The Year in the Information Centre (iC)

The Information Centre (iC) continues to be the hub of the school, a popular gathering place for students to come together before and after school and during lunch.

The Information Centre (iC) continues to be the hub of the school, a popular gathering place for students to come together before and after school and during lunch. It is so much more than a place of study or to borrow a book. It is a safe place, a place for connections, sharing ideas, working collaboratively, and coming together to share an interest.

The beginning of the year began with excitement for a full year of business as usual. We created displays, set up the WIDE reading program and began database and research lessons. The co-curricular activities were promoted and in full swing. A senior and junior book clubs began the year, reading different age-appropriate books. Then, as other activities took over and students became busier, the book clubs became one, meeting fortnightly.

The Chess club numbers fluctuate but regularly meet weekly with their Chess coach, Saffron Arche,r who guides and teaches the group of ten with expertise.  They represented Merici at the ACT Northside Chess Competition and had been selected for the ACT finals.

Cosy Café ran during Term 2 and for the first part of Term 3, where once a week we provided a cup of hot chocolate to those students who came to the iC to read a book.

Another co-curricular activity was the Kids’ Lit Quiz. Merici had four teams, from Year 7 and 8, training and participating in the competition that was held in May. Catherine Brooker, Nhiem Vu and Tamsin Gloag achieved an outstanding second place.

During Term 2, we started preparations for Book Week. The Book Week Committee was assembled, and much organisation and planning was well under way. Decorations for a travel portal to support the theme Old Worlds, New Worlds and Other Worlds was installed and quizzes and treasure hunts ready to go. It is with gratitude that I thank every member of that Book Week Committee for their enthusiasm and commitment to celebrating Book Week. It was disappointing not to be able to have celebrated it at school all together. But we did not let remote learning dampen our love of reading and celebration of books. During Week 7 remote learning we celebrated Book Week via Teams. Throughout the week,Pastoral Care quizzes were filled out, photos from Book Weeks gone past were posted, a Cake Decorating competition was held and, on the Thursday, we dressed up as our favourite character. It was so much fun, and we are so very grateful to everyone, students, teachers, and parents who got involved and supported Book Week.

With the continuation of remote learning, our planned author visit also become a virtual event in Week 10. Sophie Masson, an Australian author who has written over 70 books, spoke to the Year 7s as part of their Integrated Humanities class. Sophie was well received, keeping the Year 7s engaged with childhood anecdotes and writing stories. On the same day, Sophie also conducted a virtual Writers Workshop for 20 self-nominated buddying writers. Sophie has inspired these students to continue writing, to continue reading and share their talent with others.

The iC could not run, or provide the services it does, without the wonderful work of the library staff. It is with gratitude I acknowledge and thank Kim Hekimian, Emma Kipling, Anne Lange and Cath Lampe, who we farewelled during Term 2, for everything they do to keep the library looking enticing and running smoothly.

Ann Blakey

Teacher Librarian

 

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