THE VICTORIAN PREMIERS’ READING CHALLENGE (VPRC) IS NOW OPEN!

The wait is over for the 2024 VPRC and about 50 HSC students have already registered!

Even our Victorian Premier, The Honourable Jacinta Allan is excited with this year’s Reading Challenge, her first one as Premier:

“This year’s Challenge is a chance for all of us to explore new books and find new favourites. With the help of your families and teachers, you’ll learn about different things, and enjoy stories that take you to different places. But most importantly, I hope you’ll develop a love of reading together. So please, sign up for the Challenge. And … Explore. Learn. Most importantly, enjoy. (The Honourable Premier Allan)

The VPRC encourages children and students (from early childhood to Year 10) to read a set number of books (about 15 for secondary students) from March to September and record their efforts online. Since the Challenge first began in 2005, more than 4.3 million students have read over 60 million books.

To register for the Challenge come to the Library (Years 7-10 students) for your password, and for more information on the challenge/choice booklist, important guidelines, instructions and rules, please visit https://www.vic.gov.au/premiers-reading-challenge

GREAT NEWS! Check out these latest April arrivals to choose from for the Reading Challenge!

Secondary Fiction of the Month, A Way Home (by Emily Brewin) is a story of a young homeless girl named Grace living on the streets of Melbourne as a result of her mother’s mental illness. A story full of heartbreak and hope, at times confronting.

Those Girls by Pamela Rushby - an Australian historical fiction novel looking at the lives of girls and young women in the Australian Women’s Land Army.
The Perfect Guy Doesn’t Exist by Sophie Gonzales - a great romance novel about the joys and dangers of fanfiction.
The Reappearance of Rachel Price by Holly Jackson - an incredible thriller with engaging twists and turns.
The Girl in Question by Tess Sharpe - the sequel to The Girls I’ve Been, best suited for senior secondary students.

Lower Secondary Highlights

The Night War by Kimberley Brubaker Bradley - the story of 12-year-old Jewish girl Miri as she navigates dangerous situations she finds herself in.
The Cave by Victor Kelleher - a unique adventure in Palaeolithic times written by a legendary Australian author.
Courage Be My Friend: The Vivian Bullwinkel Story by Jenny Davis - a wonderful story of courage and friendship during the Second World War shown by Australian nurse, Vivian Bullwinkel, and the sole survivor of a brutal massacre by Japanese troops.
The Boy Who Fell from the Sky by Benjamin Dean - a story of young Zed and his courage to stand up for what he thinks is right.
Tuckshop Terrors by Leo Baker - the story of young Kip starting at a new school and recently been diagnosed with diabetes, and the challenges he faced to survive

Secondary Graphic Novels Highlights

When the World Was Soft - Yindjibarndi Creation Stories - a collection of Creation-time stories in striking and beautiful graphic format passed down through generations, using Yindjibarndi words with English translations.

Fantasy Sports 1: The Court of Souls - recommended for lower secondary readers who love sports in a graphic novel format, the first book in a series written and illustrated by Sam Bosma.

GETTING TO KNOW OUR HIGHVALE BOOKLOVERS!

Please enjoy inspiring reflections from booklover Vivienne Y. (7F):

I love reading and writing (I’m a bookworm!). I’m in Year 7 and I also have a passion for drawing especially digital art! I started reading before I could actually read. My Mum recalls me staring at pictures in books when I was three years old. Reading is an escape, almost like a holiday, you can travel anywhere in seconds!

I could not put down “The Secrets We Share” by E. Hill. I love books that are mildly intense and usually have conflicts with other people. I would recommend the book “Missing” by S. Whiting and “Glitter” by K. Maryon. They are both page turners and very touching. They have good morals but not a boring plot, and they are very suspenseful too!

Reading has widely expanded my vocabulary and improved my spelling majorly! I encourage others to continue reading. Start by reading at least one book a week, then increase it slowly each week. You will surely become booked!

CHECK OUT OUR NEW CIRCULATION DESK POSTERS!

Acknowledging our Library monitors Priya P. (Y9.7) and Xin Yi S. (Y9.8) for helping decorate our Circulation Desk. Students have been excited with our new-look front desk and certainly more new arrivals (of various genres) to borrow!

THE HIGHVALE WRITERS CLUB

The HSC Writers Club provides an outlet for students’ creativity to inspire others.

With autumn at our doorstep, please enjoy Robert Frost’s deeply meaningful and metaphorical poem (written in 1923) highlighting the importance of appreciating the beauty of nature and people around us as there is nothing permanent in this life.

NOTHING GOLD CAN STAY

Nature's first green is gold,

Her hardest hue to hold.

Her early leaf’s a flower;

But only so an hour.

Then leaf subsides to leaf.

So Eden sank to grief,

So dawn goes down to day.

Nothing gold can stay.

For our budding writers, why not submit an entry to the Insight Writing Competition, please check this out:

https://www.insightpublications.com.au/2024-insight-creative-writing-competition/

AN OPEN INVITATION FOR HSC STUDENTS TO PROTECT MOTHER EARTH

With the rest of the world, Australia observed Earth Day 2024 on April 22nd to raise awareness on environmental issues affecting our Mother Earth in a negative way. This year’s Earth Day theme Planet vs Plastics highlights “an unwavering commitment to stop plastics for the health of both humans and the planet. It is calling for a 60% reduction in plastic production by 2040, with the goal of building a plastic-free world for future generations.” (earthday.org)

Here is an open invitation for our Highvale students to contribute to making our environment (starting from our schoolyard) cleaner and rubbish/plastic-free!

Email your ideas to the Librarian (msm@highvalesc.vic.edu.au) on how our school community can do this … together!

May our Highvale Community experience the meaningful essence of our national ANZAC DAY commemoration of 25th April 1915 Gallipolli landings, and respectfully remember all the peacekeeping Australian and New Zealander personnel and soldiers whose lives were lost fighting for the freedom we now enjoy. (Photo credit: OnlyMelbourne)

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