Koala Kids took the National Simultaneous Storytime (NSS) program to the nine regional hospitals on Wednesday 23 May at 11am – adding another 100+ young readers to the initiative.
Hickory Dickory Dash, the 2018 book was written by Tony Wilson, illustrated by Laura Wood and published and donated to Koala Kids by Scholastic.
NSS, now in its 18th year, is an annual campaign that aims to encourage more young Australians to read and enjoy books. It is a colourful, vibrant, fun event that aims to promote the value of reading and literacy, this year using an Australian children’s book that explores age-appropriate themes, and addresses key learning areas of the National Curriculum for Foundation to Year 6.
A huge thank you to all those who supported Koala Kids We Believe Happy Helps Lunch
To those who attended, the events committee who worked for weeks leading up to and since the event, the 20 plus volunteers who worked tirelessly all day and of course all of the pro bono suppliers, in kind donors and so many others who helped bring the lunch to fruition.
KOALA Kids is excited to announce that KOBE Creations the IT business of Scott and Michelle Lovett’s is the new host of koalakids.org.au.
The KOALA Kids website was previously designed, built and maintained by Zanity Pty Ltd who provided wonderful pro bono support for which we will always be grateful. Michelle has been an active volunteer of KOALA Kids since joining us in October 2011 and we are particularly grateful and appreciative for her and Scott’s support.
The Movie Maker Project at Peter MacCallum Cancer Centre has been made possible with the support of KOALA Kids and a grant from Robert Connor Dawes Foundation. KOALA Kids provided a range of costumes on the rack from Frozen’s Princess Elsa to Captain America plus wigs and accessories as well as a Hollywood mirror, canvas tent (to be used as a changing room. KOALA Kids also provided the coat hangers, garment bags, and a rack with the support and generosity of companies like Then Beauty, Costume Collection and Delta’s Dazzling Costumes.
Lucas at the Dressing Table at Peter Mac
The grant from Robert Connor Dawes Foundation was used to purchase a computer plus the software, Final Cut which cleverly allows digitally recorded sounds, music, videos and photographs to be blended together to make a movie. The grant is also helping to finance one day a week when Caroline Ngo, radiotherapist come movie producer can dedicate her time to these recordings with the children, and then edit and produce the final ‘take home movie’.
“We want to have the costume rack in the media room so that the kids that come in on filming days get to dress up and play with props, footage that is later incorporated in their keepsake videos,” Caroline told KOALA Kids.
The children and adolescents attending Peter MacCallum Cancer Centre for radiotherapy now have the opportunity to be filmed in superhero costumes in a dedicated dressing room with media production props. And the kids are loving it. The recordings take place during the appointment time for radiation therapy in an effort to create some fun and enjoyment, and make a treatment, that can be daunting and scary, a little more bearable . A very professional looking CD is then produced showing each child’s personal experience with radiotherapy at Peter Mac and presented to the family at the end of their radiotherapy treatment along with a KOALA Kids certificate of bravery.
The Robert Connor Dawes Foundation was established in July 2013 to support research, care and development of paediatric and young adult brain cancer after 18 year old Connor Dawes passed away from brain cancer in April 2013. Connor had his radiation treatment at Peter Mac.
