During 2019 we held 21 Workshops in total, and worked with just over 1 191 children in Stanford, De Kop, Zwelihle (Hermanus) and in Mitchell’s Plain. Our first two workshops for 2020 brought us a further 69 children. We realized early in 2019 that we needed a way of assessing the children’s progress. A ‘Book […]
Whopping workshop stats! Read More »
Springfontein Wine Estate is working closely with the non-profit organisation Children’s Book Network, ‘to bring books and children onto the same page’. Children’s Book Network (CBN) began early in 2012, the dream of founders Gcina Mhlope, Lesley Beake and Sindiwe Magona. It was in 2018 that Hildegard Witbooi (board member of CBN and Springfontein management)
Springfontein and Children Reading! Read More »
Still in the same venue at Norfolk Place, CBN is welcoming even more children than ever this year, with additional help from volunteers and part time staff as well as the old trusted team. We thank them all. There is also a new squadron of the Teen Team – volunteers from Hermanus High School waiting
Children’s Book Network News Read More »
We are delighted to have the help and enthusiasm of Lisa Witherden, who turned up at exactly the right moment to assist with some of the critical issues facing an expanding CBN. It is not often that the person with just the right credentials turns up on the doorstep – and there is no such
Welcome to a new member of the CBN Team Read More »
Children’s Book Network (CBN) has officially kicked off our Saturday workshops for the year. These workshops take place twice a month and give our children a chance to read, space to let their imaginations fly, and access to knowledge outside of their everyday experience. Our first workshop was a lovely introduction to the year’s programme
Workshops working their wonder Read More »
It has been a very longstanding dream to pass on our ideas to other people and organizations working with children and reading. Six years, to be precise. That’s how long it took to assemble the books, the ideas, the methods, the inspiration and – hardest of all – the funding to make this dream come
Toolboxes Forever! Read More »
Photographs of children doing things tend to be more alluring, and maybe reflect more of the activities around the theme of the workshop than the actual business of reading. But they read! A lot. It wouldn’t be much use handing out a pack of books, however interesting and expecting our children to become immediately engrossed.
How do they read? Let us count the ways. Read More »
We are finishing the year off in style with two parties, two workshops in Stanford and two workshops in Tafelsig (Mitchells Plain). This will bring a successful year to an outstanding finale before we close down for a well-earned break. Workshops will begin in January before the children go back to school. 09 November Cancelled
Workshop programme for November and December 2019 Read More »
Our Children’s Book Network choir has been invited to join a group of singers from the Netherlands in joyful song next week, Friday 22nd November, at Madre’s Restaurant in Stanford. 16.00 until 18.00. The Dutch singers are led by Joke van der Weide. The event will be preceded by a workshop led by our prize
CBN Fundraiser 22nd November 2019 Read More »
Some projects turn out to be a lot bigger – and a lot more work – than expected, and the CBN Toolbox Project definitely falls into that category. Our aim was to produce a method of spreading the work that we do as widely as possible so that more and more children could benefit from
Toolbox Celebration! Read More »
Supporters of CBN will have noticed that our website has not been as regularly updated as they have come to expect. This year has been hugely successful in the work that we are here to do – creating a love of reading among children who otherwise do not have much exposure to books. It has
Regrets about lack of website input Read More »
The venue was the amazing Groenberg Community Library , right in the heart of Franschhoek. The participants consisted of 21 teacher-librarians from all over the Franschhoek Valley and the interest was high as we presented the ideas that CBN has been developing around books for the last eight years. This was a concerned, caring, and
On Tuesday 14 May, CBN gave a workshop to 21 teacher-librarians in Franschhoek Read More »
Today, Tuesday 2nd July, CBN had a workshop titled Place. The workshop was attended by 32children. Lesley started the workshop off with the reading of the book to the CBN group, whiles I took the little CBN outside for fun and games. After the reading of the book and games, they ate their sandwiches and
On Friday 21 June CBN hosted a workshop at Enlighten Trust , attended by 28 children. The theme of the workshop was ‘Windows’. It was focused on what you saw as you looked outside a window and what you see when you’re looking in one. Lesley welcomed everyone and gave a quick brief on the
On Saturday the 8th June, the CBN children were once again reunited. Jude Victor came to visit the children which was a great surprise. The workshop was attended by 28 Children from Stanford and Die Kop. The workshop started off with an ice breaker followed by some hot chocolate and sandwiches. We reassembled at story
Saturday 25th May, we had a workshop in Stanford in which 34 children attended. The theme was Friendship. We started of the workshop with an ice-breaker where the new children were given the chance to introduce themselves, followed by a series of games and laughter. We then proceeded to the reading area, and as a
Lesley will be away for nearly three weeks – and during that time, Nyasha Makwarimba, who is now interning with us, will take over the running of the website. All supportive comments can be directed to nyashamakwarimba083@gmail.com! She will also be handing the day to day admin of CBN and organizing two morning workshops in
Handover of website during May-June Read More »
CBN will offer a workshop on Saturday 19th April with the theme ‘Expressions’ This workshop will be well supported by the Teen Team, and we will be asking them to help with some administration tasks as well as the setting up of CBN Book Club, where children will be encouraged to take books home (and,
Easter Saturday Workshop Read More »
And, by the numbers … We always have an oversupply of children of all ages in Stanford when the call goes out. We had 54 children in attendance on 13 March and a more restrained 19 in Hermanus at Enlighten Trust on the 14th. The optimum number is 25. Then we can successfully divide the
The March school holiday workshops (4) Statistics Read More »
Drawing on experience Especially for children who may not be articulate in English (although all our participants understand if they are Grade 4 and above), illustration provides a creative starting point for communicating. Recently we devised the concept of illustrating several ‘frames’ of a story in strip-cartoon format on a long strip of paper, and
The March school holiday workshops (3) Illustration Read More »
