Parkes children Alfie Rosser, Ari, Ashton and Evie Albert, and Harriet Rosser (face obscured) are busy rehearsing their advent calendar performance for 11th December.
In the absence of many of our traditional community Christmas events this year, members of a literacy movement have created a wonderful idea for families.
PAINT THE TOWN REaD produced an advent calendar with a rhyme or song for each day that will not only encourage families to spend more time together, but will also create anticipation and excitement in the lead up to Christmas.
PAINT THE TOWN REaD was born in Parkes in 1997 and has since reached 84 communities in five states. The calendar was sent to all the communities with an invite to choose a day and create a short recording of that day’s song or rhyme.
The first 24 communities to respond will be included on the group’s Facebook page. PAINT PARKES REaD will feature on 11th December with a production prepared by the Parkes coordinator Shonel Redfern. Parkes will feature a second time with Rhonda Brain, a founding member of PAINT THE TOWN REaD, featuring on 5th December.
The very first presentation on 1st December will be the patron of PAINT THE TOWN REaD, her excellency Linda Hurley, wife of the Governor General.
Advent calendars will be available at the Parkes Library and preschools for families to display and follow at home every day.
The literacy movement was started in response to a growing number of children entering school with language delay. First known as Birth to Kindergarten-Spread the Word, PAINT THE TOWN REaD is a huge, creative and fun-filled, awareness-raising campaign across the whole community of the vital importance of a language-rich environment right from birth. The Annual Community Reading Day gets all schools involved and is a celebration of literacy in a fun way.
So, this year make sure to let your kids enjoy their advent treat while singing a song or reciting a rhyme to build up the excitement over 25 days until Christmas!