Roald Dahl’s Centenary Celebrations
‘There are a whole lot of things in this world of ours you haven’t even started wondering about yet.’
Roald Dahl, James and the Giant Peach
The Junior School was alive with fictional characters on 13th September 2016 as Prep II through to Upper II helped us celebrate a most creative and inspiring author. Marking 100 years since Roald Dahl’s birth, we had all things Dahl on this Dahlicious Dress Up Day, from grinning BFGs and mischievous Oompa-Loompas to studious Matildas and Fantastic Mr Foxes – even a Grand High Witch.
Inspired by the BFG, girls in Prep III were drawing their dreams in ‘dream jars’ this morning and there was not a ‘snozzcumber’ in sight in the Refectories today, as the kitchen served James & The Giant Peach ‘Mud Burgers’ and Charlie and the Chocolate Factory ‘Lemon Explosion Cake’, which was gobbled up faster than the Enormous Crocodile ate children – ‘whipplescrumptious’.
Celebrating such a passionate and creative writer reminds us of amazing messages about how significant our personalities are in how we are perceived by others and the joys and importance of friendship. In addition to this, reading and hearing Dahl’s rich language – the idiosyncratic ‘gobblefunk’, trying to decipher what on earth ‘Esio Trot’ means, or making sense of The BFG’s proverbs – “two rights don’t equal a left” – inspires curiosity about language, whether we are reminiscing or discovering Roald Dahl for the first time.
After lunch, Prep II to Upper II gathered in the Chapel where they were led in prayer by Mrs Van der Merwe, Form Teacher, Lower I, thanking God for Roald Dahl and his witty stories, and thanking all the parents for their wonderful costumes. The Chapel resounded with David Walliams narrating The BFG, while the girls paraded their Dahl costumes. They were then able to watch the Puffin Books interactive webcast on the projector in the Chapel, participating in a worldwide party with thousands of other schools who were also celebrating Roald Dahl Day. During the party, the pupils learned about the author’s life and from where he drew his inspiration, and took part in a draw-along with the brilliant artist and Roald Dahl illustrator, Quentin Blake.
After the activities, everyone went outside to the grounds where they all enjoyed a cup of squash – or ‘frobscottle’ – in the shade of a tree in the late summer sunshine.
Our celebrations of Roald Dahl’s centenary will continue when Lower IV see the production of ‘Matilda’ at the end of September.
Mrs Van Der Merwe commented about this successful ‘Dahlicious Day’, ‘It was so exciting to see all the ‘Matildas’ here and I am sure that all our future assessment results should be amazing!’
Categories: Junior Prep Whole School
