Learning in the Library

Book Week 2025!

If there is one week that is an absolute favourite for the Library staff, it’s Book Week. It’s an opportunity to showcase the importance of not only books, but to celebrate the very place that students choose to visit in their hundreds every day.

And this year was bigger and better than ever.

CBCA Shadow Judging

In the lead up to Book Week, students were invited to read the shortlisted books chosen by the Children’s Book Council of Australia (CBCA). Over the course of 10 weeks, students from Year 6 (Phoebe Clarke, Amelia Coscarella and Elayna Yung) and Year 10 (Cassandra Katsinas, Amelie McKee, Celine Choi, Lilian Chen, Hannah Chan, Olivia Bouantoun and Louisa Giugni), met with Teacher Librarians as a Shadow Judging committee, tasked with discussing the literary merits of each title before selecting winners for the Younger (7 to 12 year age group) and Older Reader (13 to 18 year age group) categories. The CBCA Shortlist showcases the best Australian YA books for the year.

The experience was rewarding for all involved, highlighted by in-depth and robust discussions, along with the opportunity to apply the criteria used by the CBCA judges to help choose the Santa Sabina winning books. The students awarded Laughter is the Best Ending by Maryam Master (Younger Readers) and A Wreck of Seabirds by Karleah Olson (Older Readers) as winners. Interestingly, our younger reader winner matched the one selected by the CBCA, while our older reader winner was not chosen, illustrating the value of peer recommendations to encourage reading.

The Library staff would like to thank our Shadow Judges for the enthusiasm and maturity they brought to this event.

Book Week celebrations

The week kicked off with Trivia in the Library which attracted teams from Years 5 all the way to the staff. Congratulations to the winning teams The Doctor Is In (teachers) and runners up Redacted. Throughout the week the students enjoyed various games in the library: matching novels with writers; completing author stamp jigsaw puzzles. Displays included a visual collage of staff favourites: their favourite high school.

On Friday, the Library hosted Felicity Castagna, the first of our guest writers. Felicity is the author of Miles Franklin nominated novels, CBCA winners, plays and essays as well as a university lecturer in Creative Writing. She gave workshops across the year groups focusing on discursive writing and personal vignettes.

On Monday acclaimed bestselling author, Markus Zusak came to speak to the Year 10 English students who are studying The Book Thief.  Markus doesn’t usually do school visits, so we were privileged to have him visit.  His generosity in both storytelling, and time spent speaking to every student, staff member, Dominican Sister or parent who came to have their novels signed, was generous and heartening. It was the perfect way of rounding up a celebration of all things books and writing.

And of course, there was the  Book parade. Even bad weather didn’t dampen our spirits. Especially seeing the Religion staff dressed up as the characters from Charlie and the Chocolate Factory. Our Library staff were a combination of Wednesday Addams, Sherlock Holmes, Mr Watson, Harry Potter and The Queen of Hearts. Prizewinners included, from Gioia House Natalie Wong as Katniss, Year 7-9 Mayella Kotulski as Wednesday. Year 10-12 winners were Bananas in Pyjamas (Sophia Yparraguirre and Harper Harris-Roxas) and Aaron Marquarding as Wesley from The Princess Bride and Mr Dunphy from Gioia House as Tweedle Dum.

This event raised $650 that will go to books for the Solomons.

The highlight is always the fun and joy the week brings to the students and staff and we are grateful to all those who contributed.

And as always, plans are already in place for 2026.