LIBRARY NEWS

Term 1, Week 9

A warm welcome to Week 9! I'll be taking leave for the next two weeks, but we're incredibly fortunate to have the fantastic Mrs. Monica Durmisevic (better known as Mrs. D) stepping into the library. I extend a heartfelt welcome to Monica and wish her a great time with our students. While I'm away, Mrs. D will continue sharing exciting stories and guiding all classes through their end-of-term projects.

This Week’s Reads

Kindergarten continues exploring friendship-themed books this term and celebrating Harmony Week with "Same, Same but Different" by Jenny Sue Kostecki-Shaw. Through this book, students discover how good it is to find common ground across our unique differences, proving that even though we might like different foods or play other games, we can still be friends. Students will also enjoy Bear and Chook in Lisa Shanahan's fun series this week. Alongside these great stories, students are becoming book experts, mastering the names of book parts like the spine and front cover, and understanding the important jobs of the author who writes the words and the illustrator who brings the story to life with pictures.

Stage 1 celebrated Harmony Week with Maxine Beneba Clarke's "Wide Big World," exploring the cultures that make our world so vibrant. This week, we have returned to reading two fantastic stories by beloved Australian author Sally Rippin. They're diving into the worlds of "Hey Jack" and "School of Monsters," comparing the characters, plots, and themes, and preparing to choose their ultimate favourite. Will these books steal the top spot for Term 1, or will another Aussie author be the ultimate winner? We can't wait to find out!

Last week, Stage 2 concluded their exploration of Australian Literary Legends with the beloved Mem Fox, whose timeless tales, from "Where is the Green Sheep" to "Possum Magic," have captivated generations. To celebrate Harmony Week, we enjoyed Fox’s "I'm Australian Too," a beautiful book that celebrates the diverse backgrounds that make Australia so unique. Over the next two weeks, Mrs. D will continue to share the magic of Australian authors with books by Aaron Blabey, Ahn Do, Nick Bland, and Jackie French while students research to discover who might be our next Literary Legend.

Finally, Stage 3 joined in the spirit of Harmony Week by reading "The Proudest Blue" by Ibtihaj Muhammad, stepping into the shoes of a young girl experiencing the world through her first hijab. This beautifully illustrated story fosters empathy and understanding of embracing differences. To add to this experience, students watched a Behind the News clip featuring Zara, who shared her personal insights on wearing a hijab, which you can also view here. Looking ahead, the next two weeks will be filled with more exciting genres, exploring the mythical world of "Percy Jackson & the Lightning Thief" by Rick Riordan and the historical story, "The War That Saved My Life" by Kimberly Brubaker Bradley. They will also be be recreating the covers of their favourite book series.

SORA Books of the Week

SORA has also celebrated Harmony Week by including some great multicultural reads for primary and secondary students. They’ve even included some delicious-looking international cookbooks!

Book Club - Thank You

I would like to thank families who participated in Term 1 Book Club! Your support is invaluable, as each order allows us to purchase more books for everyone to enjoy. Please remember that book club orders typically take up to two weeks to arrive at school and will be delivered directly to your child's classroom.

2025 Students as Writers Competition

Once again, the Armidale Diocese is holding the ‘Students as Writers Competition’. Students can submit a story about a topic, and the winners of each category have their story professionally illustrated and published on SORA. This year’s topic is: write a story to make us smile, or giggle, or laugh; a story to lift our spirits.

Entries close on Friday, 30 May 2025. The attached poster's QR code provides more information. It will also be available in the library.