Library News
News from the Library
Term Three has been busy in the library! The library is open each day from 8:00 am to 4:00 pm, and on Tuesdays supports Study Club until 4:15 pm.
Book Week 2026
In Week 6 (August 24th - 28th), we celebrated the Children’s Book Council of Australia (CBCA) Book Week. Staff and students participated in a range of activities throughout the week, with challenges and activities in mentor groups, a collaborative school Mentimeter, creative activities, reading lessons, and the week culminated in our Book Week dress-up day. It was fantastic to see so many students getting into the spirit of the week and sharing their love of literature.
Check out the feedback from the McCarthy community about their view of what ‘Reading is…’ from our school-wide Mentimeter. Common student responses resulted in the larger words. It’s great to see many students see reading as “fun”, “awesome”, “important”, and “entertaining”.
We are very impressed with the students' and staff costumes and everyone’s enthusiasm for celebrating reading and books.
What Kids Are Reading Report 2026
McCarthy uses the Renaissance Reader program to support Year 7 and Year 8 students in their reading. All students in Year 7 and 8 come to the library once a fortnight for a reading lesson in which they have texts modelled to them, and are also given an opportunity to select materials to read for pleasure.
Renaissance Learning have released their 2026 What Kids Are Reading Report. The report states that students need classroom communities where reading is valued and visible, and where books are discussed and recommended. When schools and their wider community prioritise reading, and adults connect with children over books, literacy grows.
The report notes that students who read for pleasure are more likely to become proficient readers, have better receptive and expressive language abilities, and a better understanding of the world and experiences of others, amongst other benefits.
As a community, we can work together to inspire the students in our care to rekindle a joy of reading, and to see it as a viable alternative to screens and scrolling. We can all boost reading momentum in the classroom and at home by having regular conversations about captivating book series, peer-approved picks, and real-world connections in our reading materials.
REFERENCES
Renaissance Learning. (2026). What kids are reading: 2026 edition. www.renaissance.com/resources/wkar 04/26
Premier’s Reading Challenge 2026
The Premier’s Reading Challenge for 2026 has now come to a close. Well done to all the participants and especially to those who successfully completed their reading lists. We look forward to celebrating the participants once their results have been processed.
Bec Hannan
Lead Teacher Librarian
Libby Laird
Teacher Librarian