Australian Christian Schools Library Network

Australian Christian Schools Library Network

Brooke Prentis is an Aboriginal Christian Leader and Wakka Wakka woman.  Brooke is a theologian, writer, speaker, educator, and poet.  Brooke works in schools to equip and empower educators in embedding Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander perspectives in curriculum including with resources and walking alongside to practically live out Brooke's message of Reconciliation as friendship.  Brooke also runs cultural awareness training and consults on Reconciliation Action Plans.  Brooke has guest hosted Soul Search on ABC Radio National and appeared on national TV on ABC's The Drum and NITV's The Point.  Brooke is the coordinator of the Grasstree Gathering, a network of over 200 Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Christian Leaders.  Brooke is also a Chartered Accountant and qualified Company Director.  Brooke is currently working on publishing a book with the working title, "Listen, Learn, Love: Walking with Your Aboriginal Neighbour" a practical guide for Australian Christians and the Australian Church. Brooke works ecumenically and dreams of building "an Australia built on truth, justice, love, and hope."  www.brookeprentis.com

Chris is the author of the book The Frog and the Fish: Reflections on Work, Technology, Sex, Stuff, Truth, and Happiness, which was shortlisted for Australian Christian Book of the Year. He has been a passionate and engaging presenter at previous librarian’s conferences. Chris and his wife, Coco, live in the Blue Mountains west of Sydney and he spends his work week teaching construction at Wycliffe Christian School, running a small carpentry business, and as adjunct lecturer for the National Institute for Christian Education. 

Kaya is a passionate follower of Jesus Christ and is thankful for the transformational power of Holy Spirit and her relationship with her loving Father.

 

Kaya believes that Father God has called her to work alongside Christian educators in different nations. Over the past eight years Kaya, along with a friend and colleague, has trained teachers in the USA, New Zealand, Nepal, Myanmar, and more recently Australia and India. She has been increasingly challenged to consider school and classroom practices of Christian leaders, staff, and educators - and what that experience is like for every staff member, student and family involved. Without a Biblical perspective imbedded and listening to the leading of the Holy Spirit for each situation, portfolio and class, it will not be very different from leaders, staff and educators in public schools. 

 

For the past 28 years education has been Kaya’s vocation, which included 9 years in public education in South Africa, Taiwan and New Zealand, and 19 years in Christian Education in New Zealand and Australia. Between 2002 - 2019 she lived in New Zealand where she worked as a teacher, Head of Senior School and as the Associate Principal responsible for curriculum oversight and teacher development in Christian Education. In 2020 Kaya was appointed as the Assistant-Lead Regional Principal at the Pacific Group of Christian Schools working with the schools in the group based outside of Sydney.

 

Currently Kaya is working alongside the staff of St Philips Christian College to train and develop teachers from the St Philips and Pacific Group in "Transformation by Design" in how to embed Biblical perspective into curriculum areas.

 

Smith Wigglesworth wrote “at the slightest whisper of Holy Spirit, I turn aside to obey”  . . .  and Kaya chooses to do that. 

Louise Park is one of Australia's leading children's authors, publishers and educational consultants. She has had over 20 years experience in teaching, publishing, seminar presenting and writing both fiction and nonfiction  Louise writes books for children under her own name as well as several secret identities including H. I. Larry, Mac Park and Poppy Rose. She loves writing books with action and grand adventures and is the author of the best-selling series Zac Power Test DriveBella Dancerella and Star Girl. She is also the co-author of Boy vs Beast and D-Bot Squad. Her most recent primary school novels are the timeslip Grace Mysteries, Grace's secrets and Grace's escape.  Her recently published book, Last Man out: A personal account of the Gallipoli Evacuation is a beautiful and  moving account of her grandfather.  He was 36 years old and a seasoned serviceman when he arrived at Gallipoli. And he was the last man out.  

Learn more about Louise at her website    https://www.louisepark.com.au

Paul Macdonald

Paul is the owner of the Children’s Bookshop. He has a Master of Education, working almost 20 years as a teacher of Upper Primary and Secondary. He has won numerous awards in teaching such as a Quality Teacher Award in 2002, The Premier’s English Scholarship in 2004 and awards for his co-ordination of Regional Shakespearean Festivals. His interests include the development of literacy with a particular interest in reading for gifted children, Boys’ Literacy and books for adolescents.

In 2012 Paul was awarded the School Library Association of NSW's  Maurice Saxby Award for his commitment to and  contribution to children's literature. In 2016, Paul received the Lady Cutler Award for his passionate commitment to children's literature.

The Children's Bookshop

Sami is an award winning children’s book author and illustrator and is currently based in Newcastle, NSW. 

She has released three books in theIllustrated Encyclopaedia series and has just released her fourth book (the first of a new of a new series), called How We Came To Be - Surprising Sea Creatures,allpublished by Lothian - Hachette Australia. 

With a bachelor of Natural History Illustration (Honours) at UoN, she is trained in scientific illustration and loves to try new mediums and techniques, as she never knows what style she might fall in love with next. She appreciates all animals, especially the ones that can be defined as weird, wonderful or even ugly!