Junior School Library

In 2022, the Junior Library was excited to welcome Norge boys back into our wonderful learning space. As we embraced the new year, our library maintained its commitment to fostering a lifelong love of reading, supporting student wellbeing, and promoting 21st-century information skills and critical literacy. The return of programs such as Buddy Reading, Book Week celebrations, and lunchtime activities ensured the Junior Library remained a valued space for boys to meet, learn, share, read, and relax.

Providing high-quality information resources and encouraging an active reading culture continued to be our focus for students, staff, and families. Teaching and Learning programs were supported through the delivery of specialised information literacy sessions, targeted web resources, and curriculum-responsive materials. Fiction and non-fiction reading collections provided boys with diverse, inclusive, and rich literary experiences while also reflecting their varied reading interests.

A variety of new digital technologies were integrated into our DEEDS platform in 2022. As part of our library services, the primary-school-specific online encyclopaedia, RedeLearn, was added to our research portal, along with the ‘Question Generator’ webtool supporting the development of early inquiry skills. A selection of new apps, including several enabling augmented reality storytelling, were added to Junior Library iPads, and Edison and Probot robots became part of our growing coding resource collection. A very popular addition to our library DEEDS page, and complement to our catalogue Orbit, has been the widget ‘Huey the Bookbot’. Huey is an interactive recommendation tool offering a fun way to find new books to read. As the year progressed boys shared in a number of special literary events. In May we celebrated National Simultaneous Storytime, an annual event that aims to engage children in the value of reading and the wonder of books. The story ‘Family Tree’ celebrating family, community, and the seasons of life was read aloud by Mr Kelly during our assembly. We were also very pleased to again participate in The Victorian Premiers’ Reading Challenge, promoting the importance of reading for literacy development. This year all Junior School boys were registered for the PRC with some entire classes completing the Challenge.

The highlight of 2022 was the return of our traditional Book Week celebrations under the theme Dreaming with Eyes Open. Junior Library was transformed into a world of amazing displays and reading adventures. Students enjoyed onsite visits from authors Renee Treml and George Ivanoff. Classes engaged in hands-on, real-world learning of the writing and illustration process; while also being inspired by a passion for writing. We were invaded by many and varied book characters at the Book Week costume parade where creativity and literature combined for lots of fun. Lunchtimes were abuzz with quiz and code-breaking games, craft activities, augmented reality exploration, and reading by torchlight. It was a glorious week celebrating books, Australian children’s authors and illustrators, and most importantly, the joy of reading.

Mrs Michele Rutter Head of Junior Library