Mrs Ginnette Cameron-Gardner – Teacher/Librarian

Part of the Primary Library program is for the students to learn and practise the use of the Online Catalogue and locating resources. Another part is for the students to recommend books to each other and also recommend books for purchase for the Primary Library.

Currently the Primary Library is a hive of activity, with students looking up the online catalogue, checking what is available, locating the books, recommending them to others or filling in suggestion forms for the Primary Teacher Librarian to purchase books they have read and recommend highly. 

Photographs taken during the Year 3 lesson with Roslynn Pardy show the Year 3 recommendation board being completed by the students. Another shows Orlando and Sam looking up the Online Catalogue to check whether the library holds the books they have at home and which they want to recommend to other students and/or for the Primary Library to purchase.

The students’ excitement at being part of the book selection process is good to see. It keeps the collection vibrant and up-to-date and reflects their interests for study and recreational reading.

The Primary Library collection includes books that support the curriculum and have a strong collection of resources that reflects our links with the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples and our respect for their culture. This is evidenced not only in books of the Dreaming but also books by contemporary Aboriginal authors and illustrators such as Sally Morgan, Anita Heiss, Doris Pilkington and Bruce Pascoe.

Bruce Pascoe was born of Bunurong and Tasmanian Aboriginal heritage in the Melbourne suburb of Richmond and graduated from the University of Melbourne with a Bachelor of Education. He is a member of the Wathaurong Aboriginal Co-operative of southern Victoria and has been the director of the Australian Studies Project for the Commonwealth Schools Commission. 

Seahorse by Bruce Pascoe is a favourite as it is a lively story set on the beach of Seahorse Bay. Jack, his dad Vince, sister Tanya, and mum Carla, camp there whenever possible and enjoy diving, snorkelling and fishing. When Jack discovers a sunken boat he and his father decide to salvage it, but are they being watched? Who is that man with the binoculars? What does he want? The story is action-packed and also includes some outstanding descriptions of underwater sea life and the wild beach.  At 110 pages it is an exciting story for Middle Primary students.

There are many books in the Primary Library with which it would be wonderful to curl up in a chair and while away the hours in the coming vacation. Hoping to see you here filling up bags with holiday reading. Wishing you a restful, energising vacation.