Communities

Salisbury North, South Australia

About the community

Salisbury Community is situated approximately 20 kilometres from Adelaide CBD. The area covers 117 square kilometres. The residential population is 118,424 with 9,483 children aged 0 to 5 years (ABS Census 2006).

 

Salisbury North and the Let's Read program

Salisbury North Community has been embracing Let’s Read since its launch in 2010. Let’s Read is in a number of community centres, organisations and services throughout the community. Salisbury North area has links with the following sites:

  • Len Beadell Library
  • Bagster Road Community House
  • Burton Preschool
  • Oasis Childcare Centre
  • Lake Windemere Children’s Centre
  • City of Salisbury Council
  • Centacare.

Community stories

Winter School Holidays, 2015

On both Thursday mornings of the winter school holidays, Let's Read early literacy events were held at the Bagster Road Community Centre in Salisbury North. The events were held in partnership with Novita Children's Services and the Home Interaction Program for Parents & Youngsters (HIPPY). The event got young children and their parents/carers involved in enjoyable and interactive literacy-based activities including art and craft, a reading corner, story time, singing and door prizes. The main focus of the program was around two books: ‘Brown Bear’ and ‘The Hungry Caterpillar’. A variety of art and craft activities were themed around the books with colouring, book making, caterpillar craft and bear finger puppet making all available to the children in attendance. We also delivered 52 Let's Read bags to eligible families over both events. There was great feedback from children and parents/carers at both sessions and everyone involved had a lot of fun.

The main benefits:

The school holiday events connected families in Salisbury North with early literacy development messaging and resources. The aim of the events was to emphasise the joy of reading for both children and their parents/carers. Parents and carers learnt new interactive ways to read with their young children.

The events gave parents/carers of young children something educational to do together in the school holidays. The events also allowed us to promote key messages around early literacy and the importance of parents/carers reading regularly with their young children. Feedback from parents/carers in attendance indicated that many learnt new strategies to read with their children. Other benefits included in parent/carer feedback were: "Wonderful and different activities", "Friendly people", "The children enjoyed it", "Opportunity for the children to be social", "Engaging for the children", "Keeps the children busy", "To get out of the house", "Children receiving new books" and "Free of charge".

Caitlin Thomas, Early/Primary Years Program Coordinator, The Smith Family
 

Let’s Read at Bagster Road Fun Day, July 2014

Bagster Rd Community Centre in Salisbury North held an Early Years Fun Day complete with Peppa Pig.  This was a great opportunity to make the Salisbury North community aware of all the wonderful work The Smith Family are doing in the community. The stall contained Let’s Read packs,  information on itrack, Student2Student, Learning Clubs and scholarships.  It was a busy day with over 150 Let's Read packs delivered. 

Story by Kelly Martin

Sponsors

The Smith Family

Key contact

The Smith Family

E letsread@thesmithfamily.com.au