LIBRARY NEWS

Welcome to Week 4! 

Students across the school are well and truly back into the swing of things - settling into library routines and borrowing lots of wonderful books.

Last week, our Kindergarten students visited the library and borrowed their very first books. They learned how to line up, find a spot to sit, listen to a great story and look for wonderful books to borrow. Hopefully, this will be the start of a lifelong love of reading!

Students heard about how to care for books and will bring home a worksheet to share with you. Ask them if they can remember some book care rules. I hope a few have stuck! 

They are also enjoying stories about friendship and imagination. This week, they will read ‘There’s No Such Thing’ by Heidi McKinnon and create their own imaginary monster friends. Check out some of the excited new faces that came to the library last week!

Years 1 and 2 are continuing to enjoy stories by Pamela Allen. They enjoyed Belinda last week, and this week they are meeting Mr McGee. Students will read the original Mr McGee and then laugh along with Mr McGee and the Biting Flea - a firm favourite, especially thanks to the cheeky bare bottom at the end! 

Here are some photos of Year 1 & 2 drawing what Old Tom wore to trick Belinda (the milking cow) into thinking he was Bessie. 

Year 3 & 4 have begun an exciting new unit exploring the world of Australian author and illustrator Leigh Hobbs. To kick things off, students enjoyed the first of his hilarious Mr Chicken stories, ‘Mr Chicken Lands on London’.

There were giggles all around as Mr Chicken waddled his way through London - and even more creativity as students drew the famous places he visited along the way. From towering landmarks to bustling streets, their artwork captured the fun of Mr Chicken’s travels. Can you guess where Mr Chicken went while he was in London?

Year 5 & 6 have begun their new unit on visual literacy, learning that a picture can tell a thousand words.

This week, students are exploring how illustrators and designers use images to communicate meaning. They are learning to identify:

• Salience – the focal point that draws your eye
• Angles – how the position of the viewer changes the message
• Colour – how different colours create mood, emphasis, and emotion

By analysing illustrations from a variety of texts, students are discovering that every visual choice is made for a reason, and that images can be just as powerful as words in telling a story.

Last week, Stage 3 completed a digital scavenger hunt to learn more about the library's collections. As this was my first time trying it, I wasn’t sure how it would work, but it turned out to be fantastic and a lot of fun. Hopefully, students will now be able to put their hands on the books they want!

Get Ready for the 2026 NSW Premier’s Reading Challenge!

We’re excited to announce that the much-loved Premier’s Reading Challenge is about to begin! This year, the challenge opens on Monday, 23 February 2026 and runs all the way through to Friday, 18 September 2026

There are a few new rules for 2026, so stay tuned for more information when the permission notes go home next week. Remember, students are welcome to join the challenge at any time up until the closing date, so there’s plenty of time to jump in, explore new books, and log your reading. To find out more, visit the PRC website.

SORA - The School’s Digital Library

When you become part of Holy Trinity School, not only do you have access to our wonderful collection of books in the library, but you also automatically join SORA, the school’s digital ebook and audiobook library collection. To log in to SORA, you will need your child’s school email and password. These are available from their classroom teacher. Each week, I’ll share some wonderful recommended ebooks from SORA. 

To log into SORA, follow these instructions. Please note that you are NOT looking for Holy Trinity School when you log in, but for ACEN (the Australian Catholic Education Network).

Meet Our Library Book Buddies!

Our library is home to some very special Book Buddies - cuddly stuffed friends inspired by much-loved story characters. Students can spot favourites like Pig the Pug, cheeky wombats, a super-chill sloth, Bluey, and Bingo. My personal favourite has to be Hairy Maclary - who doesn’t love those stories? Students love playing with the Book Buddies at break times and sometimes even during lessons! These fluffy friends make reading even more fun and are always ready to listen to a good book.

Quick Bits

A big cheer for three enthusiastic library visitors - Maddi, Amity and Phoebe, who love coming in early each morning to swap books and talk all things reading. They’ve just worked their way through the ‘Friday Barnes’ detective series and are now diving into the hilarious ‘Lottie Brooks’ books. Sharing stories, recommending favourites, and talking to such passionate readers is always a fantastic start to a librarian’s day!

Meet… 

Joey and Liam, two very excited readers of new books at the Library.

And Clarence, who loves our football/soccer books.

Happy reading,

Mrs Toni Fraser