Research centre

It was a fun year at the research centre, with activities, games and of course, reviewing new books at book club while eating snacks. I most enjoyed the ‘Frankenstein’ party, to celebrate 200 years since the publication of Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein. I can’t wait to see what book club has in store for next year.

Yunqi (Tara) Dai, Year 9

Book club comes first. This is our gathering of book lovers to discuss books around chocolate biscuits. Library Lovers’ Day on 14 February saw love letters to libraries arrive, and the hilarious staff versus Year 12 quiz, where the teachers claimed victory. Then there are the books, with new books piled up on the front desk every day. The library would not be the same without the library staff, who encourage us to extend ourselves in the variety of books we read. The community that is fostered within the library makes me feel supported by many lovely friends across all grades, who share a mutual passion for reading and a love of books.

Hally Baker, Year 10

Where do you come to learn everything about books and technology? The librarians know it all…

During STC time, we learned about efficient research, and by using slashes, dashes and dots, we found easier ways to find information. We created a mnemonic for effective researching. Ms Lamour helped us understand how computers work and taught us what keywords to use for the best results.

Alice Lee, Year 7

A major highlight in the research centre for Year 8 was Medieval Day. The fun activities included tasting medieval food, working together to create a castle and launching jelly babies from a model catapult. There was a costume contest, and the most popular costume was a rat with the bubonic plague. The red carpet was also lots fun, especially because I was one of the winners for my castle costume.

Grace Gay, Year 8

We had quizzes on books, movies and general pop culture. Sarah Ayoub, the author of Hate is Such a Strong Word and The Yearbook Committee, visited to provide an insight on writing narratives and shared her story of becoming a writer. As a member of book club, I’m always overwhelmed by the amount of effort the library staff put in to make the research centre as fun as possible. Their effort was not wasted this year, and I am happy to call the library my home.

Zara Sheldrick-Aboud, Year 9