LIBRARY NEWS
We have officially arrived at Week 8, and the end of the term is rapidly approaching. This week marks an important milestone: it is the final week of library lessons for the year. It’s hard to believe it’s already here!
From Week 9, we begin preparing for the annual Stocktake, which means we’ll be swapping our lesson plans for scanners as we undertake the huge task of accounting for every single book on our shelves.
Stocktake Reminders - It’s time to look for those books!
Borrowing Comes to an End: This week is the final opportunity for students to borrow this year.
All Books Must Find Their Way Home: All library books need to be returned by the end of Week 9. Please check school bags, bedrooms, and bookshelves to help get everything back to the library. Overdue notices will be going home today. Please ask your child if they need help to locate their books.
The Hunt for Lost Treasures: If you have a book that has been missing for a while, now is the perfect time to have one last look under the bed or in the car. Please let me know if a book is lost by emailing me at invlibrary@arm.catholic.edu.au.
Thanks for helping us get everything in order!
Christmas Stories in the Library
We’ve been getting into the festive spirit by sharing wonderful Christmas stories, from new discoveries to old favourites. Our K-2 students have been enjoying Jane Godwin's What Do You Wish For? It sparked heartwarming conversations in which students shared their wishes, ranging from excitement about new toys to the simple joy of spending time with family and enjoying the holidays.
To wrap up our lessons, we turned our attention to the real reason for the season. We read the stunning new book A Song for the King, written by Katrina Nannestad and illustrated by Freya Blackwood. This gentle, beautifully illustrated story served as a perfect, peaceful reminder of the Christian meaning behind Christmas.
K-2 have had a busy couple of weeks completing activities in the library.
Years 3-6 are finishing the term with a mix of digital creativity and festive cheer. We proved this week that you are never too old for a Christmas story, taking a break from our work to enjoy Santa Post by Emma Yarlett. The students had a great time exploring the interactive letters and laughing along with Santa’s mail dilemma.
Between stories, Stage 2 students have been working hard on Canva to complete their genre posters. Throughout the term, we have explored a wide variety of styles—including funny, spooky, adventure, fantasy, realistic fiction, sports, and historical fiction—and enjoyed reading the first chapter of a book from each category. Now, students are showcasing their favourite genre to create persuasive posters that convince others to give it a try.
Stage 2 went on a genre scavenger hunt using old Book Club catalogues.
Meanwhile, Stage 3 is wrapping up its Graphic Novel unit by putting theory into practice. They’re incorporating all the visual features they have learned to design their own original comic strips. We saw some great humour in 6D today, as they had a lot of fun creating a comic titled 'I Survived the Canberra Excursion'.
SORA eBook Suggestions of the Week: Auslan Theme
This week, our SORA suggestions are a little bit special—they all celebrate Auslan (Australian Sign Language) with a collection of fantastic stories that feature Auslan translations. These are perfect for learning some new signs or simply enjoying a favourite story in a new, visual way. Simply scan the QR codes below to log in and access these great stories on your device.
NSW Premier's Reading Challenge Celebrations
A big congratulations to all the students who successfully completed the NSW Premier's Reading Challenge this year! It was a joy to see so many hard-working readers receive their Participation Certificates yesterday during the Primary Assemblies. We have a few more special mentions to come, with specific awards for students who have completed 4 and 7 consecutive years of the PRC, to be presented at Presentation Day next week. Thank you to all the families for your incredible support of reading at HTS—we love seeing that love of literature grow!
Our Final Delivery of New Books
Our final delivery of new books has arrived over the last couple of weeks. These books were purchased using the credit we received from this year’s Book Fair and Book Club orders. Thank you to our entire school community for supporting the library throughout the year; your contributions directly allow us to keep our collection exciting and up-to-date for our readers.
Meet the Helpers
Last week, I had two very special helpers at snack break who helped loan and shelve books. Thanks, Lucy and Elsie!
Have a wonderful week, enjoy the festive celebrations of the final weeks of school, and may all your library books find their way back home!
Happy reading,
Mrs Toni Fraser