Hello and welcome to 2023. 

Our College saw the return of both Year 7 and Year 12 on Monday. It was so wonderful to hear them talking about their experiences of reading during the holidays, their reflections prompted curiosity about the very literate process of reading within and across high school years.  Even though our students were 5 years apart, common to their understanding is that reading is enjoyable and integral to their life.

Recently, a colleague suggested reading This is happiness, by Niall Williams, an historical fiction set in County of Kerry in Ireland. I won’t spoil this read for curious readers but the author’s use of words in describing the setting of Kerry are incredible. 

Some of our Year 12’s were invited to comment on reading and here is what they voiced: 

Indiana Weastell read Mrs Dalloway by Virginia Woolf for her Advanced English Course and The Perks of Being a Wallflower for enjoyment. She said, ‘Mrs Dalloway, for me, was a bit difficult to understand but it really challenged my reading and prepared me for the year ahead.’ 

Claudia Nelson said, ‘Throughout the school holidays I found myself engaging in reading poetry, ‘the caged bird. It was a beautiful poem to read as it provided a stress free ambiance which was what makes reading so significant to a high school student.’

Marcus read The Enigma of Room 622 ‘a thrilling tale of love and murder by Joel Dicher. Originally written in French, this text was translated into English and loves to confuse its reader with dual storylines and the appearance of the author as a character. All in all it was a terrific novel, simultaneously exciting and thought provoking.’

Charlie Roberts said ‘Reading is my way of expanding the world beyond its confines. The worlds created within books often reflect ourselves back at us and I believe this is a wonderful thing. I am a better person because of the stories that I have read and consumed.’ 

Charlie quoted Sarah J. Maas, in Empire of Storms “the world will be saved and remade by dreamers’We look forward to sharing more of our College’s reading journey into 2023. And welcome all to participate in the Premier’s Reader Challenge (PRC) which opens February 23. Our PRC Coordinator, Mrs Allina Gallagher resides in the library. Be sure to continue to share your reading experiences and views with others. As we are a reading College, we’ve included the Premier’s Reading Challenge as it’s a great way to keep everybody reading and sharing.

Mrs Joanne McMahon

Literacy Instructional Coach