Australia Celebrated Winter Solstice with Shortest Day, Longest Night

Around June 21st, we have the winter solstice – the shortest day and longest night. Instead of dreading the shorter days, we enjoy the darkness! Streets come alive with lanterns, and clear skies make it a great time for stargazing.

Winter nights are also prime time for curling up with a good book. Whether it's a mystery, adventure, or anything that captures your imagination, the warm glow of lamps creates a cozy atmosphere for getting lost in a story while stars shine outside.

As the nights get shorter and days get longer, we celebrate the return of sunshine. But we also remember the winter solstice as a time to relax and enjoy a good book.

Health and Wellbeing with the LRC

As the winter chill sets in, what better way to stay warm and engaged than with a book? But reading isn't just about entertainment – it can also be a great way to boost your mental well-being.

Alongside our fantastic selection of winter reads for all ages in the catalogue, we also offer a range of health and wellbeing resources on our homepage. Whether you're looking for tips on managing stress, improving sleep, or simply finding healthy recipes for cozy winter nights, we have something for everyone.

So, explore Heathmont College LRC's homepage, find your next great read, and discover resources to support your overall well-being this winter!

https://library.heathmont.vic.edu.au/#!dashboard

Games at the LRC!

Learning shouldn't be all work and no play! We know the importance of mental breaks for students. During recess, lunch and cold or wet weather days, the LRC offers a fun way to unwind and recharge.

Our extensive physical games collection includes classics like chess, Monopoly, Connect 4, and a variety of card games like UNO. These games are a great way to socialise, develop critical thinking skills, and simply have some fun!

So, come on down to the LRC and explore our collection – it's open to all students and staff!

Enjoy Easy eBook Access During School Holidays!

Learn how to access eBooks and download them to your device.

With school holidays coming up, don't forget that you have access to a vast collection of eBooks anytime, anywhere! Here's how to get started with eBooks in just 3 easy steps:

Visit the eBook platform directly at https://heathmont.eplatform.co/ or access it via the LRC homepage by clicking the STAR on Compass. Click the 'Can I borrow eBooks?' widget and proceed to sign in.
Use your @schools email address as the username and your student ID (ABC0000) as the password.
Download the app for even easier access on your mobile device using the same login details. A QR code to download the app is available on the LRC website.

Looking for more resources?

Don't forget about your local public library! They offer a plethora of activities, books, movies, music, and more, all for free. Our closest local library network is "Your Library." You can connect with them here Your Library | Serving Knox, Maroondah & Yarra Ranges.

Public Libraries

Reading significantly improves mental health and empathy, yet many Australians struggle with low literacy. The Warm Winter Read campaign, supported by all 51 of Victoria’s public libraries, aims to promote reading and its benefits. Key points include:

Inspire to read more during winter
Engage communities in a shared reading campaign
Raise the profile of library services
Promote reading for wellbeing

Each year, eight prominent Victoria authors serve as ambassadors, recommending books and featuring on campaign bookmarks. 30,000 bookmarks and various digital assets are distributed to libraries. The campaign is managed by the Reader Development Special Interest Group and hosted on the PLV reading challenge website, Read Books.

Student Access to Public Libraries

https://www.yourlibrary.com.au/students/

Parents and Guardians of Students can create a membership for our local library.

Your Library has a network of 14 libraries and 3 reading rooms across Know, Maroondah and the Yarra Ranges. Thousands of books, journals, magazines, digital titles and DVD’s are available, free for everyone.

Year 7 Dives into "Fox" by Margaret Wild

Year Seven English is taking a deep dive into the world of foxes!

Their classes in the LRC are focusing on Margaret Wild's captivating picture book, "Fox." To kick things off, they had a lively discussion about these cunning creatures, drawing on their own knowledge and sparking their curiosity.

Next, Mrs. Ford, the dedicated Teacher Librarian, brought the story to life with a reading session. Now, the students are sharpening their writing skills by analysing the author's word choices and sentence structures. Equipped with these tools, they're busy crafting their own pieces inspired by "Fox." We can't wait to see their creativity shine in the coming weeks!

World Environment Day 5th June

Discover resources and information about World Environment Day.

Our planet faces grave threats from human activities like resource depletion, deforestation, pollution, and climate change. World Environment Day reminds us of the

urgent need to address these environmental challenges.

The LRC offers valuable resources to understand and tackle these issues. By exploring their educational materials and adopting eco-friendly practices, we can pave the way for a greener future.

We celebrated World Environment Day by renewing our commitment to environmental stewardship. Every small action counts in creating a sustainable world where humans and nature coexist harmoniously. Explore the LRC's resources and join the movement to protect our precious planet.

Premiers’ Reading Challenge

We're more than halfway through the Premiers' Reading Challenge, and our readers are excelling! They've enjoyed a wide range of books, currently studied texts from Neil Gaiman's Coraline and Angie Thomas' The Hate U Give to beloved favourites like the Harry Potter series, and Karen M. McManus' One of Us series.

Hollows House readers are leading the way! We're incredibly proud of everyone for embracing the challenge and diving into these amazing books. Keep up the great work!

Insight Creative Writing Competition: Attention Aspiring Writers (Years 7-12)

Unleash your creativity and compete for exciting prizes! Here’s the scoop:

Submit one original piece (story, poem, or script) in English, max 1400 words.

Compete in your year level category (7-12).
Win up to $300 in each category.
Optional theme available, or use your own ideas!
Include a 100-word statement about your writing motivation for a chance to win the Iris Breuer Writing Award.
Deadline: September 1st. Visit the Insight Publications website for details and submission process.

Join the Heathmont College Creative Writing Club

Calling all creative minds! Join us every Monday lunchtime in C9 with Mr McClare.

What to expect:

Develop your writing skills through games, workshops, and discussions.
Share ideas with other passionate writers.
Get feedback and support to refine your work – short stories, poems, scripts, and more!
Learn about publishing your work online and entering competitions.

Everyone is welcome! See you at the club!

Rick Riordan: Celebrate this month’s Author Birthday!

Born on June 5, 1964, in San Antonio, Texas. He is currently 59 years old.
Best known for the hugely popular Percy Jackson & The Olympians series, which follows a young demigod named Percy Jackson and is based on Greek mythology.
The idea for Percy Jackson came from bedtime stories he told his son Haley, who had ADHD and dyslexia. This inspired making Percy dyslexic and hyperactive.
Before writing for children/young adults, he wrote the Tres Navarre series of adult mystery novels and won several awards like the Shamus and Anthony Awards.
In addition to Percy Jackson, he has written other mythology-based series like The Kane Chronicles (Egyptian), The Heroes of Olympus (Greek), and Magnus Chase (Norse).
He was a middle school teacher for 15 years, teaching English, Social Studies, and mythology before becoming a full-time author.
His books have been translated into 42 languages and sold multimillions of copies worldwide.
The Percy Jackson series was adapted into two feature films by 20th Century Fox, though Riordan was not involved.

LRC Team

I CAN Online Holiday Programs

Neurodivergent Mentoring and Online Social Groups