How are we going with the Challenge?

Well, only weeks to go and I've had a steady stream of students bringing in completed Premier's Reading Challenge lists. Well done everyone so far!

If you have not finished yet, don't stress....we have till the end of August to finish. Congratulations again Mrs Richard's class, they are almost completely finished,- only one or two students to go!



Get a Voki now!

What are lounges for.......? Reading of course!!!!!

That's much better! We have purchased some great new places to curl up and read....and our students are already taking advantage of them. This is what reading is all about....having fun, relaxing and enjoyment. What better place than on a nice comfy lounge! I wonder who will be reading there next week????

Create Your Own

Technology is becoming more and more a part of our daily lives and very important in the area of Education. We have been very fortunate this year in receiving an Australian Government Grant, IOSP (Investing In Our Schools Program). Technology now plays such an important role in education it is important that we can provide adequate access to computers for our students.

Our students have been busy at work using technology in so many different lessons. Not only are the computers used in the Library for research, students are using computers in classrooms for Maths, Reading Groups, Art and Integrated Studies. Our students have posted onto 'Blogs', have used 'Learning Objects' in classes and have accessed quality websites that have enhanced their learning opportunities.

Week 3 Re-decorating!

This week sees the arrival of our new furniture! Now there will be some nice places to sit and read in comfort! Looking good HFS Infozone!!!!

2007- We are finally back!!!

Whew!
The first term suddenly flew by and all at once we discovered that there had been no posts! Here's hoping that everything will get back to normal again!

Well, the first term did see some BIG changes in our Library. Not only did the layout change, but the way we use the Library in our school has changed as well. It is now becoming an even busier place, with the capacity to now run activities for a few different classes at the same time. We can run technology based lessons, borrowing & reading activities simultaneously now!

We've also been getting more into Web2.0 tools with more classes getting involved.

There have been many exciting improvements to talk about- so there will be plenty to put into posts now!

Executive Director's Summer Reading Challenge

(Taken from the Media Release)

With the summer holidays just around the corner, there are plenty of opportunities for children to read some new books. By independently reading 10 or more age-appropriate books during their Summer holidays, students will go in to the draw to win one of three iPod Nanos.

There are three age categories, based on the age the student is on Friday February 9 2007. The categories are: Ages 5-8 Ages 9-13 Ages 14-18 Students must record all the books they read on a log sheet, which is signed off by a parent or guardian. This log can be found on the back of this sheet or on the website
Children can return the forms by Wednesday, 7th Feb, to be sent in from the school. The draw will take place on Monday 12 February. "This is an exciting challenge and I encourage students of all ages to take part," said Greg. "Books open our eyes, broaden our minds and spark our imaginations. Literacy is a wonderful gift which provides a lifetime of enjoyment."

The Premier's Reading Challenge will continue again next year

Well it is almost the end of the year and so it is time to return all books. Over the holidays students might like to join up with their local library! Penrith Library allows members to borrow up to 10 books and Liverpool Library has some GREAT new reads waiting to be borrowed!
This holidays make a point to ask Mum or Dad to take you to join up at your LOCAL LIBRARY!!

Our 117 students who completed the Challenge will finally receive their certificates and copies of the Sydney Morning Herald list of participants this week. It has been a very rewarding experience for all involved. Thanks goes to the classes and their teachers who really took onboard the challenge and encouraged class member to finish. Now we are ready for the 2007 Challenge.....Let's see if we can double our numbers!!

Our Chess Team competed in the State finals today and did very well considering that this is the first year any of them have played in competitions. We were very proud of their results and the boys made some new friends throughout the day.
Great work team!

Chess News

The chess competition has been going well, with Years 3-5 completing their second rounds. Year 6 will 'battle' next week.
An exciting achievement that will take place on the weekend is the participation of three of our Year 6 students in the State School Team Finals. Good luck Ivan, William and Luke!

Where is the Library? Has it moved into Kinder?

Today the Year 5’s had their Library lessons in the Kinder Classrooms, helping the Kinders learn about the creation of Fiction books. Year 5 helped the Kinders write a fiction story called
“Santa’s Special Helper!”
(You can guess who the helper was!)

This activity was such a great experience, as the children got to work with their Buddies, read and write for an audience, practise illustrating and authoring skills, and generally have a truly fun time interacting with text and print.
This activity really showed that authentic literature learning experiences can happen anywhere, not just in the confines of the Library building!

Pokemon

The Pokemon Challenge has hit the INFOZONE with exciting games being won and lost at lunchtimes in the Library! Jarrod W and some other Year 5 boys, have taken it upon themselves and have shown true leadership by developing game boards and challenges for the lunchtime library sessions. Today there were some intense games going on which were well organised and resourced. Congratulations to the boys involved, and best of luck in the Challenge!!!

Showing Initiative

Early this term, one of our students had a story published on the Internet on the 'Ziptales' site. Oakley had seen the competition details posted on the Library door and decided to enter a story writing competition run by Ziptales.

After writing the story, Oakley got Mrs M to send it off and in Week 2 this term, Oakley received a Certificate and badge from Ziptales stating that her story was on the Net.

Well done Oakley for showing such initiative!!!!

Term 4, 2006

Ohhhhhhh! There have been so many things happening lately in our Library, there hasn’t been time to report them on the Blog !

Firstly this term, poor, poor Mrs M had to miss the first week back as she and her family had to go and research at the Gold Coast.

Poor, poor Mrs M had to go to all the Theme and amusement Parks, as Year 4 were going to be doing a unit this term on ‘Bridges and Theme Parks’!

Luckily Mrs M had some LSL due so that she could go on this important mission!





Back at school, everything was ‘full steam ahead’ in the Library from Week 2, with Chess, the Café’, Borrowing and all the other exciting happenings beginning again. This term looks to be another ‘jammed pack’ term!

Book Parade

WOW! HOW MUCH FUN WAS OUR PARADE?

We had a great afternoon looking at the creative talents on show at our parade. There were 'adventure bags' decorated with all sorts of characters and settings. Some children had included in their bags the things they would need on their adventure (into a particular book/story), others had decorated the outside of their bags with all sorts of things stuck on or drawn. It was a fantastic effort from everyone.

Special thanks goes to Mrs S our 'MC', and all the Year 6 Judges who sure had a tough job. Thanks also goes to the helpers in Year 6 who gave out the participation certificates and prize lollies.

Our 'Special Guest' (The Cat In The Hat) had a great time leading each class & looks forward to the next Library 'Event'.
It really was a great afternoon, and all those bags will look fantastic decorating the Library & Classes!

Update on Library News

Things have been going along pretty well this week, although we had to move this weeks Cafe' time to next Monday. Everyone is still very excited when they earn a pass and the children are really putting an effort into achieving one!

The bags for the book parade are at different stages of development. Some classes have taken them home to do, others have opted to do them at school as a special art activity.
Kinder Red did a fantastic job, drawing and painting the things they would see or the characters they would meet when they 'Booked into' an adventure in their stories.

We've had some great 'reading times' as usual in the Library! One in particular this week was when the Year 4's helped the Kinders borrow and then read the Kinders their stories. Opportunities like these don't come along all the time, but when they do, you really see how valuable they are. It was fantastic seeing the way the Year 4's interacted with the Kinders. Such activities really convince me of the importance of such interactions. Well done both classes!

Book Reviews Week 2

The classes using the ‘Review Cards’ in Library Lessons have really come on with their reviews.

In Year 2, some of the reasons students gave for awarding ‘5 STARS’ to a book were:

“The book was fun and it had a lot of interesting words in it”
and
“It was interesting and had lots of facts to give you information”
One book was only awarded
‘1 STAR’ –the reason being

“The book didn’t have much information about how to make the things in it. There were no good instructions”

It is so much better to hear thoughtful reasons than to always hear the statement

“This book was good.....!"

Well done everyone who spoke this week!

Book Parade in Week 11 !!!

In Week 11 this Term, we’ll be having a
BOOK PARADE
in celebration of the Book Week Theme,
‘BOOK NOW”!!

The ‘Parade’ will have a novel TWIST though!
Students will have to decorate not themselves, but a bag!

….a bag that holds all the things they’ll need for the adventure they’ve
‘BOOKED INTO’ when they picked up a particular book from home or the Library.

There’ll also be a ‘BOOKING” TICKET which will have the details of the book in which they’ll be having the adventure.

Bags can be decorated at home or at school.
More details to come soon!

BOOK REVIEWS

Every week in borrowing, the children in the Library get the opportunity to talk about the books they’ve been reading. This week, classes from Year 2 to Year 6 have begun reviewing their books following a three step format - putting the book in CONTEXT, giving a TEXT DESCRIPTION and then giving a JUDGEMENT.

We’ve found out that when one of your friends tells you about a good book, it’s more than likely that you’ll listen to what they say. In fact, children get ideas about which books to read from their friends first, then their Teacher Librarian and then from other people like their Parents or Teachers.

That’s why it is important to really give a good review when you’re talking to your friends!!

Chess Week 2

WOW!
What a great afternoon of Chess!

The Year 4's really battled with some amazing games won and lost.
All students played well and the atmosphere of fair play and cooperation was excellent. Special mention should go to our Year 6 adjudicators who did an outstanding job as well!