Across Campus

McAuley Resource Centre

“That’s the thing about books.  They let you travel without moving your feet.” - Jhumpa Lahiri 

Year 7 Readers’ Cup has kicked off this term as students across the year level race through pages to win the Readers’ Cup at the end of Term 3.   Students have been asked to read at least four times a week for a minimum of 15 minutes, and to log their reading progress. 

We have also set up a display for Ancient Egypt as Year 7 move into their new topic for Humanities.  Remind your daughter to look at the Quick Lists and the Dashboards on the Library web page as we have curated a number of resources for the students. 

Year 8s are continuing with their Wide Reading program and students are starting to churn through a number of novels, which has been exciting to see their progress and recommending books to one another.  A reminder to check-in with your daughter on her Wide Reading novel progress as this is included in her Semester 1 English Report. 

Our VCE Help resources have been given their own corner of the MRC.  The shelves were initially decorated in pink streamers to gain the students’ attention.  It has been wonderful to see how many resources have been used during private study periods. 

R.A.G.E Book Club has had a number of successful high tea parties celebrating all things Austen.   Students are making progress with their selected text, and we have added some of the adaptations to ClickView for their viewing! 

This past week we have been focused on the stunning cookbooks we have in our Collection here at the MRC.  We’ve had displays, high-tea puzzles and mindful colouring stations.  Next week we will move to championing indigenous texts as the country remembers National Sorry Day on 26 May. 

This month we have over 60 new resources, and students have used the online Library website to make over 600 searches.  We love to see everyone coming to the MRC and Fiction Library to use what’s available to them.  Right now, our overdue books are sitting close to 500, so an improvement on last month, however, a good reminder to students to either renew or return any overdue books. 

At the Australian Library and Information Association Conference 2026, Prof. Larissa Behrendt AO, said, “In a time of fragmentation, reading is one of the few acts that asks us to slow down, to listen and to imagine beyond ourselves.  If we want a society that can hold complexity, that can engage in good faith, that can sustain a shared narrative across difference, then we have to invest in the habits that make that possible.  Reading is one of those habits… Reading builds attention.  It builds empathy.  It builds the capacity to sit with complexity, to follow an argument, to encounter a perspective that is not your own and stay with it long enough to understand it.” 

Ms Siobhan Taylor & Ms Cathy Bennett

McAuley Resources Co-Learning Leaders 

Ciao!

We are delighted to welcome Federica Grasso, our new Italian Language Assistant, who will be with us for the remainder of the school year.  Federica brings with her a passion for languages and cultural exchange, and she will be a wonderful asset to our school community as she supports students in developing their Italian skills and understanding of Italian culture.

We secured Federica through the 2026 CO.AS.IT. Italian Language Assistants Program, a fantastic initiative that supports language education across schools in Victoria.

Benvenuta, Federica  – siamo felici di averti con noi!

Ms Natalie Dickson

Languages Learning Leader

Ciao a tutti!   I’m Federica! I was born in Rome, where I spent all my childhood and adolescence.  At university I studied Literature and during my studies I had the opportunity to live in different countries.  I studied in Alacant (in Spain) for two semesters, then I did an internship in Berlin and another one in Tenerife (in Spain again).   I really like travelling and, even more, learning about new cultures while sharing mine.   I arrived in Australia last year and I liked it, so I decided to stay a bit longer. 

A presto! 

Federica Grasso