June is Pride Month and the library has new display – come down to check it out. Thank you to Mrs Calvert and her Stand Out students for putting together a very informative display!

In Week 7, Belmont High School was visited by local author Sue Lawson. Sue has written several books for children and young adults including Freedom Ride, After, Finding Darcy, Dare You, and You Don’t Even Know (these are all available to borrow). Sue gave a presentation to all Year 9 students and 8A, who are currently studying Freedom Ride for English. She also made herself available to students interested in writing and reading during lunchtime (pictured below: Rebecca Pearce (9S), Parneet Kaur (7R), Sue Lawson, Miranda Linton (7P), and Daisy Vine (10M).

In Week 6 there were lunch time activities in the library for Reconciliation Week. Students were invited to do some colouring-in, watch a movie, and check-out the library’s collection of Indigenous stories. Completed colouring-in sheets were added to the library’s Reconciliation Week display (see below). Thank you to Ms Simon and First Nations students for putting together a wonderful display!

In Week 5 the Year 7 Readers’ Cup competition was held in the library. It was won by 7 Silver (Ella Boyce, Ethan Pearce, and Demid Shchadin), with 7 Green (Axl Hart, Ari Redman, Harrison Sprigg, and Fern Knight) coming second and 7 Purple (Jordan Carswell, Robert Hole, Edie Bone, and Miranda Linton, with Owen Wright as an emergency) coming third. We had a celebratory pizza lunch on Tuesday for the first three teams.

7 Blue were represented by Chloe James and Neve Nolan and 7 Ebony, Mango and Red were represented by Elyse Poke (7E), Violet Croucher (7M), and Parneet Kaur (7R).

Thank you to Rose Harman and Enid Grech of 8E for helping out on the day!

In Week 2 we had a ‘May the 4th’ competition. Students had to enter a quiz and answer all the questions correctly to have their names pulled out of a hat. The overall winner was Devlin Fisk (10P), who won a Star Wars Lego set and Smarties share pack. Other winners were Libby Chittenden (7N), Jack O’Loghlen (12P), and Aidan MacDonald (8N) who won Smarties share packs.

Book of the Week

What We All Saw

by Mike Lucas

SHORTLISTED FOR THE CHILDREN’S BOOK COUNCIL OF AUSTRALIA BOOK OF THE YEAR AWARDS

Denny Jones is dead. And the witch of the Old Quarry is responsible – or so Sam believes.

There have been stories for years about the witch…and about children falling to their deaths into the Old Quarry…but is it all just rumour and coincidence? After the neighbourhood bully falls (or is pulled over the edge?), Sam and his friends set out to find out the truth. However, the deeper Sam and his friends dive into the mystery, the closer the witch feels to snatching one of them.

A highly taut, atmospheric read that will keep hold of you long after you finish reading, What We All Saw is a fantastic story for ages 13 and up, and everyone who loves a good mystery.

Susan Winfield

Key VCE Dates