Thank you to all our keynote speakers, delegates and sponsors who made our 9th National Early Literacy Conference such a success!
We were thrilled that Their Excellencies, our Patron Mrs Hurley, accompanied by the Governor General joined us for Thursday morning. Can you spot them in the photo below?
Our sponsors were Northparkes Mines, Parkes Services Club, Joblink Plus, Neighbourhood Central, Parkes Shire Council and Early Years Care.
And a huge thanks to Chris and Vicki Williams from RSN Live who ran our online presence.
On 6–8 September 2023 we will celebrate our 9th National Conference, on Wiradjuri Country at Parkes, NSW, the birthplace of PTTR. Our theme is Storytelling and Told Stories.
It is fitting that it will fall in National Child Protection Week and on Indigenous Literacy Day.
Told stories give every child everywhere a fair go (this year’s NCPW theme) at learning who they are, and where they have come from. The Conference will begin with Indigenous storytelling — the very best and right place to start.
To learn more about the Conference, contact us at conference@paintthetownread.info.
Theme: Enhancing Early Literacy by Embracing Cultural Diversity
19 – 21 May 2021 on the lands of the Bediagal and Cabrogal Clans of the Darug Nation.
This conference will bring you the latest research and practical applications for early literacy through the lens of cultural diversity. There will also be a focus on engaging men and boys in reading with bubs from birth, and community ownership and partnerships in early literacy.
Come and join us, in person or online for our first hybrid conference — whether you’re from the city or the country, work in early childhood, library, child and family services, volunteer in a service club, or you’re a strategic planner in your government position. Or, more locally, if you want to start painting your own community REaD, or to strengthen your existing PTTR site.
We will have keynote speakers and workshops for all.
On registration you may choose either to attend in person at the conference venue — Bankstown Sports Club in Bankstown NSW — or online.
Conference painting by Shareen Clayton. Shareen writes: ‘The artwork represents family and community. So the centre shows mum, dad and bub having quality family time out in the sun reading a book. The middle represents being surrounded and supported by the extended family and the outer part represents local communities working together to support and engage local families.’
Conference Theme: Enhancing Early Literacy by Embracing Cultural Diversity.
We are thrilled to share with you, the amazing artwork from Shareen Clayton, for our 8th National Conference 20 – 21 May 2021. (Easy dates for you to remember!)
In Shareen’s words: The artwork represents family and community. So the centre shows mum, dad and bub having quality family time out in the sun reading a book. The middle represents being surrounded and supported by the extended family and the outer part represents local communities working together to support and engage local families.
Paint the Town REaD and Paint the Town REaD, Black and Yellow ‘in a nutshell.’
Keep an eye out for the Registrations opening soon!
This morning, Her Excellency Mrs Hurley launched our national campaign, REaD and Sing with Me at Home, on the Governor General of Australia’s Facebook page, by singing a song she has composed for us.
The campaign aims to remind families everywhere to read and sing with their children during this time of social isolation — and beyond.
Mrs Hurley loves singing and, as a teacher, parent and grandparent, knows so well how important (and fun!) reading with children is.
She launched the campaign by reading ‘GoGo and The Lost Book’, compiled by Paint Liverpool REaD, singing the song she has written for PTTR, and placing her own teddy in the gates of Government House.
To get inspiration about how you can participate, follow Paint the Town REaD and — above all — read and sing at home!
On Monday 27 April 2020, Her Excellency Mrs. Linda Hurley, wife of the Governor General, will launch Paint the Town REaD’s (PTTR) new national campaign: REaD and Sing with Me at Home.
The campaign aims to remind families everywhere to read and sing with their children during this time of social isolation — and beyond.
Inspired by the social movement of children putting teddy bears in windows, PTTR groups will provide fun reminders and suggested activities to promote singing and reading at home.
Rhonda Brain, PTTR’s Creative Director, gets REaDy for the launch, by decorating her home in Parkes NSW in red, and reading with the Apprentice Joey from Paint the Swan REaD in WA, watched over by the Reading Bug.
Thank you to the Australian Chinese Charity Foundation for their generous grant to fund the translation of PTTR’s ‘How to Feed Your Baby’s Brain’ into Chinese. Home language is so important for parents to use to read, talk and sing with their babies, so we are thrilled that we can now translate our most popular resource into Chinese.
Monica Chu, Chairperson of ACCF, with Barbie Bates, Executive Director of PTTR, at ACCF’s 2019 Annual Dinner, where the grant was announced.
Congratulations Paint Mackay REaD, who in partnership with F5F at Mackay library, won the Queensland Local Government Authority Award for outstanding community service for their Berky Birthday Books.
The Mackay team celebrating their award at the Queensland Public Libraries Association Conference Dinner last Thursday.
I am delighted to become Patron of Paint the Town REaD.
There are few things I am more passionate about than encouraging our young people to read, sing and rhyme. Many of us take these foundational skills for granted but it is far too common for children to arrive at school without the skills necessary to make the most of their early education. That is why Paint the Town REaD’s efforts are so critical. The more we encourage parents, carers and communities to read with children the better off they will be as individuals and we will be as a country.
I’m looking forward to supporting your cause and celebrating your efforts over the next five years.
