Library News and Reviews
Library News by Mare Maticevski
The library is open everyday for borrowing during class-time, lunchtime and after school. Lunchtimes are particularly busy and we have started encouraging students to be device-free on two days a week at lunch. These days are called Digital Detox with the emphasis placed on encouraging students to interact socially via board-games instead of accessing devices during their break times.
Currently, there are two clubs running during lunchtime in the library. Chess Club and 1st Monday Bookchat. I have asked students about the kind of clubs they would love to run and have had some great suggestions including a Gatcha Club, Minecraft Club, Creative Club and Student Newspaper/writing club. With clubs, the library endeavours to encourage student-run clubs promoting opportunities in leadership and skilIs-development around coordination of such initiatives. I look forward to trialling some initiatives from second term. Below is a great Gatcha design depicting me from our talented student in Year 8, Layne. Other teachers have had the privilege of being turned into a character by Layne too.
Mare the Librarian created by Layne using Gacha Life.
Suggest a Book
This term we introduced "suggest a book" to encourage students to be part of developing the library collection around books and authors they love to read. This involvement is integral to growing a love of reading for pleasure which feeds into all areas of learning success.
Celebrations
This term we celebrated Library Lover's Day on February 14th and International Women's Day with a successful badge-making activity.
Premier's Reading Challenge
You can take part in the Premiers' Reading challenge by registering as an individual participant. You will have your own login details where you can submit a record of books completed as part of the challenge. As year 7 and 8 students you must read a total of 15 books and 10 need to come from the Premiers Reading Challenge list. At the completion of the challenge you will be awarded a certificate for your great reading effort. Our collection has been mapped to the reading lists on the Premier's Reading Challenge
You will need to complete the consent form in order to register for participation. The consent form is available via the website. Please complete and submit to the website link https://www.education.vic.gov.au/about/events/prc/Pages/getregistered.aspx.
Book Reviews by students
Reviews submitted by students will be published in the newsletter. These are great recommendations for peers as their next reading choice. If you would like a review published please email your review to library@edgarscreeksc.vic.edu.au
Whisper written by Lynette Noni
Reviewed by Samreen
Whisper is about a girl who people call ‘Jane Doe’. For 2 years, 6 months, 14 days, 11 hours and 16 minutes, Jane has been locked away and been experimented on without saying a single word. She soon meets someone who is unexpectedly kind and lets down her walls. Doing so, she discovers a secret. One wrong word could change the world.
The characters have a lot of depth to them and I love how Lynette writes her books including lots of detail. I love Whisper and recommend it to anyone who enjoys reading.
A land of permanent goodbyes written by Atia Abawi
Reviewed by Seja
This heartbreaking story shows how much pain people go through and reminds me of how grateful I should be. Refugees are left to figure out there uncertain future. They go through hard times in life, not knowing where to live and what may happen to them when going on a long journey. They struggle to find someone they can trust and when reading you are unsure about what will happen to them in this story? What will they go through? I enjoyed this story as it showed me how characters dealt with their journey. It shows how much the character cared for people and how much he missed his loved ones. He cared more for his loved ones than his own endangered life. However, this shows how much pain he went through. It was heartbreaking and very sad. An enjoyable story I definitely recommend to read.
The Medoran Chronicles written by Lynette Noni
Reviewed by Milanya
Embrace the wonder
The Medoran Chronicles are about a sixteen-year-old girl named Alex, who stumbles upon a different world full of impossibilities, Medora. She soon learns that the only person that can help her get back is Professor Marselle, but he is missing.
While awaiting his return, Alex attends Akarnae, a boarding school for teenagers with ‘gifts’. She soon starts to ‘fit in’ with the rest of her classmates, making the best of her time at Akarnae. Not knowing that something dangerous was awaiting her.`;=
This series is a wonderful read for anyone. There is a lot of depth to the characters, making you love them more than you would ever think possible. If you ever find yourself in search of an amazing book, then the Medoran Chronicles is the place to go.
A Student's perspective at the Climate Strike - by Adam Newman
I was at the climate strike on March 15. Students around the world were striking, from New Zealand, Japan, Hong Kong, India, Greece- and the birthplace of the movement, Sweden, where approximately 7000 people marched among the founder of the strike, Greta Thunberg. In Australia, it’s estimated that about 150,000 people marched nation wide, with an estimated 20,000 students in Melbourne. We weren’t marching to wag off school, or because our parents told us to- we were marching because it’s time for climate action. It’s time to transition away from fossil fuels and towards clean energy. A UN summit is scheduled for September 2019 to strengthen the policy framework of the Paris Climate Agreement. The solution isn’t, as Prime Minister Scott Morrison said, ‘more learning and less activism’. It isn’t, as Labor leader Bill Shorten said to ‘protest after school hours and on weekends’ (pretty rich that the leader of the Labor Party is advocating *against* strikes). The solution is for widespread action against climate change.
Learning in the Library
These posters provide a summary of what students came up with around the importance of giving credit when using information sources as part of their learning.
Students were introduced to Trove, which is a great search engine developed by the National Library of Australia. Please encourage students to use Trove when researching information for their learning. It can be accessed at www.trove.nla.gov.au