Kia ora parents, caregivers, and extended whanau
We had a very kind parent donate a very generous koha to the bookfair yesterday. He asked that the koha go towards purchasing books for some deserving students. A wonderful and very kind gesture.
I retold a childhood book fair memory at last Friday's assembly. I was 9 years old and every breaktime during book week I would rush to the library to look through the plethora of books at my primary school's bookfair. One particular book instantly caught my eye, it was a book about Karate. Back in those days books were sold on a first in first served basis and there were no orders. I found this book to be particularly thrilling, and every lunchtime I would race in to read it, imagining myself in my own white gi held in place with a black belt. So precious was this book, that I would discreetly tuck it under a pile of books so that I could savour it for at least one more lunchtime. Each evening I would talk to my mother about this cool karate book, sharing interesting little snippets with her each night. I so dearly wished that she would buy it for me. But I knew that was stuff of fantasy. As you see, things were a little tight for my parents in those days, and my mother seldom ventured into school. So coming into school to buy a bookfair book was quite simply, out of the question.
Friday lunchtime came and so to did the end of the bookfair. I longed to read the karate book one last time before the entire collection was packed away and shipped off. But to my dismay, I couldn't find my precious book. Trying not to look too obvious I scoured through and under the large collection of books. But alas, no luck. I eventually sidled up to Mrs Ritchie- the librarian- and asked her out of desparation whether she had seen the karate book. "Oh yes, someone came in to buy that book this morning" was her sharp reply. I was heartbroken. Despondent and strangely embarrassed, I scurried out of the library.
A few months later on Christmas morning, I opened a rather flimsy looking present. As I removed the paper, the karate book appeared. I took it out to a quiet space in the garage, and whittled the rest of Christmas day away reading my special present. Nothing else mattered really because I had that book.
The bookfair donation that this parent has made, will likely bring that same sort of joy and wonder to a lucky group of students when they receive a book to cherish.
Have a great rest of the week
Jade Tawhiti
