Frequently Asked Questions

Q. What schools has Dr Cameron worked with?
A. Cameron has run workshops at hundreds of schools throughout Australia. Follow the links to see Testimonies from teachers and a full List of Schools.

Q. What steps should we take to prepare a visit?
A. There are five key steps you can follow to maximise the impact on students and the school:

1. Introduce Cameron's books to the students. Without fail, workshops are always most successful when the students are familiar with the books. Reading the books in class ensures students are introduced to the characters, look forward to meeting the author, and have any questions prepared. This allows the students to be ready and excited for the visit, and the best outcomes are achieved from the workshops.

We recommend ordering as soon as possible to ensure students and teachers have plenty of preparation time. Check to see if the library has copies of Cameron's books. If not, you can order school sets at the end of this document.

2. Inform and involve the students and teachers. There are creative activities students can complete before the visit and display in the library or classroom to create an exciting atmosphere.

Go to the Resources page. Prepare in advance important questions that students have for the author.  

3. Select activities and organise a timetable. Jenny will provide a timetable template to assist with creating a timetable for the day/s. Ask for teacher input if required when selecting presentations/workshops. If possible, finalise sessions at least six school weeks prior to the visit (earlier for interstate tours). Include class names, group sizes and the activities chosen. Email this timetable to us so we can look over it to ensure that it will work well on the day. Below is a sample timetable.

One venue is required for a whole school day (e.g. school Library, or school Hall). This allows Cameron to set up in one location for the day, materials to be in one location and students can experience a special session outside their normal classroom environment.

Time	Classes	Students	Activity
9.00am - 10.00am	2Y, 2J	58	Inspirational Ideas
10.00am - 11.00am	Prep G, Prep H, 1B, 1D	105	Stories and More
11.00am - 11.30am			MORNING TEA
11.30am - 1.00pm	4T, 4P, 5F, 5L	115	Write it – Read it – Live it with creative components
1.00pm - 1.45pm			LUNCH
1.45pm - 2.45pm	3C, 3Y	60	Exciting Descriptive Writing

4. Inform and involve the wider school community.Publicise the visit and its benefits for the students. There are colourful activities students can complete before the visit and display in the library or classroom to create an exciting atmosphere. Go to the Resources page.  The school may wish to run a pirate or fairytale dress-up day in conjunction with the visit. Hi Res images for promotional use can be downloaded from the Media Page

5. Prepare all resources for the day. Each activity lists the materials required for a session. Students will often need to bring paper and pencil cases to a session so ensure class teachers are informed about what they should organise.

Q. How many days should we book?
A. This depends on the sessions chosen and the student numbers for each session. Please discuss arrangements for your school with Jenny. For initial planning you may also need to consider a suitable sized venue for each of your Author Visit days (e.g. school Library, or school Hall).

Q. What is the maximum session size?
A. The maximum session size varies and is listed beside each activity. Large group presentations can accommodate any number of students (e.g. 60-500 students in a session), and Workshops can accommodate a maximum of approximately 60 students.

Q. How many sessions can be run each day?
A. Three to four sessions can be run per day depending on the activities chosen.

Q. How long is each session?
A. Activities range from the minimum times of 30 minutes to 90 minutes as listed with each activity (there is also a full day/s workshop option). As the sessions are predominantly hands-on, more time is always better than less time and ensures all students have an opportunity to ask questions and interact with the author.

Q. What venue and equipment is required?
One venue is required for a whole school day (e.g. school Library, or school Hall). This allows Cameron to set up equipment in one location for the day, and student groups transition to this venue for their session. The equipment required in the venue is a big screen and projector (or interactive whiteboard / smart TV which a laptop can be linked to), plus a separate whiteboard for writing on. Cameron will bring his own laptop.

Q. Can you recommend popular activities for each class?
A. We always encourage class teachers to have some input in deciding activities that will be most beneficial for their students. The following is a recommendation for maximum excitement:

• Prep/ Kinder, Yr 1: Stories and More
• Yr 1, 2: SOS - Super Outstanding Stories
• Yr 3, 4: Scallywags Secrets/ Write it – Read it – Live it!/ Imaginative illustration
• Yrs 5, 6: Write it – Read it – Live it!/ Imaginative illustration

Q. How interactive are the workshops?
A. You choose the activities and the level of interaction that will suit your students. Cameron has a number of engaging audiovisual presentations for larger groups if a presentation style is desired.

Q. What year levels does Cameron specialise in?
A. The workshops have been designed to include every primary grade and as such there are a variety of options specifically developed for different age groups and levels of ability.

Q. Where can interested students and parents get hold of Cameron's books?
A. The easiest way for students to get books is to purchase signed copies at special prices during the visit. This opportunity is part of each Author Visit and we will supply printed order forms for students.  If students miss out, parents can purchase books and other products directly from the web shop at: https://doctorcameron.square.site/

Q. Are the workshops suitable for Christian Schools?
A. Approximately half of the schools Cameron visits each year are Christian Schools. His books contain simple, innocent themes such as finding a home, the importance of family, having a warm heart, rescuing your friends and working together. The books are works of fiction containing imaginative characters and workshop activities are designed to encourage creativity. Cameron’s books do not feature ‘evil’ supernatural characters such as witches, ghosts, vampires or zombies.

Cancellation Fee Policy

To secure a visit we ask that the visit is approved by the required staff so that the visit is secured in the school calendar and budget. Due to the extensive planning, logistics and expenses incurred with travel and accommodation bookings, any cancellation with less than 6 months’ notice will incur a cancellation fee of $300+GST.