St Peter's Boys Junior Prep Book Week and The Wizard of Oz

The JP Boys Book Week was based on the fascinating story of “The Wizard of Oz”. The aim was to align our week with the 'Year of the Woman' at St Peter’s. The book choice was prompted by a TED talk presented by Colin Stokes on “How movies teach manhood” (https://youtu.be/ueOqYebVhtc). The Wizard of Oz to this day remains one  of the few classics where the various heroines demonstrate strong leadership, the importance of friendship and building positive relationships by accepting individuals for who they are.

The movie, which was made in 1939, displays very little violence, triggers creativity and imagination and demonstrates that boys do not always need to be the defenders within a patriarchal society. The themes of courage, perseverance and loyalty, that run through the story, align with the values of St Peter’s and are needed as strong 21st Century skills in the workplace.

Throughout the week these themes were reinforced within the classrooms. The dress up day towards the end of the week was a highlight with delightful Oz characters wondering through the JP Building along the yellow brick road towards their own rainbows end.