Library News
Opening Hours
Our library is open from 8.30 am until 3.15 pm each day. Students are invited to come and take advantage of the activities on offer.
National Bird Week
This year, McCarthy supported National Bird Week. The library created a display of all books bird related and had colouring in for students to complete during the week. The library also supported the Environmental Council in conducting the Great Aussie Bird Count. Students in groups collected data from across the McCarthy school site about the different species of birds and recorded this as part of the nation's largest civilian science project. This data will assist in conservation efforts. It was wonderful to see that the environmental spaces around the school support so many different birds. Well done to all the staff and students involved.
Support a Reading Culture: Reading for Growth and Enjoyment
Stage 4 students are seeing some fantastic growth and results in their reading and comprehension skills. The library has been supporting students in finding appropriate materials for their reading level. Students who read daily, especially for 15 minutes or more with good comprehension, show stronger growth in literacy skills compared to peers who read less frequently.
Renaissance Reader, our school reading program has recently published their 2025 data showing that students in Stage 4 read on average with 76% comprehension of their materials. This is part of a broader trend we have observed that reading engagement and comprehension tend to plateau in high school. We ask parents and carers to continue to support our efforts in developing a reading culture by engaging students in reading at least three times a week for 20 minutes.
We hope to see the culmination of these efforts pay off as students move towards the end of the year. We encourage all students to come to the library and select new reading materials.
The Library Transitions to a New Stage
The library is preparing to transition from its current location in preparation for the new building in 2026. The library staff are spending time over the coming weeks packing and sorting materials to optimise this transition. We encourage all students to come to the library over the coming weeks to borrow materials before they are packed and stored.
Activities in the Library
Students can stay cool in the Summer months by spending time in the library taking advantage of the new and updated board games, the drawing and craft supplies, and books.
Libby Laird
Teacher Librarian
Bec Hannan
Teacher Librarian
rhannan@arm.catholic.edu.au