Book Week – August 22 to 28
Next week is Book Week and many of our young people will remember the fun that they had dressing up as their favourite character in primary school. As a proud bookworm, I would like to extol the virtues of reading and why it is just as important to celebrate Book Week at secondary school.
Why it matters in a secondary school
- It keeps reading culturally important. Adolescents can easily come to see reading as something they did in primary school. Book Week reinforces that reading remains important throughout adolescence and adulthood.
- It supports literacy and learning. Regular reading develops vocabulary, comprehension, writing fluency, general knowledge and the ability to engage with complex ideas. These benefits extend well beyond English.
- It develops empathy and perspective. Literature allows young people to encounter lives, cultures, experiences and moral dilemmas different from their own. This is particularly important during adolescence.
- It gives students access to ideas beyond the curriculum. A good book can challenge assumptions, introduce new worlds and encourage students to think more deeply about themselves and society.
- It builds a culture around reading. The most powerful benefit is cultural: when students see teachers, leaders and peers talking enthusiastically about books, reading becomes something valued by the community rather than simply another academic requirement.
- It creates opportunities for students who may not see themselves as academic. Sport, music and other activities have obvious moments of celebration. Book Week can give students who love stories, fantasy, comics, history, biography or authors a similar opportunity to share an interest.
- It strengthens student - teacher relationships. A teacher talking about the book that influenced them, or recommending a novel to a student, creates a different and often very personal connection.
- It encourages reading for pleasure. This is perhaps the most important distinction. Reading should not always be associated with assessment and curriculum requirements. Students need to experience books simply as something enjoyable and worthwhile.
I encourage you to make this book week a time to share your own reading interests with your young people and, perhaps, spend an evening quietly reading together. I’m sure it will be mutually beneficial.
Year 9 Camp
Our Year 9 students spent some time last week at camp on Phillip Island and enjoyed a very rich experience. The camp provides an opportunity for students to learn more about themselves and each other by being challenged to take controlled risks and work together in teams. We know that camps also create lasting memories. Camps are possible thanks to the generosity of our staff who give their time to facilitate these experiences. Many thanks, especially to Year 9 Leader, Ms Lucy Waghorn.
College Ambassadors
I often write about the role of our College Ambassadors on our Talk and Tours and thought it appropriate to expand on the great job these students are doing and the very positive feedback that we receive from prospective parents. Our ambassadors guide our visitors on a tour of the college and talk about their experience as a student, often including their own story of transition from another school. Our visitors are glowing in their praise of our ambassadors and genuinely appreciate that they get the student perspective on life at St Mary’s. Thanks to the following students who have volunteered this year:
Alexandra Dimiropoulos, Anna Tsaglos, Ashley Jalloh, Ava Anketell, Benjamin Baker, Botao Power, Charles Steward, Charlie Carlyon, Chloe Sutton, Christian Cowan, Edith Yin, George Wood, Hadassah Olive Pop Woodly, Hannah Powell, Hargun Anand, Hugo Boddington, Imogen Walmsley, Isabella Siegrist, Jayden Do, Josphine Jefferys, Linda Abraham, Manya Verma, Mathilde Masson, Matilda Alman, Maya Jess, Maya Taifernopoulos, Mia Saik, Mila Cao, Jack Muir, Olivia Koutroulis, Oscar Cao, Poppy DresselDeBruyn, Ryder Poupard, Liam Retallick, Sierra Korfiatis, Stella Ligudzinski, Summer Garcia, Willow Porter and Zac Holland
The Queenship of Mary
This week, the Church celebrates the Queenship of Mary on 22 August, one week after the Feast of the Assumption. This celebration has a particular significance for our College community. As a College named in honour of Mary, we look to her as a model of faith, humility and service. These qualities also sit at the heart of our Edmund Rice tradition, reminding us that genuine leadership is not about status or recognition, but about using our gifts in service of others.
Mary’s queenship is not about power or privilege. Rather, she is honoured because of her deep faith and willingness to say “yes” to God. Her response, “Let it be done to me according to your word,” is a powerful example of trust, courage and discipleship.
As we celebrate the Queenship of Mary, may her example inspire our students and families to lead with humility, serve generously and live with courage and faith.
