-based classroom window displays designed by children. It was an absolute joy to walk down the Upper Primary corridor, stepping from one world to another. Other highlights of the week included competitions for creating an ebook, making a 3D character, and decorating classrooms. Of course, we cannot forget the much-loved dress-up day for World Book Day and the best costume contest. At Upper Primary, this year’s Book Week was certainly one to remember!
