MESC Learning Commons
Welcome to the MESC Learning Commons
The MESC Learning Commons comprises the Library and ICT Team who support both staff and students.
Librarian - Mrs Lynn Swannell
ICT Manager - Mr Kevin Hunter
ICT Technician - Mr Sam Karagiannis
Opening Hours
The Learning Commons is open from 8.00am to 4.00pm each day, including recess and lunchtime. However it is closed at recess each Friday.
Please DO NOT bring in food or drinks and we ask that you tidy up after yourself.
Both Tuesdays and Thursdays are designated 'device free' days - this means no bringing in your phone or devices at recess and lunchtimes. Instead we encourage you to read a magazine, play a board game, or even read your books.
The Dangers of Free VPNs
There are a number of people now that choose to use a VPN as a method of protecting their online privacy or to access services not available in their country. There are a large number of free VPN services available, however “free” isn’t completely free when it comes to accessing blocked websites through free VPNs. These services may actually allow malicious third-parties to snoop through your personal data, or, even worse, let others use your internet connection to conduct illegal activities on the web.
Free VPNs can log and keep track of all your content, your IP address, the types of sites you visit, etc.- the exact thing VPNs are meant to protect you from. In addition to privacy issues you would want to hide your IP, you may experience slow browsing speed, unstable connections, data usage caps, and outdated encryption.
Worst of all.. Many of these “free” services will sell your personal information to third parties, with some even going as far as placing extra advertising (sometimes malicious). They may even distribute your IP address, welcoming criminal activity that is traced back to your machine, not theirs.
Always take care, know the facts about something you install on your device and be aware that popular free VPN servers aren’t always as safe as they claim to be.
Library Leaders and Team 2019
Belle York (Year 10) - Senior School Library Leader and Bella Pascic (Year 8) - Middle school Library Leader are working with the Student Leadership group to ensure students' library needs are met. We encourage you to talk to them about any issues, suggestions, ideas you may have relating to our Library.
We also welcome three Year 7 students to our Library Team - Lizzie Abeling, Mazzi Minzenmay and Abbey Standfield.
Leadership Camp News
"On 22nd of March all the leadership teams went to Don Bosco’s Camp in Dromana with Mrs Claringbold, Mrs Williams and Mrs Swannell. We went on this camp to get to know each other a bit more and to plan about things to come for 2019. At the camp we did some fun activities in groups, set goals for ourself and our teams, planned for what is happening over 2019 and talked to the Loins Club about our goals. Some of our ideas for the library is to have regular book club meetings (every second Monday starting next term), continue our big displays including promoting bookweek and to run some cook activities in the library. Our goal for the library for 2019 is to get more people into the library and encourage them to borrow and read more books." Bella (Middle School Library Leader)
During term one the Library Team has been very busy organising and setting up displays and planning for the year ahead.
In the library at the moment, there is an ‘ANZAC’ display on the wall, with many ANZAC Day/Gallipoli related books to read, use for research and borrow. On the main notice board, there is a display with the title ‘Bookflix’, which holds many new and interesting books to enjoy. Watch out next term for our new book displays including a beautiful dress being crafted book pages, along with a ‘book to movie’ themed display. The Library Team will be working hard to get these displays up and finished for everyone to enjoy. We will also be writing reviews for books, graphic novels, cartoons, websites, etc, to be posted in the newsletter and on the Library website, for everyone to see.
Bella and myself are currently organising to have the book club up and running by next term. These sessions will be held fortnightly at Monday Lunchtimes and will be a fun opportunity to get to know other students and hear about what they have been reading. During these lunchtimes, there will also be fun activities, such as novel quizzes and ‘book bingo’.
If you have a chance come into the library at lunchtimes to see our beautiful displays and select from the many books to read. There are also magazines to browse or card and board games to play if you’d rather.
Hope to see you soon in the MESC Library.
Belle (Senior School Library Leader)
eBooks and Audiobooks
These are provided for students and staff to use via the app 'ePlatform' by Wheelers Books (download it via your app store for use on multiple devices). With over 1600 eBooks and over 600 audiobooks to choose from there really is no excuse not to be reading over this holiday break. Check out the hundreds of titles available and remember that you can 'customise' the settings to suit. If you can't find anything on the app then pop into the library and we can give you 'the real thing'!
Overdue Library Books
Please remember to check the 'due dates' of all items borrowed and ensure that they are returned promptly. Overdue reminders are sent via Compass news and individual notices are sent out to students via their school email which should be checked regularly. If there are any concerns regarding late and/or lost items then please contact me asap.
Victorian Premiers' Reading Challenge 2019
Students in Years 7-10 are welcome to sign up for the Victorian Premiers' Reading Challenge 2019. This challenge involves reading a minimum of 15 books between March and September. There are a number of criteria to follow regarding selection of titles (e.g. minimum of 10 from their Year level list) and students will also be required to log these online. This will all be monitored by our Librarian, Mrs Lynn Swannell, so please contact her if you would like to sign up for this challenge and to receive further details. All students who complete the VPRC 2019 will receive an official certificate.
