Library News

Term 1, Week 6

Welcome to another week in the library, it’s been busy with lots of wonderful books read and games played. It’s a great place to be!

Kindergarten- are still exploring friendship-themed books and reading ‘Snail & Turtle Are Friends’ and ‘Snail & Turtle Rainy Days’ by Stephen Michael King. They’re beautiful stories celebrating kindness and how friends can be different but still enjoy each other’s company. Students will draw something they enjoy doing with their friends too. This week, I’ve also introduced the role of the author, ask your child if they can tell you what they do.

Stage 1 - are continuing their Pamela Allen unit this week reading, ‘The Man With the Messy Hair’ and I just love the blurb. “There was a man with messy hair. He liked the mess. He didn't care. But his messy hair soon got him into all sorts of trouble!” Students love having a giggle at what trouble he gets into and then drawing their very own messy hair.

Stage 2 - we’re diverting from Mr Chicken’s exciting travels to London, Rome, and Paris and this week we’re reading Leigh Hobbs’ newest book, ‘’Mr Chicken Goes to Mars’. In this story, Mr Chicken steals a lift to the Red Planet, visiting the International Space Station (ISS) on his way. He may even meet some extraterrestrials along the way too. After we finish reading, we’re going to watch a BTN video about the ISS and then use World Book Web to research some interesting facts about it and Mars.

Stage 3 - this week we're reading a beautiful story, ‘The Red Tree’, by Australian author and artist Shaun Tan. Students are learning about surrealism in art and then applying their knowledge of visual literacy techniques to analyse this poignant story. It’s amazing how much deeper our discussions about a text have become now that students are looking beyond just what they see to what it means.

Thank You!

We extend our heartfelt gratitude to the Inverell Community Sewing for Charity Group for their generous donation of fabric library bags and sensory mats for our students. Your kindness and support mean the world to us and will undoubtedly enhance the learning experiences of our students. These beautiful items will not only serve a practical purpose but also add joy and comfort to their daily lives. Your dedication to our school community is truly appreciated, and we're immensely grateful for your ongoing partnership. Thank you for making a difference in the lives of our students.

Look at these beautiful pocket hearts they made to share and celebrate kindness. Thank you!

Secondary Chess Trials in the Library

The library turned into a battleground during the secondary chess trials, where brains clashed, and pawns marched into battle! Fierce competitors faced off plotting intricate strategies. Despite the rivalry, there was a sense of enjoyment, and even the defeated players couldn't help but smile, knowing they'd had a blast amid the chess chaos! I wish the 'Chess Master', Mr. Koch, well when selecting his team.

New Books

Exciting news, bookworms!  We have a great selection of new arrivals, catering to readers of all ages and interests. For our youngest students (and their parents), we have the latest adventures of Bluey, and also a diverse selection of fiction novels, spanning genres from mystery to fantasy. Whether you're seeking knowledge, laughter, adventure, or a touch of magic, our new books promise to transport you to thrilling new worlds and ignite a lifelong love for reading.

CBCA 2024 Books of the Year 

One of the most exciting events in the library world is celebrating Book Week in August. Each year, the Children’s Book Council of Australia (CBCA) recognises the very best books that have been authored and illustrated over the previous twelve months. The six categories for 

Books of the Year are:

CBCA Book of the Year: Older Readers

CBCA Book of the Year: Younger Readers

CBCA Book of the Year: Early Childhood

CBCA Picture Book of the Year

Eve Pownall Award (Non-Fiction)

CBCA Award for New Illustrator

The 2024 Notables have been announced, and from this list, a shortlist of six books for each category will be chosen at a later date. Each year, the CBCA announces a Book Week theme and this year it's ‘Reading is Magic’. If you would like to take a peek at this year’s Notable books, you can visit the CBCA website here.

SORA Ebooks of the Week

This week’s ebook recommendations celebrate Woman’s Day on the 8th of March. To log into SORA, your child will need their school username and password (available from their class teacher). Instructions to log in can be found here.

Quick Bits

• Dr Seuss Day - 2nd March 2024. Families can download some great printables from the Dr Seuss website here. Who doesn’t love reading Green Eggs and Ham?
• Coming home soon - Term 1 Book Club Catalogue
• I’m on leave for Weeks 7 & 8 and the amazing Mrs Deb Carriganwill be filling in for me. Deb loves spending time in the library and I’m sure is looking forward to sharing some great stories with your children. 
• My next library newsletter will be in Week 9 when I return.

Big cheers for Henry and Caiden from KS  who had their library bags for borrowing on Monday.

Happy reading,

Mrs. Toni Fraser