Library News
Opening hours are 8am – 5pm, Monday through to Friday during regular school days.
To mark ANZAC Day, the library has a display of Australian war related books for students to browse and borrow.
Reading Habits
A recent report from Deakin University researchers into the reading habits of Australian teenagers, Discovering a ‘Good Read’: Pathways to Reading for Australian Teens highlights how only 54% of teens read for pleasure at least once a week. During passive leisure time, young adults have competing priorities such as social media, gaming, watching TV, movies and YouTube that rank higher in the hierarchy of leisure activities than reading books.
The report states “To foster a strong reading culture among teens, it’s essential to align initiatives with their digital habits and busy schedules, finding new ways to make reading an accessible and appealing part of their daily lives.”
Fortunately, here at MGSC students are given the opportunity to browse the library shelves and select a book of their choice to read for ten minutes before each English class. Students have access to a modern library with the latest titles that include student recommendations. Discovering a good read at MGSC is a daily practice and a beneficial habit which, as the data suggests, may otherwise lapse during the course of our busy lives.
CBCA Shadow Judging 2024
Shadow Judges are meeting on Wednesday, 1 May in the library at lunchtime – this will be the very first meeting of the year. Students will be given a reading journal to document their ideas about each book and discuss how as a group they will create a creative response to one or all of the texts. To learn more about the six Young Adult books that have been shortlisted, please visit the website and select the Older Readers button. All six shortlisted books are now available at the library desk for students to borrow.
Book Club
Book clubbers met during the first week of the term and chose the following three books to read this term:
Emma by Jane Austen – Often the favourite book among Jane Austen fans, Emma is a charming and witty protagonist, content with her life but delights in interfering in the romantic lives of others.
Pride and Premeditation by Tirzah Price – A modern take on a scandalous society murder mystery based upon Jane Austen’s Pride and Prejudice.
The Screaming Staircase by Johnathan Stroud - When the dead come back to haunt the living, Lockwood & Co. step in! A tale about an epidemic of ghosts and how these brave ghostbusters go about destroying them.
There is something here for everyone and copies are now available at the library desk.
The next Book Club will be held in week 11, on Monday 24 June. Students are welcome to drop by the library or email library@mgsc.vic.edu.au at any time with details of their name and class to join.
2024 Insight Creative Writing Competition
This is an external competition, run by local MGSC school textbook provider Insight, that may interest students who are keen on developing their writing skills.
The optional theme for this year's competition is ‘Beauty in the Unknown’, offering students a broad canvas on which to paint their thoughts and ideas.
For more details on submission guidelines and how to enter, please visit the Insight website. Entry is free and all entrants will have the chance to share in more than $3,000 of cash prizes!
The Library Team