Library News
It is great to have students back in the Elevation library. This year our team has grown to three staff members. Kate Richardson has stepped into the role of Collections and Reader Services Librarian and we welcome Chris Anderson to the newly created Literacy Officer position. We are excited by our increased capacity and look forward to offering more activities and programs for students.
Year 8 Wider Reading Program
The 2024 Wider Reading Program has commenced, with Year 8 doing library sessions over Terms 1 and 2. Students spend a session each week reading and then completing a reading journal entry. Students benefit most from accessing texts in a way that meets their learning needs. For this reason, some students work on their own, while others work in a group led by our Literacy Officer Chris.
We want all students to have the satisfaction of finishing a book of their choice over this period, so if you have a student in Year 8, please check in with them and encourage them to read their book at home so they can meet their weekly reading goal. Year 7 students will commence the program in Term 3.
Library Opening Hours
It is great to see so many students using the library for study. In particular, we have seen a spike in the number of Year 11 students who are using the space for after school study sessions. This is an encouraging demonstration of rigour in their first year of VCE studies.
For Year 11 students only- open till 4:30pm until 4:30pm on Mondays, Tuesdays and Wednesdays, and until 4pm on Thursdays and Fridays.
For all other students, closing time remains 4pm from Monday to Friday.
Expectations & Reminders
The following expectations apply in the library, even before and after school:
- No phone use: calls must be taken outside, proper calculators should be used if doing math work.
- Students should study quietly and not disrupt those around them, including staff.
- Students will be given reminders, but ultimately will be asked to leave if they cannot meet the expectations.
Reminders
- Food and drinks (except water bottles) are not permitted in the library.
- If the library is full, students should line up outside (not in the foyer), and should not obstruct the doorway.
- Board Game Club is Mondays and Wednesdays at Recess and Lunch.
- Tuesdays, Thursdays and Fridays are for reading and quiet individual study.
- If you have borrowed from the library, make sure to check your emails for overdue notices. If you borrowed in the first couple of weeks of term, your books are most likely overdue.
Book Requests
Finally, remember that we always welcome book requests. Our collection is growing (with more new shelves on the way) so make sure you add to the Book Request Padlet with anything you think we should acquire. Follow this link for a reminder on how to access the library website, the padlet is on the home page.
Meet Chris Anderson!
I am Chris Anderson, a new staff member in the Elevation School Library. I have come from a background in Specialist Education where I helped engage students who struggled to attend school and helped students with learning difficulties/disabilities. I am passionate about reading and literacy intervention, as well as social coaching and strategies for emotional regulation. I strongly believe every student has the right to learn safely and calmly.
My new role is Library/Literacy Officer at Elevation Secondary. I will deliver Year 7 phonics intervention in small literacy groups, in line with Elevation Secondary’s commitment to the Science of Reading. I will also run Year 8 Wider Reading in small groups, which help students with low fluency/engagement access reading and comprehension of novels. All of my groups include shared reading, discussion for comprehension, practising the sounds in words, writing practice and fun!
I will also help students in the library with recommendations, borrowing and celebrating Elevation Secondary’s great culture of loving books.
Chris Anderson, Literacy Officer.
Library Lovers Day
In celebration for Library Lovers Day on February 14th, students had the opportunity to create origami or write down what they loved about the library. This was a great chance for students to share their love for the library. Students with the best answers won prizes like: stickers, Roblox figurine, pencil cases and markers.
Our winners were:
- Tamara 8A
- Prabhleen 8I
- Loriana 8F
- Angel 10A
We also had a display featuring “Blind date with a book”, with the books wrapped in brown paper and descriptions written on the front. The students had to choose a book based on its description, rather than its cover, which was very popular amongst the students. They were surprised to a chocolate, sticker and a lolly inside the books.
Kate Richardson, Collections & Reader Services Librarian
SRC Update
Hello to the community!
My name is Jason Stradella and I am the coordinator for the Student Representative Council at Elevation for 2024. It is exciting to be a part of the college’s student leadership team and I am already both inspired and confident in our student leaders and hope to accomplish everything we set out to do and more for this year.
SRC members started the year strong, attending a leadership conference to better prepare themselves for the responsibility of being a voice for their peers, as well as enhance their understanding of participating in ongoing meaningful change that enhances everyone’s experience of being a student at Elevation. It was also an opportunity to reflect on current processes and how we can improve those processes to make the SRC more effective and inspire more students to want to be leaders to keep the wheels of change constantly turning.
Looking forward, we have Harmony Day coming up on the 21st March, for which we hope to have students wearing clothing to reflect, represent and celebrate the different cultures at our college. During the week, we also plan to have opportunities for students to colour in flags of different nations, as well as play music of different cultural backgrounds during our usual bell-music.
As for the rest of the year, we hope to celebrate more days and events that bring the community together, as well as provide opportunities for students to engage our young leaders so that all members of our college community feel heard, respected and represented in the issues that matter to us as a community.
Finally, I would like to offer for students who would like to be members of the SRC, to see me to submit expressions of interest in order to ensure we have the appropriate number of members in each year level.
Early Leaving Policy
School attendance is very important.
Students are required to attend school for the entire day. If there is an unavoidable reason for a student to leave school early on a particular day (such as for a medical appointment) a signed note from home must be provided.
Pickup times should coincide with recess and lunch.
Process:
- Student brings a note from home explaining the absence and the intended departure time (recess or lunch). The note must be signed and dated by a parent/guardian
- Student presents the note from home to the Mini School Admin Office before Mentor Group.
- Student receives a signed Early Leaver note from the mini school.
- At recess or lunch – the student brings the early Leaver note to the Administration Office and signs out.
- Student is picked up
If a pickup time can only be during a timetabled period, the student must show their signed Early Leaver note to their classroom teacher at the designated time and then present to the office to be picked up.
School staff will not be collecting students from classes during timetabled periods.
It is the student’s responsibility to ensure that they arrive at the office for pickup at the designated time.
Learning is extremely important at Elevation Secondary College. Please note that staff cannot collect your child or put an announcement over speakers during class time.
Recess and Lunch Times
Recess – 10:56 – 11:24am
Lunch – 1:20 – 2:02pm