National Simultaneous Storytime was celebrated this year across the three campuses of Newington College. It is an annual campaign initiated by the Australian Library and Information Association that encourages young Australians to read and enjoy books, promoting the value of reading and literacy using Australian children’s books.

Every year a picture book, written and illustrated by an Australian author and illustrator is read at the same time on the same day in schools, libraries, bookshops, homes and childcare centres across the nation.

This year’s selected work was Too Many Elephants in this House written by Ursula Dubosarsky and illustrated by Andrew Joyner.

In Eric’s house there were too many elephants – in the living room, in the kitchen, in the bathroom, even in his bedroom! The elephants take up a lot of space, but Eric loves every one of them. So when his mum says they have to go, Eric comes up with a clever solution to a very BIG problem…

So at 11am on Wednesday 21 May, across Newington College Lindfield, all of the students settled into their various reading nooks to share this book. In the Don Brown Hall at Lindfield, Years One to Six were treated to a dramatization of the story by the animated acting abilities of the Drama Club under the leadership of Mrs Barg.

Kindergarten travelled to the Stanmore Campus where they shared the story with Year 12 students (The Big Boys). The Lindfield boys were very excited to be sharing Too Many Elephants in this House as well as other favourite literature, including other elephant stories, especially Elmer. Kindergarten entertained The Big Boys by singing and performing The Elephants Balancing song for the senior boys who enthusiastically joined in.

It was a morning of excitement! Driving over the Sydney Harbour Bridge, seeing the Sydney Opera House and doing all this from the School Bus together with the awesomeness of the “Big School” and reading with The Big Boys made this excursion one to remember.

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