BOOKED OUT Speakers Agency

So far this year, we have received consistently positive feedback from our bookings.
Following is a sample of what teachers have been saying.
If you've had a speaker visit your school recently, please let us know how it went.

AUGUST 2006

Below is some of the amazing feedback we've had from Bookweek celebrations and beyond.
Click on the speaker's name to view their full profile.

Jump to: VIC Primary - VIC Secondary - NSW - QLD

See previous months' feedback.

VIC Primary

Felice Arena Author	"Students and staff were mesmerised with Felice's presentation. They all especially loved the part where some children became involved in acting out part of the first book... Felice signed many books for us and even visited one classroom to view the work students had completed on his books. The students were so excited to have a real author positively commenting on their work." - Mary Ryan, Lalor East Primary School.

The Great Big Storybook Performance group	"Performance has been adapted most successfully to suit the age group of the audience. The Big Storybook was a novel and magical approach; combined with the skill of the presenters and appeal of the life size animal puppets, altogether a memorable performance of this Dreamtime story. "Our young students (3 and 4 year olds) were totally engrossed by the performance as were their teachers. Enthusiastic involvement from start to finish." -Colleen Rowe, Camberwell Girls' Grammar School.
	"We loved the show. We thought Matt and Ilena were very professional and they told the story very well, with lots of drama." - Jan Robertson, Presbyterian Ladies' College.

Robert Greenberg Author and Screenwriter	"His cheeky sense of humour left us hanging on the edge of our seats... He made the children see how much he loved writing and during our follow-up small group focus for our talented writers, he gave some great expert tips for the students to try in their writing. A very inspiring talk!" -Mel Douglas, Marlborough Primary School.
	"Thank you so much for a great start to Book Week, the children have raved about you and are eager to read your book, which I will have to buy numerous copies of." - Helen Schiele, Ballarat Grammar School.

Geoff Kelly Illustrator	"We were thrilled with the way he was able to adapt to the needs of the students and engage them without overwhelming them with language they couldn't understand. We had a great reponse from the kids, who produced cartoons, class talks, journal entries etc. We highly recommend him for similar settings." -Mal Heath, Western English Language School.
	"Geoff provided a wonderful experience for all the children. He brought many illustrations of his work, kept the children from Prep to Grade 6 enthralled. A wonderful day." - Jackie Henry, Galilee Catholic Primary School.

Valanga Khoza Performer	"Great presentation. Kids loved the various musical instruments, especially the garden hose and watering can!" - Tina Cavanagh, Footscray Library.
	"Valanga's stories kept the children amused. His personality came through in his presentation. Staff and students enjoyed the variety of music and storytelling." - Margaret Collins, St Mark's Dingley.

Peter Malcolm Explorer	"Thank you for giving up your time to talk to us about your many experiences around Antarctica. We loved how you came in your Antarctic outfit to show us what it is really like. Your photos also showed us what it is really like in Antarctica. When we are older we wish to be just like you and visit Antarctica." - Students from Park Ridge Primary School.

David Miller Paper Sculptor	"David was very generous with his time and not disturbed when the sessions went overtime. Everyone was impressed with his presentation and the standard of his art work. Children enjoyed the hands on activity." - Margaret Collins, St Mark's Dingley.

Shaken & Suspicious Performance group	"It was a fantastic performance thoroughly enjoyed by all age groups... S&S had them eating out of their hands. Senior staff and senior students were full of praise... Students gave them ratings of 15/10." -Judy Vardy, Lara Lake Primary School.
	"Very entertaining. Most appropriate to the children's level of schooling... Much discussion and laughter." - Marie Merriman, Rollins Primary School.
	"Such a consumate pair of performers. So lively, energetic and entertaining... Staff never laughed so much... Boys were totally engaged." -Elsa Unkles, Trinity Grammar School.

Gabrielle Wang Author	"I found Gabrielle to be fantastic. It was informative, interesting, hands on, creative and fun. The students had a ball." - Amy Elliott, Goonawarra Primary School.

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VIC Secondary

Isobelle Carmody Author	"Excellent storyteller and high levels of engagement... positive response - listened carefully, were genuinely interested in the content." -Nuccio Gurciullo, MacRobertson's Girls' High School.

Cath Crowley Author	"Just a word of thanks and appreciation for Cath Crowley's visit - she was terrific. Sessions were engaging and stimulating. The girls responded extremely well to her bright manner. The material delivered was appropriately pitched and professionally delivered. We will certainly look at using her again next year." - Rhonda Linnell, St Margaret's School.

Mark Dobson Motivational Speaker	"Mark has presented this 'Boys to Men' talk to a number of student groups for me over the years and never fails to engage the boys and get the messages across, while keeping them amused and entertained... "Students were very positive about Mark's presentation both in terms of the actual content/messages and entertainment factor. Staff also really enjoyed the presentation and were impressed with the underlying information/messages to the students re 'Being a Man'." -Debbie Sojka, Glen Waverley Secondary College.

Declan Fay Moivational Speaker	"Kids loved it! Message was short, sharp, the boys got it. Entertaining. Staff enjoyed presentation - very funny and appropriate for the age group." -Nadia Knight, Salesian College Chadstone.

Archie Fusillo Author	"Archie was excellent. He very effectively engaged the students and encouraged them with their writing. He communicated well and had useful exercises to give the students practical involvement." - Phil Turland, Donvale Christian College.

Scot Gardner Author	"He had lots of writing ideas to pass on and was very encouraging of students' efforts. Would recommend him gladly... The boys responded very well to him... We will certainly have him again." - Heather Boundy, Woodleigh School.
	"Excellent as usual. Scot has the ability to get on the same wavelength as the Year 9 students. He is always amusing and entertaining - even able to get a smile from the most stubborn/reluctant Year 9 students... Staff enjoy Scot's visits/talks just as much as the students." - Di Schellekens, Korumburra Secondary College.
	"Scot's high octane performance was both humourous and professional. He has a deep understanding of adolescence... Highly recommended." - Jan Wilson, St Leonard's College.

Terry Jaensch Poet	"We were all pleased at PCC with Terry Jaensch's poetry workshops. It is undoubtedly a tough gig to engage Year 8 students within a 100 minute session, however Terry's unassuming, yet engaging style won the students over. They responded well and produced some excellent poetry of their own. We would be more than happy to have him back again." -Paul Matton, Penola Catholic College.

Frank Jones Songwriter	"Our Year 12 students were gripped by Frank Jones' neatly structured presentation. As well as performing an apt selection of Kelly songs (and sometimes actively involving his audience), Jones offered some analysis of each song's salient musical, lyrical and thematic features, in a relaxed and accessible style. "A student commented after the session 'Now I really see how I could write an essay on the Kelly songs. I can't wait to study them'. This presentation offers an excellent introduction to the study of Kelly's lyrics and I would recommend it to other schools." - Anna Symes, St Leonard's College.

Bernie Monagle Secondary Author	"Wow!!!!! What a response! ...I had many. many positive comments from all age groups from Yr 7-10. We have a copy of each of Bernie's books and they were all borrowed as soon as I got back to the Library after cleaning up after the 4(!) sessions that Bernie ran back-t0-back." - Miffy Farquharson, Girton Gmr School.

Michael Pryor Author	"Michael Pryor was an enthusiastic and polished speaker. He performed well with big and small groups. Michael is calm, assertive, encouraging and interesting. He did capture his audience." - Diane Rufus, Penola Catholic College.

Jeff Raglus Mambo Artist	"The content varied throughout the 50 minute sessions, it was interactive, interesting, amusing and incorporated multimedia. His manner with the students was warm and conveyed interest in them. All staff who attended conveyed positive comments to me. Students enjoyed the sessions, laughed, asked questions, listened and displayed interest." -Angela Anderson, St Monica's College.

Marcus Robertson Motivational Speaker	"Year 9 students were very tuned into Marcus' stories. His messages were clear, he was articulate and humour was used. Students could relate to him. Staff feedback on Marcus was positive. Some said they were inspired and impressed by him." -Angela Anderson, St Monica's College.
	"To have over 800 students and 80 staff fully engaged and on the edge of their seats is truly a credit to his ability to speak publicly and to entertain whilst conveying a great message. Many students and staff felt that it was one of our best assemblies ever and that is completely credited to Marcus." - Kim Dixon, Marian College.
	"Marcus really emphasised the importance of goal setting and persistence to achieve those goals. He was able to share his experiences as a student, elite swimmer and his career, emphasising leadership... Teachers felt that he had a real message to pass on." - Linda Bowkett, Bentleigh Schools Cluster.

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NSW

Phillip Gwynne Author	"He is both interesting to listen to and informative on how to write. His casual style and openness are appreciated by the boys at year 9. All were pleased as they all smiled during the talk and spoke about what he said after he left (staff and students)." - Robert Harrod, St Bede's College.
	"Phillip was a very engaging and amusing speaker. The students were very positive in their praise of him... He spoke in a clear, forthright way that appealed to the boys." - Joseph Hewett, Trinity Grammar School.

James Knight Author	"James was great, really personable and easy to get along with, very knowledgeable about his subject areas, and an engaging speaker... He has a great warmth and enthusiasm, and this together with many interesting stories he told, made it a really entertaining evening. The audience ranged in age from teenagers through to seniors. James related well to them all." -Christina McGufficke, Cessnock City Library.

Matt McFadyen Adventurer & Motivator	"He is really able to relate to a student audience. He is a most impressive speaker and his story not only relates so well to the HSC study of Journeys, he is a marvellous motivator in general... It was a very valuable experience and we are able to integrate his speaking skills and the content into the Area of Study Course for the HSC. I would recommend him to any Year 12 students for this course." - Cathie Bloor, St Patrick's College Sutherland.

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QLD

Michael Gerard Bauer Author	"The students who attended his talk were instantly engaged by his humour and ability to talk at their level. Those who attended the two workshops were very willing to participate - a sure sign that they found the exercise interesting and beneficial! "In general, the day went well. The timing of the activities seemed to be spot on, and Michael was a pleasure to have in the school. Thanks for the part your agency played in organising his visit." - Jane Quirk, St Mary's Catholic College Cairns.
	"Michael was well organised and had a range of activities that his audience was able to participate in. For students who had not read his book he was able to entice and enthuse. For students who had completed their study he was able to add depth and background to the work. We'll have him back next year!" - Martin Sultmann, Varsity College.

Pat Flynn Author	"Pat's session was a wonderful mix of writing strategies, word games and humour. Highly recommended. His encouragement of audience participation by Year 7 & 8 students guaranteed a positive response from all." - Jan Wilson, St Leonard's College.

Prue Mason Author	"Prue was very cooperative and worked well with our staff to deliver a presentation that was in line with our curriculum needs. Staff and students alike enjoyed Prue's visit. Students responded particularly well and Prue planned an excellent extended workshop." - Christina Ellacott, Mareeba State High School.

James Moloney Author	"He always manages to keep students entertained by his stories." - Tamara Kowarsky, Parkwood Secondary College.

Narelle Oliver Author/Illustrator	"Narelle was fabulous. She was interesting to listen to and very informative about her writing/illustrating process. I was very inspired by her visit... Narelle was as effective with Prep groups as she was with the Year 6 classes." - Katrina Treherne, St Paul's School.

Kim Toft Author/Illustrator	"Kim was a high energy presenter and she kept the children engaged throughout each 45min presentation. They loved it!" - Leanne Forsyth, Holy Cross Primary School.

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