Neil Fernandes, Ben Turner, Wayne Kalapa, Mana Daniela, Christian Fa'aui, Kalani Liddall-Sua, Preston-David Stanley, Ethan Stewart and Brycen Mason

A lot has been happening in the library over the past few weeks - activities and challenges encouraging our young men to read! Here are a couple of highlights:

School Library Week

All school libraries across Aotearoa New Zealand were encouraged to celebrate reading and books over the week of 8 - 12 August. So during class visits we played games, wrote "Library Love Notes" and used the book titles to make poetry. At lunchtimes, we held our own Taskmaster St Paul's version where each day five boys were randomly chosen to complete weird and wonderful challenges - things like who can make the tallest book tower in 30 seconds and write and perform a 30 second rap about reading, books and the library! Our young men rose to the challenge and really showed how valued our library is.

Jahmal Stowers putting books in alphabetical order

Prague Chadwick making a book title with ping pong balls

Auckland Writers Festival

I had the privilege of taking nine students to the Writers Festival where we listened to two inspirational authors talk about their writing and love of books. Poet Kwame Alexander zoomed in from New Orleans USA and chatted about his process of writing. He was rejected over 10 times for one of his books before it became a major award winner. We loved his last quote (which he says in the mirror everyday), "I am the greatest, not because I am better than anyone else, but because no one is better than me".

The other author was New Zealand writer, Sonya Wilson, about her debut novel set in Fiordland. She talked about her process and love for nature. We even got her to sign our very own copy of the book and have our photo with her.

Taking our students to events like this expands their world-view and inspires them as writers, poets, readers and citizens of Aotearoa.

Please keep encouraging your young men to read and write - skills that will hold them in the future.