Library
📚 St Mary’s College – Book Week 2025: A Huge Success! 🌏
From Foundation to Year 12, the St Mary’s Library was alive with colour, laughter, and creativity as we all celebrated CBCA Book Week 2025 – “Book an Adventure!”
🔍 Scavenger Hunt Adventures
The P–12 Library Scavenger Hunt ran across three action-packed lunchtimes. Teams of students — made up of Foundation, Primary, and Secondary adventurers — joined forces to solve riddles, hunt for book tokens, and crack the final treasure map. The energy in the Library was both hectic and electric as students worked together across year levels. There were so many correct entries and so many teams, but there could only be 5 winning teams.
Congratulations to our winners and runners-up!🥇 1st:- Zahira Wilson (Year 9) & Elsie Bolejko (Foundation). 🥈2nd:- Ruth Reilly (9), Olivia Hamilton (9), Eloise Stolz (5), and the Foundations Harriet Taylor, Carter Robl & Arthur Cleeland.🥉 3rd:- All 5B’s because these guys missed out on regular Lunchtimes because they had their Swimming Intensives - Amelia Morgan, Torah Wilson, John Akkersdyk, Kendelle Ward & Lachlan Stokes. 4th:- Year 8's Amelia Henderson and Marion Sellars & Sabella Llorente (1) 5th – 5B’s Audrey Noye, Aubrey Parkey, Safari Kiss & Zeke Swales
The prize table was overflowing with options, but by far the most popular across the whole College were the Canteen Vouchers — a real hit with adventurers young and old. Take a bow Lynnie and crew in our wonderful Canteen!
A special thank you goes to Principal, Wayne Smith for generously sponsoring the prizes - including $20 and $10 Canteen Vouchers and Goodie Packs for our winners. Donations from our College community and our Scholastic rewards earnings also contributed to a rich showcase of prizes, where winners could even choose their own treasure reward.
A super special thank you to our tireless student Library Helpers who held the fort, Alessandro Randello, Jade Gooden, Savannah Smith and Violet Byers.
🎭 A Parade of Characters
On Friday morning, 23 August, the MPH was transformed into a carnival of colour for our Primary Book Week Dress-Up Parade. From explorers with binoculars to treasure hunters, pirates, wizards, dinosaurs, Anime characters and a very convincing (and nutritious) Taco, our Primary students brought their favourite stories to life. Led by Literacy Leader Kerrie Pearce, the parade was a joyful reminder of the magic of children’s literature and the creativity of our school community.
🎨 Classroom Poster Competition
Every Primary class entered the Book Week Poster Competition, designing inspiring displays of their favourite books. After the parade, friends and families visited the Library to view the dazzling exhibition of classroom posters, each one more imaginative than the next in a dizzying riot of colours and media. The creativity of classroom teachers and their students was boundless!
The range of stories chosen was impressive: from worldwide classics like The Wizard of Oz, The Rainbow Fish, The Adventures of the Wishing Chair, and The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe - to much-loved Australian stories such as Max and creative interpretations of Adventures Around Australia and a hearty encouragement to enjoy Reading and Telling Australian Adventure Stories.
Congratulations to our poster winners! 🏆Mrs Spencer’s Year 1/2A with The Adventures of the Wishing Chair🏆 Ms Rudd’s 5A with The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe.
🎨 Primary School Colouring Competition!
Foundation to Grade 6 students got very creative with 'The Rainbow Fish' Colouring competition which concluded on Wed 20th Aug. This was a perfect link to the Science Week featured theme of St Mary's College students' collaboration with Native Fish Australia to save our local Rainbow Fish.
Congratulations to our winners! Foundation – Adeline Le Cerf, Year 1 – Harrison Ure, Year 2 – Eddie Liddell, Year 3 – Ryan Winnell, Year 4 – Ella Garing, Year 5 – Adele Mounsey, Year 6 – Logan Te Pania.
💰 Book Fair – Community Support
Our Scholastic Book Fair was another highlight run by Mrs Linda Heveren, raising an incredible $4,191.26 in books and products purchased by our community. This translated into $1,328.50 in rewards, which will go straight back into building the Library’s collection and supporting classroom resources. A heartfelt thank you to every family who contributed - your support ensures our shelves stay fresh, exciting, and full of adventures waiting to be discovered.
🌟 Celebrating Reading Together
Book Week 2025 reminded us of what makes St Mary’s College so special: a community that celebrates reading, imagination, and learning together. Whether it was solving riddles in the Library, parading in costume, showcasing creative posters, or discovering a new favourite book at the Fair, every student had the chance to book an adventure.
Thank you to everyone - students, staff, and families - who helped make this year’s Book Week such a vibrant success. The Library is already buzzing with anticipation for what next year will bring!
Happy Trails Adventurers,
Lorna Hooper, Linda Heveren and Andrew Allen in the Library.