A Buzzing Literary Scene

Term 2 has been a vibrant and bustling time in Westcourt and Mt Sion Libraries, with students making the most of these fantastic places of learning. The libraries have been hubs of activity, providing welcoming and safe spaces for socialising, studying, playing games, working on puzzles and lego together, and of course, reading.

Westcourt Library:

Before school, Westcourt is always busy with students catching up with friends and staying warm out of the cold, winter mornings. It's a great place to quietly read that book you can’t put down, finish that last minute homework or hang out with mates.

After school, Homework Club has been a popular spot, with many students taking advantage of the support from teachers and tutors across all subject areas. This dedicated time has helped students stay on top of their studies and receive personalised assistance.

We've celebrated Reconciliation Week and World Environment Day through books, bringing awareness and education to important issues. Our amazing displays, such as “New Reads,” “Quiz Time”, A Walk in their Shoes" and "This Winter Migrate to a Great Book," have captivated students and encouraged them to explore new perspectives and genres.

A key focus has been engaging boys in reading. Our "Caught Reading" displays have featured staff recommendations, their reading interests, and their love of literacy, inspiring students to model their favourite teachers by picking up a book and discovering the joy of reading. A huge thanks to staff involved in this fun project!

As part of our Year 7 Library Skills Program, every class enjoys a dedicated lesson each fortnight, where our Teacher Librarian teaches essential research and inquiry skills tailored to what students are exploring in class. This term we’ve introduced students to the world of genres as they understand the many different categories and types of books found in libraries. Next term, students will deepen their research skills, as they learn about sources, referencing and bibliographies. Our focus on information literacy during these lessons helps build confidence across all subject areas and equips students with skills that will carry them through high school and beyond.

As we look ahead to Term 3, we are excited about the events lined up to celebrate Book Week (Week 6). ATC is fortunate to have many guest authors visiting and sharing their passion for reading and writing with the students. In addition, we have critically acclaimed Australian author Nova Weetman visiting in Week 1 to chat with Years 5 – 8 about her love of books. Westcourt will also introduce new games and activities, including "Guess Who" (can students pick which teacher is reading a book?!), "Would you Rather?" and our annual "Father Figures and Sons Reading Evening" with author Richard Yaxley.

Mt Sion Library:

Term 2 in Mt Sion Library was a thrilling, action‑packed season of reading and discovery. We celebrated our Top 10 Borrowers at a special Readers’ Café morning tea, and students are enthusiastically taking part in the Premier’s Reading Challenge, and continue to do so by logging their books and broadening their literary horizons.

The Scholastic Book Club catalogue arrived, and families snapped up titles that not only delighted young readers but also contributed fresh additions to our library shelves.

We also welcomed distinguished authors—Trent Jamieson, Brent Wilson and Sandy Bigna who met with our Year 4, Year 5 and Year 6 students and shared their passion for writing and secrets to penning a novel for children. They also signed their latest works for their fans.

Our community joined in National Simultaneous Storytime, sharing the joy of “The Truck Cat” together, and a dedicated team of Year 5 and Year 6 boys proudly represented ATC at the Readers Cup Competition. It was a magical term of reading, exploration and celebration in Mt Sion Library!

Westcourt and Mt Sion Libraries continue to be places of inspiration and community, fostering a love of learning and an enjoyment of reading. We can't wait to see the students back after the holidays for another exciting term!

Ms Rebecca Scott

Teacher Librarian