Library News

Ho, Ho, Ho! Can you believe it? We've reached the final library newsletter for 2024, and it’s the perfect time to reflect on the incredible year that was. Here are some standout moments in the library.

 

Our school actively participated in reading events like the National Simultaneous Reading Time in May. Together with schools across Australia, we immersed ourselves in Aura Parker's beautiful tale of 'Bowerbird Blues’. Then, we celebrated the wonderful stories featured during the Children’s Book Council of Australia’s Book Week in Term 3 and recognised the worthy winners of the Books of the Year.

 

And, of course, the highlight of the year: the Book Week Dress-Up Parade! Seeing the school come alive with beloved book characters, from classic favourites to modern heroes, was amazing. A massive shoutout must go to our students and their families for their incredible effort in creating such imaginative and detailed costumes. Your creativity and enthusiasm truly made this event one to remember.

But that's not all! The library showcased fun displays for Library Lover’s Day, International Women’s Day, St Patrick’s Day, Anzac Day, Star Wars Day, Refugee Week, Harmony Day, Naidoc Week, Sorry Day, Roald Dahl Day, the Premier’s Reading Challenge, and of course, embraced the festive spirit of Christmas.

 

In recognition of the enjoyable times in the library in 2024, here are a few photos and highlights from various events throughout the year.

Thank You!

A heartfelt thank you goes out to all our parents for their continuous support of the library and their children's reading journey. Your ongoing generosity in contributing to programs like Book Club or the Book Fair and diligently returning and seeking out library books that find a place in your homes is genuinely indispensable. Your support means the world to us!

 

Special gratitude also extends to the families who have graciously donated books and library bags throughout the year. These contributions are invaluable to us and significantly enhance the resources available to everyone. Thank you for being such incredible partners and encouraging a love for reading and learning!

Premier’s Reading Challenge

What a fantastic year it's been for reading at our school. Ninety-eight students from Kindergarten to Year 9 successfully completed the reading challenge! The participation certificates and special PRC awards were presented this week.

 

Congratulations to the Platinum Award recipients who have dedicated seven years to the challenge: Zalie Borrowdale, Sophie Foley, Violet McBean, Georgie Moore, Eva Xavier, and George Xavier.

 

Equally commendable are our Gold Award recipients, each with four years of active participation: Bella Ehsman, Elsie Guest, Phoebe Hollingworth, Carter O'Connor, Ashton Readett and Kadie-Joyce Eshman.

And That’s a Wrap!

I always love to end the year off with some interesting library statistics. What a year!

A Year in the Library….

Total number of loans - 14,523

The top 5 borrowing year groups

Infants: Kindergarten - 2558 loans

Primary: Year 4 - 1346 loans

Secondary: Year 7 - 370 loans

 

The top 3 borrowers (Congratulations, Super Readers!)

Infants - Zahlia Ticehurst, Liam Sims, Olivia Zapata

Primary - Maggie Sweeney, Alliera Relf, Amelia Cleal

Secondary - Locky McLennan, Bethany Pearse, Emina O’Neil-Yee

 

The top 3 books borrowed in 2024 by Collection

Picture Books - Pig the Pug, Pig the Tourist, The Speedy Sloth

Early Readers (beginning chapter books) - Battle Bust Up, Best Friends, Ballet Class

Junior Fiction - Diary of a Wimpy Kid 4: Dog Days, Dog Man2: Unleashed, Diary of a Wimpy Kid 2: Roddick Rules

Junior Graphic Novel - Smile, Sisters, Guts (all by Raina Telgemeier!)

Junior Non-Fiction - Just like last year, it's all about Minecraft. Minecraft Legends, Minecraft Epic Bases, Minecraft Ocean Survival

Senior Fiction - Scar Town (the Older Readers Book of the Year), The Ballad of Songbirds & Snakes, Coraline

Senior Graphic Novels - proves how much our students love Manga. Tokyo Ghoul, Attack on Titan 1, Komi Can’t Communicate.

The Most Popular Christmas Books

This is one of the most borrowed collections in the library all year round!

Santa Claus v The Easter Bunny, Macca’s Christmas Crackers, Where’s Bluey? At Christmas

Some fun facts - 8 of the top 20 books borrowed are graphic novels (proving how popular this reading format is), 2 are classics written by Pamela Allen (The Potato People & Mr McGee), and Aaron Blabey has written a quarter of the top 20 books. 

 

Last but not least… Remember that your child can borrow books over the holidays on SORA. 

 

I wish you all a Merry Christmas and a safe and peaceful New Year. See you in 2025!

Thanks again, 

Mrs Toni Fraser