Students from the Botany Bay Network were excited to meet Her Majesty the Queen as she attended a ground-breaking writing workshop at Green Square Library on Tuesday 22 October.
The writing workshop, which brought together aspiring young writers from Years 5 to 8, featured a diverse line-up of renowned authors who served as facilitators and mentors for the participating students.
Eastlakes PS representative was Zak from 6-5M. You can see Zak in the photo sitting at the table with Her Majesty the Queen and the Honourable Prue Car, Deputy Premier, Minister for Education and Early Learning and Minister for Western Sydney. Her Majesty The Queen visited the workshop as part of the current Royal tour and chatted with students, teachers and the authors about the craft of writing.
The visit provided a rare opportunity for students to engage with the monarch as she observed the innovative approaches being taken in NSW public schools in high potential and gifted education.
The Green Square Library writing workshop highlighted the work NSW public schools are doing to nurture talented young learners across the four areas of potential: intellectual, creative, social-emotional and physical.
It is part of a broader commitment by the NSW Government to increase educational opportunities for high potential and gifted students (HPGE) and to have HPGE offerings for students in all schools by 2026.
Students from primary and high schools engaged for most of the day with four published authors: Will Kostakis, Kylie Captain, Sue Murray and Yvette Poshoglian.
They facilitated groups of students to explore the concept of "Community" through writing.
The four authors were then joined by other published authors including Matt Cosgrove, Roslyn McFarland, Apsara Baldovino and the Australian Children’s Laureate Sally Rippin for a panel where students could ask them about being a writer and their inspirations.
