LIBRARY NEWS

Welcome to our final library newsletter for Term 2. While it’s been a busy term, we’re still going strong right up until the end!

Term 2 in the Library

Across the Primary, we’ve explored Australian culture and history through some fantastic books. We started the term with Anzac Day stories, moved on to Reconciliation Week and Refugee Week, and are now finishing up with fiction and non-fiction football books for the World Cup.

Students have also been working hard to build their library and research skills. K–2 & Stage 1became text detectives, learning to sort fiction from non-fiction. Stage 1 took it a step further by using contents pages, headings, and labels to hunt down facts.

Stage 2 students gave their presentation skills a creative upgrade by learning to effectively present their ideas using Canva to design an infographic. After reading excerpts from ‘Brilliant Minds: 30 Dyslexic Heroes Who Changed Our World’ by Shannon Meyerkort, Stage 3 researched famous people with dyslexia while learning about copyright and plagiarism. Three great examples of students' work from Zara, Amity and Ethan are below.

Even though it’s been busy, we’ve also enjoyed reading and borrowing some wonderful books along the way, too.

Don't Forget SORA These Holidays!

If you run out of physical books over the break, remember that all HTS students have access to SORA, our school's digital library. It is a fantastic way to keep reading and listening to a huge range of new ebooks and audiobooks from home. Students can log in at any time using their school username and password, which they can check with their classroom teacher before the term ends. You can find instructions to access SORA here. Happy holiday reading!

This week’s SORA Books of the Week spotlight a fantastic line-up of featured authors, including favourites like Alison Lester, Emily Rodda, James Buckley Jr, and Natalie D Richards. It is a great mix of adventures, mysteries, and sports stories. Scan the QR code below to take you straight there and try something new over the break!

Overdue Book Reminder

With the end of term fast approaching, please check at home for any overdue library books and return them to school this week. Overdue slips will be sent home over the next few days, and I would greatly appreciate your help in hunting down any missing titles with your child. Thank you so much for your ongoing support in keeping our library shelves stocked for next term!

Looking Ahead: Book Week is Coming!

Get ready, because next term brings the absolute best time of the year for librarians: Book Week! We’re kicking things off in Week 2 with our annual Scholastic Book Fair, which brings a pop-up bookshop right into the library for students to browse and buy their next favourite read. But the excitement does not stop there. Mark your calendars for Week 6, when we’ll be hosting our bi-annual Book Week Dress-Up Parade! It’s nearly time to start brainstorming costume ideas (insider tip: simple is always the best!). Along with the official Children’s Book Council of Australia (CBCA) Books of the Year being announced, there will be plenty of fun competitions and activities across HTS for every year group to join in. Bring on Term 3.

Holiday Fun at Inverell Town Library

If you’re looking for local activities over the break, the Inverell Town Library has a fantastic mix of reading programs and creative activities lined up for kids. It’s a wonderful way to keep them entertained and inspired throughout the holidays. For full details on schedules and bookings, visit their website here.

Meet the Reader

This week, we catch up with Flynn from Year 9, whose English class has been learning about science fiction this term. Flynn picked up a new copy of ‘The Martian’ by Andy Weir. If the saying is correct that "the book is always better", then he should love it as the movie is great.

See you next term. Happy reading,

Mrs Toni Fraser