National Simultaneous Storytime (NSS) is held annually by the Australian Library and Information Association (ALIA). Every year a picture book, written and illustrated by an Australian author and illustrator, is read simultaneously in libraries, schools, pre-schools, childcare centres, family homes, bookshops and many other places around the country.

This year students joined together to read “The Speedy Sloth” by Rebecca Young and Heath McKenzie. This story follows Spike the Sloth who wants to compete in a race against all the other animals, running her own race despite her speed slowing her down. It’s a tale about giving it your all and never giving up – just like one of our UPS school values “Doing our best”.

Mrs McCurdie read the book to our 5/6 classes upstairs, Ms Craig read to the year 2/3/4 classes in the Cedars building and Julie read to the reception and year 1 students in the school library. Many classes continued this learning throughout the day with writing opportunities, investigating Sloths and directed art drawings. NSS was a lovely opportunity for us to all read together here at UPS.