By Anne Labussière (Secondary Teacher Library)
What is the Battle of the Books?
Every school year The Battle of the Books (BOB) is in full swing from November to March. This exciting reading competition involves students in Grades 6 through 8 and is part of the ICS Extra Curricular Activities.
Teams are composed of 3 to 4 members who agree to read 7 books together. The SGIS librarians' group has carefully selected the BOB books from the collection of books featured in the Golden Cowbell Award.
The BOB-ers meet once a week at lunchtime for fun activities such as quizzes, team logo creation and craft activities. They also enjoy the privilege of eating lunch with their teammates in our welcoming Secondary library.
BOB fosters cross-cultural connections within the international school community of Switzerland. Indeed, the competition culminates in a rip-roaring final event where the winning team from our school competes against the top teams from ISZL and ZIS. Each school takes turns in hosting the Finals.
BoB Semi-Finals Winners - "GRRR!!!!"!
Reading for Pleasure
BOB is a wonderful initiative that instills joy for reading in our Middle School students, preparing them to become lifelong readers and learners. Reading for Pleasure is an essential skill that enhances academic performance and is associated with wellbeing benefits by reducing psychological distress.
Students have the opportunity to explore a wide range of genres including fantasy, science-fiction, realistic fiction, graphic novels, mystery, and non-fiction. However, they are allowed to share the reading load among their team members based on their individual preferences and proficiencies. In today's digital world, it is important to highlight the value of Reading for Pleasure, which is exactly what the Battle of the Books programme aims to do.
ICS values
BOB promotes the core values of ICS, such as caring and belonging. It nurtures a supportive community atmosphere and fosters camaraderie among the students. It also offers a platform for students who embrace a passion for reading to be recognised and celebrated!
“BOB allows everyone to be competitive and make new friends. It brings everyone together in a fun way.” - Andrei (Grade 6)
Collaborative BOB activity: book cover jigsaws - December 2023
The library staff ensures students feel comfortable and included in their teams. Respect and a spirit of friendly competition make BOB a successful programme. Also, the wonderful commitment of the Grade 6 level leader, Mr Bradley (aka our BOB Master of Ceremony) and the support of the teaching staff contribute to the cohesion and motivation of the group all along the way. Since last year, teachers have also jumped in with their team, “The Dog Ears” to challenge the students' reading stamina during two “Kahoot” sessions of Students vs Teachers.
“Reading is a vital determinant of a student’s growth in language skills and ability. The more they read, the more they learn. Teachers modelling the act of reading is essential in influencing students. We must "walk the talk." But, most of all, taking part in the friendly competition is just good fun!”- Mrs Crook (Alegría Lead Teacher and member of “The Dog Ears”)
Multilingualism
BOB values multilingualism and encourages active involvement from students of diverse language backgrounds. Many of our BOB members do not speak English as their first language.
Martina (Grade 6), who attended an Italian-speaking school in Italy, entered our Alegría programme in August and is now exploring English literature.
“I always liked to read in Italian and I always exchanged books with my friends. I didn’t have a library in my old school. So now, I come every day. I am doing BOB because I usually read comics and this is a great opportunity to read something else, not only graphic novels. We are doing Kahoot and Blooket. I am competitive, so I like it. This is the first time I read books in English. With BOB, I have also made friends. GO PIZZA POWER !!!!!!!!!!”
Next year BOB will celebrate 20 years and ICS will host. Go BOB-ers!
Source: cocomaterial.com