News from the Library
Wantirna College
Summer House Reading Challenge 2024
The Summer House Reading Challenge is back on. Students and staff are invited to read a book over the summer break, then talk to a member of the Library Team about it in the first weeks of Term 1. Doing this will earn your House one point. Only one book per person, so everyone can contribute equally towards their house points. You can also write a book review to earn an additional 5 points. More details regarding this will be broadcast at the start of Term 1. We look forward to hearing about all the various books everyone has read over the summer break. Which house name will be added to the shield in 2024?
'But I don’t like to read …'
is a common phrase we hear, and I’m sure is also heard in many homes. Whenever we are told this in the Library we take the time to talk about stories. Everyone loves to be told a story, whether the medium is a book, film, podcast, TV or streaming service, YouTube, magazines or games. Once you think about the sort of stories you like, finding a book that you will enjoy becomes much easier. If it is difficult to get to a library over the holidays remember that eBooks, audiobooks and eMagazines are available for free from your local council library. You can join Eastern Regional Libraries by clicking on these links:
Students: Student Memberships | Eastern Regional Libraries | Your Library
Adults: https://yourlibrary.spydus.com/cgi-bin/spydus.exe/MSGTRN/WPAC/JOIN
PLUS, eBooks and audiobooks are available via Compass!
The ebook portal has a huge number of ebooks PLUS audiobooks to explore. You can access them via the Compass star dropdown -> Library ebooks. The good news is most of the English texts are also now available as audiobooks, so if you prefer to hear your novels, make the most of the break and listen over the summer.
There is also ability to customise the look of the ebooks by changing the font type and size, line spacing, and background colour to accommodate different reading needs. One request - most e-materials are limited by the publishers to a specified number of borrowings before they expire, so if you are unsure if you want to read/listen to a title please use the Look Inside / Play Sample feature before borrowing. Thank you.
Returning books at the end of the year
As the end of the year has come upon us, and despite regular reminders we have found that there is still a great deal of overdue Library books out there. Reminder emails have been sent out to students, so please check your email Junk folder in case there is one lurking in there. The Library is open for returns until 4pm Tuesday 19 December, otherwise books can be tucked safely into school bags ready for returning the first day of school.
Remember – Library books are a shared commodity and need to be returned so others can enjoy reading them. Thanks for your help
Term 4 Resident Writers
Congratulations to William Spiroch and Kylie Rackham for their Term 4 winning entries. All entries can be read in the gallery at the top of the Resident Writers channel in the Library Teams page.
2023 Artisan of the Month, and Resident Writers
Thanks again to all those who supported the Artisan of the Month and Resident Writers competitions during 2023. Why not use the holidays to get started on something that you would like to share with the Wantirna College community?
There are three categories for both competitions – Students, Staff, and Family and Friends. Artisan of the Month entries can be anything creative (photos, drawings, sewing, knitting, carpentry, pottery, origami, an original piece of music, decorated cake etc.) as long as it can be submitted digitally (eg photo or sound recording) and is your own work.
Resident Writers are preferably short written pieces you are proud of (eg essays, stories, poems, lyrics, etc), although longer items can be submitted by arrangement. We look forward to seeing the amazing 2024 contributions.
Best wishes for the holiday season from the Library staff. We will see you in 2024
Joanne Montgomery
Library Manager