Library

Mrs Simmons

Welcome Back Everyone!

Welcome to a new school year, an exciting time as our students start or return to their school journey and another fabulous year of book borrowing, library events and activities and lots and lots of visits to the library. A special welcome to our new St Joseph’s families, it will be wonderful to get to know you in the forthcoming year.

As the year unfolds there will be fortnightly updates and reminders in the newsletter about what is happening in the library. This year the library will continue to endorse and promote our usual big events such as Book Week, Book Fair and Premier’s Reading Challenge as well as weekly library lessons and break time activities.

General Information - Library Borrowing

Developing a life-long love of reading is paramount to everything we do in the library - when our students read and/or listen to the enchanting books we have in our library collection they are, hopefully, on their way to achieving this goal. As well as academic benefits, reading for pleasure provides social and emotional gains including: an increase in empathy and social skills, improvement of health and wellbeing and enjoyment and stimulation of the imagination.

This year each class will have their 30 minute library lesson.

THURSDAY

Stage 3 (Years 5 & 6)

FRIDAY

Early Stage 1 (Kindergarten)

Stage 1 (Years 1 & 2)

Stage 2 (Years 3 & 4)

Term 1 Borrowing Limits

Early Stage 1 – two books each visit (increase to three books in Term 2)

Stage 1 – three books each visit

Stage 2 – four books each visit

Stage 3 – four books each visit

Library Bags

It is essential that every student has a library bag to ensure the safe transportation of library books between school and home. A library bag protects the books from drink bottle leaks, uneaten food scraps and dirty sports equipment! Anything that gives the library books some protection on their way between home and school, and is practical for school is great. Please ensure your child has their library bag on their library day and that their name is clearly marked on it.

Lunch Time in the Library

This year the library will be open every day during the second break for those students who wish to come in to listen to a story, read a story, colour a picture, draw a picture, play a board game, have a chat, complete a jigsaw or construct something amazing with the construction equipment. You are most welcome to join us, we would love to see you there!

SORA

The students at St Joseph’s are able to access an extensive collection of ebooks, audiobooks and magazines through SORA, the Armidale Diocese digital library. Sora, the school’s digital library, is available to the students over the complete summer holiday period. This weeks' recommendations from SORA are:

Instructions for logging onto SORA are as follows:

Step 1: Install Sora app from Apple App Store or Google Play Store, or soraapp.com.

Step 2: When in Sora, click on I have a setup code - “setup” code is cenetau - then sign in.

Sign into your School – Select your school - ACEN

Step 3: Browse the tab and borrow a book. Your book will open so you can start reading right away.

Step 4: Close the book and go to see all your books (including assignments). From there, you can:

Select Open book or Open audiobook to read or listen to the book.
Select Options to renew or return the book, see your notes and highlights, and more.

NB You will need to use your school username and password to access this.