Aberfoyle Park Campus Resource Centre

Thanks Liz! on PhotoPeach

I have been busily purchasing resources from this year’s budget and am keen to get them onto our shelves as quickly as possible. Over the past two weeks, we were lucky enough to have had three full day visits from Liz Christie, an ex-Thiele parent whose children are now well and truly ensconced at High School. She was one of our stalwart volunteers for many years who left us to return to study. We were very grateful for her return as she has done a great job of cataloguing a mountain of new items which now await the attentions of another of our volunteers who will cover them in readiness for student borrowing.

Apologies for having been a bit remiss! I failed to acknowledge our weekly volunteers during Volunteer Week. Wolf Norkowski continues to spend two days a week with us. He has labelled all of our series shelves and Quick Read tubs and is now making some of our teacher resource kits more accessible to staff. Suzanne Trentin assists with our morning re-shelving on Tuesdays. Lois Watson helps with the circulation desk, keeps and eye on the reseources which appear in our mending box and fixes them and has been involved in preparing resources via SCIS, Di Wood, Victoria Sears and Caroline Secker are already creating some amazing banners for use during Book Week as well as assisting with a multitude of other tasks. Pam Forder comes in each Wednesday and re-shelves. She then helps with other tasks to identify our series books and labels them. Her husband, Richard Forder, doesn’t come in to volunteer but has been instrumental in adding to the aesthetic appeal of our space by painting dozens (or probably hundreds) of timber boards which we are using to separate our author and series titles. Nancy Smith, our longest serving volunteer, began helping on Campus when her daughter was at school here. Many, many years later, she continues to come and expertly cover our books, often taking a bundle home to complete before returning them the next day! This year, we have been joined by several other new volunteers, Sandra Martin and Leonie George, who assist with shelf checks and tidies after classes have been to visit, hence making it simpler to find resources in the correct locations. Finally, thanks to Melissa Sandow who assists with the circulation desk and re-shelving every Friday.

Without our wonderful team of volunteers, the Library would not be the vibrant and well-run place we believe it to be. THANK YOU to each and every one of you for sharing your time and talents to benefit every student on Campus!

It is with great pleasure I announce the arrival of “Violet the visualiser”… or document camera…to the Library. She is truly tall and elegant and a very welcome addition. A lot of time which would otherwise have been spent scanning images for use in lessons can now be better spent in helping students and seeing to the Library administration tasks instead. We would like to thank the Pilgrim P&F who have raised the money to purchase many items on the “wish lists” of the various Pilgrim teachers. It is the first time that the Campus Library has been the recipient of some of this money and we are very grateful to this wonderful and active group of people for their support. Violet joins the IWB (interactive whiteboard) which was purchased for us by Spence School, now Thiele, and the scanner which was provided by Nativity. We are very grateful that each of the three schools has been supportive of this shared space on Campus and continue to supply us with resources which enable us to provide a high level of service to our school community.

Thanks PilgrimP&F!!

Pilgrim 1 and 2 classes may find this useful in their minbeast unit!!

We would like to thank Deb Sears, an SSO from Thiele, for making our wonderful new “Library Tree”. It’s currently dressed for Autumn but watch and see how it changes during the year. Unfortunately, it won’t be an Easter tree until next year but we do have plans for future displays…keep visiting!

As the weather gets cooler, make time to curl up with your favourite book.

 Did your reading tally stack up to mine?
Now that we’re back at school, come and tell me some of the titles you read over the holidays or add your reviews to the blog. 
What was your favourite title?
What did you enjoy most about the book?
Is there a particular age group you think it would best suit?
Would you read more in the same series or by the same author? Why or why not?

For those of you not going away in the holidays, but planning to stay at home, why not use the next two weeks as a great time to get on and start (or even complete!!) your reading for the PRC? There is now a link on the right of this blog under the heading “students”. Hopefully everyone has borrowed enough titles to get you through the next fortnight. If you run out, what a great excuse to visit the public library to top up on reading matter. The pile of books on my bedside table seems to keep growing and I have a number of titles still to review. When  we get back to school, come and compare notes with me and we’ll see who has read the most over the break. 

The Pilgrim Year 7 class has just completed their Library unit on the Stolen Generation. During the course of the unit, we looked at various types of literature including three film clips, the Archie Roach song, Took the Children Away, Janeen Brian’s non-fiction text Pilawuk and the picture book Down the Hole by Edna Tantjingu Williams. These are the poems the children created as their final reflections.

Stolen Generation Perspectives
Parents
What are they doing?
I don’t understand.
I feel like I need to hit one of them.
Please, please don’t.
What are they doing?
I don’t understand.
Why do THIS!
My children are safe here.
Not there.
What are they doing?
I don’t understand.
Policeman
Screaming is all I hear.
They’re innocent.
What am I doing?
What have I done?
The father took a swing at me.
I hate my job.
What am I doing?
What have I done?
I took them away from their mum and dad.
But all the children should be with their families.
What am I doing?
What have I done?
Children
Don’t take me away!
What have I done?
I want to stay here.
Will they hurt me?
Don’t take me away!
What I done?
I love my family more.
I don’t like this
Don’t take me away!
What have I done?
Jonathan Penney

Policeman:
It is for the best
That’s what I’ve been told
You will thank me
As you grow old
Families look at me
As if I’m doing something wrong
Why can’t we leave them?
To live how they live
Instead of doing this
And ruining one’s soul
Child:
Here we go again
Another child gone
My sister screams
All I hear is a thud
The engine I hear
Then I see
My sister
She’s no longer next to me
Here we again
Another child gone
Mum:
Why must they take them
When they are my own
It breaks my heart
To see them go
But still they are taken
To be put in someone’s home
If only they knew
The pain they us through
Then maybe just maybe
They would let us go
Sam Michael

Mum
I’m in my house, trying to stop them taking my children away.
They take them anyway.
I’m on the floor crying.
I can’t stop.
I want a say in this.
It’s unfair.
Why are they doing this?
Dad
I’m holding on to my children.
I turn around.
I see my wife on the floor crying.
I say that they’re not taking them away.
They don’t listen.
They put them in a truck.
I run after it.
I run out of breath.
I have to stop.
They will come back.
I know it.
Children
They’re here!
They’re going to take us away.
I see dad and mum crying as they put us in the truck.
Dad is running after it.
I know he won’t catch up.
He stops he is crying on the floor.
I say to him. “I will find you someday I promise”.
Then I’m gone.
Izzy Proctor

Policeman
I’m only doing my job
I never knew why
My heart sank
I went out with my partner
I came from Europe to work
The trouble had started
I took a child
And saw their face
Crying, confused
All I think about was…
What have I done…?
Why?
Dad
Why?
What if it was your child taken away from you?
I can’t explain it It’s too much to bear
As I shove him away,
A gush of blood runs down my face
Why?
As I look over to my wife…
Tears pour down my face.
Then I realise that my eyes are watering too
Why?
Child
No
What?
Father told me they’re here
In OUR village?
What did they want?
Why have they come?
I see white men
With their guns
Pointing at my mother and father
He’s about to fire
BANG!
Tears run down my mother’s face like a waterfall in spring
The white men look around.
One of them spot me in the bushes
He yells “found one!”
I run
I run as fast as I can,
But by the time I stop,
They’ve got me surrounded.
As they throw me into the truck,
I weep
And I whisper, “I will come back mother, I will.”
The engine roars noisily
The men laugh loudly
Gone
Lilly Morton

Children:
MUM!
I’m scared
Help
Sad
Heartbroken
Stolen
Gone
Policeman:
It’s my job.
I don’t mean to hurt you
I am doing what’s right
Or am I
Maybe I shouldn’t
But I have to
It’s my job
Parents:
Where are the kids
Quick hide them
Don’t touch my kids
Please, don’t
How would you like it?
I am begging you….
Everything will be alright, I promise
I love you
Foster family:
I’m sorry
I’m your mum now
Don’t be scared
Everything will be alright
It’ll be fun
I’ll take care of you
This is your new family
Ella Topham

Children
Happy, playing, laughter
One minute I’m in my mother’s arms
The next, I’m screaming crying
Dad’s chasing furiously after the policeman
The policeman shakes him off while I’m still screaming
I’m brought to a new home
White people surround me
I meet my new family
I’ taken to this place called school
Lonely, sad, left out
Dad
Talking with my friends
Suddenly I heard a scream
I race over to my wife
The policeman is taking the baby
I think, “This can’t be happening!”
I’m running my legs off after him
He’s too fast for me
I lose him
I run back to my wife
I comfort her
I start crying too
Mum
Playing with the baby
A car approaches
A policeman steps out
He steals the baby
I don’t know what to do
I scream for help
My husband comes racing over
My friends comfort me
I’m crying my head off
Only child I’ve had
Why are they doing this?
Our child is gone
Tobin Dolman
 
Police
Another day at work…
Taking kids away.
I don’t want to do it.
I have to.
It’s my job.
Taking them away
Can’t I help them?
Why must I do it?
I don’t want to steal their kids.
Parents
Where are the kids?
I can’t find them.
Are they safe?
Where are they?
I see people walking away?
They are missionary workers.
They’re here…here to take them.
I try to save them.
I can’t.
I tried.
But they’re gone.
Gone.
Children
Every day is different…full of change.
What is going to happen today?
Am I going to be safe?
Or am I not?
What will I do if I do go?
Will I see my parents again or not?
I’m scared.
Afraid.
Help.
By Sophie L

Policeman:
New order,
“Take the Aboriginal Children”
Got into the truck
Drove
Got out
Ran for a hut
Stopped
Why must I do this?
But I’d better
Or else I will be fired
Otherwise I can’t live
Anymore,
Ran in,
Got punched,
Pushed the father,
Grabbed the child,
Ran,
Drove away,
Job Done,
Why did I do this?
Father:
Normal day,
Heard a truck,
A shiver of fear,
Heard gun fire,
Screaming families,
I hid my child,
Man came in,
I punched him,
He pushed me,
Took my child,
I ran,
I tripped and fell,
He was gone,
Never came back.
Child:
Eating,
Dad pushed me,
Away into hiding,
Dad punched the man,
Dad got pushed by the man,
The man got closer,
Got closer,
And closer,
He grabbed me,
I kicked,
I screamed,
He still had me,
I saw dad running after,
He tripped,
And fell,
The man was in a sprint,
Up and down,
Up and down,
I almost shook free,
Gone,
He took me,
I ended up in somewhere strange,
Very strange,
Where are my parents?

 Ethan Gill

I found this to be a rather interesting graphic. Years ago, I was part of an audience during which Tim Costello, the CEO of World Vision Australia, talked about the “importance of one’s postcode”. He discussed the fact that we, in Australia, are simply lucky to have been born in a country which has good education, health care etc and where most are not living in poverty. This image would be a great discussion point to use with students.

Please Include Attribution to EducationNews.org With This Graphic

Despite the fact that SA schools will be on holidays when ANZAC day is celebrated, we still have a war focus in our library. One of the most amazing powerpoints I’ve ever seen is amongst the resources I plan to share with some of my classes. It shows the movement of troops throughout the second world war. This, in conjunction with the various sites which outline key events, would give students a great basis for creating their own time lines, a large part of the Australian Curriculum. http://www.slideshare.net/dlmorin/the-best-map-ever-of-world-war-i-i                       

We have enrolled the whole Campus in this event, to be held on Wednesday the 22nd of May at 11am. It would be great to have all classes involved as well as the Kindy. The Wrong Book was written in 2009 and shortlisted by the Children’s Book Council in 2010 and has much student appeal. I’m sure your classes would love to re-visit the title. As well as the Library having several copies for loan, the book is always available in digital format for the actual event. For more information, visit the official ALIA site, http://www.alia.org.au/nss/

Library Lovers’ Day on PhotoPeach