-Library Details 

Borrowing 

Reception to Year 2 students are asked to use their blue reader bag or an alternative waterproof library bag to carry books to and from home.  

We have an Open-Borrowing session available daily from 9:00 to 9:30 am for Year 3-7 students to return and borrow. Students are also encouraged to return and borrow any day by their classroom teachers during this time. Books are on loan for two weeks. 

Reception Classes:  

• begin the year by borrowing only one library book. As the year progresses they build up their borrowing to include 1 library book and take-home readers.  

Year 1 students can borrow 5 books at a time  

• 2 library books  
• 3 take home-readers  (level allocated by teacher)  

Year 2 students can borrow 5 books at a time  

• 2 library books  

• 3 take home-readers  (level allocated by teacher) 

Year 3 students can borrow 5 books at a time  

• 3 library books  
• 2 take home-readers  (level allocated by teacher)   

Year 4 to 6 students can borrow 4 books at a time  

• This may be a combination of levelled readers and library books or just library books.   

Students with overdue books will be able to borrow once they have returned any outstanding item(s). The nominal fee for lost or damaged books is $15, but amounts may vary depending on the book. All fees are paid to the Front Office or through Qkr! 

The library is open at lunchtime Tuesdays and Thursdays. Students can read quietly, draw, and play board games.  

Take Home Readers 

Take Home Readers are monitored by the class teacher and allocated to each student according to current reading assessments and their reading abilities. Teachers monitor the readers that children take home. A selection of readers is borrowed once every week.  Parents are encouraged to have their children re-read the books throughout the week. There are many benefits to this: 

• it builds confidence and fluency 
• it allows you to ask literal and inferential questions about the text to develop your child’s reading comprehension. 

 
Premier’s Reading Challenge  
The Premier has set a challenge for students in South Australia to read 12 books a year. Eight of these books come from a list of high-quality titles, and four can be of the student’s choice. The Premiers Reading Challenge is an important focus where teachers, parents and students work together for students’ success. 

Some background information about the Premiers Reading Challenge 

• It starts at the beginning of the school year and concludes on the first Friday of September. 
• Students’ who participate in the PRC are required to read 12 books from the PRC booklist at the appropriate literacy level for each student and are encouraged to challenge themselves and dig deep and read more. 

• The books are additional to the class reading materials. 
• To encourage students to challenge themselves and vary their reading interests, only two books by an author or from the same series can be listed on a student’s recording sheet.  
• Each year the students receive an award for their reading efforts. The awards are as follows 
• Class teachers may choose to keep the student recording sheets in the classroom and allow student’s time to fill in or they may choose to send it home with students.  

At East Marden School for the early years students, there are several ways they can complete the Challenge  

• read the book by themselves OR 
• aloud with somebody else OR 
• another person reads the book and the child retells the story and discusses the pictures and the meaning of the story  

For the older students, the Challenge is about reading for meaning and gaining knowledge about new authors and challenging themselves. 

Parents play an essential role in developing young people’s awareness and appreciation of literature. You are always welcome to support your children in choosing books to read at home to support their interests, literacy skills and development. 

Important Events 

• National Simultaneous Story Time is held annually by the Australian Library and Information Association (ALIA). Every year a picture book, written and illustrated by an Australian author and illustrator, is read simultaneously in libraries, schools, pre-schools, childcare centres, family homes, bookshops and many other places around the country. 

• August is a time to celebrate all things books and Book Week. All staff embrace the theme and encourage students to make connections with their favourite story or book. Students are encouraged to wear costumes for the Book Week Parade. Costumes do not have to be elaborate or expensive, just creative! 
• A Book Fair is held once a year for students to come and purchase a book  
• Scholastic Book Club is sent out twice a term.  

We are continually evolving and introducing themes and ideas to keep the students not only engaged with their reading but to make connections with other students, be creative and have a place to go.