Library Borrowing Day: Monday

What to bring: Returned books and a Library Bag

Thank you for supporting Library Borrowing each week. It is well worth it! On Library borrowing days, I love to listen to the ‘book chats’ happening between students. The sharing of newly borrowed books is lovely to see and helps students make book selections based on peer reviews.

Providing students with the opportunity to borrow each week allows students to be part of the borrowing process. They are learning how to locate and borrow books they are interested in and it helps them feel a part of our reading community by selecting, sharing and reading in the Library each week. I often ask for student recommendations and update books frequently to keep up with their current interests.

To lift literacy performance, children need to be exposed to the classics and 'real literature’; not just standard reading texts (home readers). Students need access to interesting books and materials. Sometimes, students get in a rut and don’t read beyond their favourite genre or author. When students are provided with the opportunity to borrow from our school Library each week, they interact more with books, spend more time reading and exhibit more positive attitudes toward reading.

Some of the ways I promote reading as my role as Teacher-Librarian include:

• A ‘Bookflix’ wall showcasing all the new and popular reading titles with reviews and recommendations.
• Previewing ‘NEW’ books each week- students can easily view ‘new’ book titles, as they are displayed each week.
• Fequently updating our Library collection with new and interesting books.
• Wishlist, where students can write down their book requests. 
• Reading aloud to students each Library lesson. (That doesn’t exclude reading to older students, too. Occasionally reading more difficult texts aloud provides opportunity for rich discussion and vocabulary development). 
• Themed Library Displays- like our current ‘Ocean’ book display. It’s incredible how showcasing books in creative ways increases the loans on these titles!
• Peer recommendations- the opportunity for students to share their favourite reads and recommend books to others. 
• Promoting reading through digital formats; SORA ebooks and Storybox Library.

Chief Minister’s Reading Challenge

Keep up the fantastic effort to complete the challenge. I have received five completed challenge forms so far. When completed, please return ‘Student Reading Records’ to classroom teachers. Each student who completes the challenge will be entered into a draw to win a $20 Scholastic Book Club voucher. There will be one prize winner per class. The challenge ends on Friday 6^th August 2021- plenty of time left to get stuck into reading!

For more information or to reprint challenge forms go to: https://www.education.act.gov.au/public-school-life/additional-programs/chief_ministers_reading_challenge

SAVE THE DATE:

• National Simultaneous Storytime- On Wednesday 19May

Our school will participate in National Simultaneous Storytime and listen to ‘Give Me Some Space!’, written by Philip Bunting. It will be read to us and many other students around Australia by an astronaut from the International Space Station. Very cool!  https://www.alia.org.au/nss

• Bookfair – 3 – 5 August

Scholastic Book Fair is a fun reading event that brings the books kids want to read right into our school. Over three days, Bookfair will be set up in our school library and students and families will be given the opportunity to view and purchase from a wonderful selection of engaging and affordable books for every reading level.

• Book Week 21- 27 August

This year’s theme:  ‘Old Worlds, New Worlds, Other Worlds’

Each year since 1945 the CBCA has brought children and books together across Australia through CBCA Book Week. During this time schools and public libraries spend one glorious week celebrating books and Australian children's authors and illustrators. At STM we have colourful displays, run competitions and tell stories relating to a theme to highlight the importance of reading.

Students might like to start thinking about their favourite book character to come dressed as this year for the annual school parade.