Writers in Schools: Host School Guidelines

To ensure your students, school staff and the writer gain the most from this opportunity we ask you to consider the following things when arranging your visit.

Planning

1. Contact the New Zealand Book Council by email with information as follows:
   • Book Council membership number
   • School name and address (including town, as some schools have very similar names)
   • One contact person for the visit, their email and phone number.
   • Ideal writer from outside your area, and one from inside your area
   • How many classes the writer can expect to see
   • Whether you want a half or full day visit
   • Whether you will require a workshop
     
2. Ring your writer and confirm details of the day’s visit:
   • Let them know what you would like the students to get out of it, and check that they are confident they can deliver to your needs.
   • Give the writer the name of the contact person s/he will deal with on the day of the visit, as well as the contact person’s after-hours contact details. This person will meet the writer and act as his/her guide.
   • Check if the writer needs any special preparation or materials for their visit. This is especially important when hosting illustrators.
3. Tell all school staff about the visit arrangements and give them visit details.
4. Prepare students for the visit.

On the day of the visit

1. Prepare the classroom/venue and any technical equipment for use.
2. Meet the writer at the agreed place.
3. Introduce the writer to relevant staff and to his/her school guide – perhaps a student.
4. Ask if the writer needs notes/material photocopied.
5. Show the writer the bathroom facilities.
6. Refreshments – accompany the writer to the staffroom at breaks and provide tea or coffee and introductions.
7. In the classroom/venue give a clear welcome and introduction to your writer. A supervisor from the school must be present at all times. This is a condition of your Writers in Schools visit and a Book Council Health and Safety requirement.

The finer details

Media/School Newsletter
If you have reporters or photographers from your local newspaper visiting your school to do a story on your Writers in Schools visit, let them know the writer visit is part of the New Zealand Book Council’s Writers in Schools programme. If media ask for background information on the programme, please refer them to this website or ask them to give us a call on (04) 499 1569, or 0800 258 255.

If your school newsletter runs a piece about the writer visit, please remember to mention that the visit is part of the New Zealand Book Council’s Writers in Schools programme.

If you want to use the Book Council logo to help promote your Writers in Schools visit please email Sarah Hughes, education@bookcouncil.org.nz, who will provide you with a jpg file of the logo.

Feedback and Reports
We need constructive feedback on the visit. For audit and funding purposes it is a requirement of all schools receiving a visit to complete our electronically provided report form in full. Please return your report by mail or email within two weeks of the visit taking place.