Library
Bunbury Primary School has a very engaging and well-resourced library. Our collection boasts over 45,000 items, and includes fiction and non fiction books, charts, kits, audio visual equipment, digital technology resources, teacher reference area and a bank of 10 computers. We circulate, on average, 23,500 books to students every year. Our school uses Oliver as the library resource management system.
The library is the smiling heart and hub of our school as it hosts a number of events and activities to promote a love of reading, assisting in the improvement of literacy skills.
Sustained Silent Reading
After lunch each school day, the whole school settles in to Sustained Silent Reading. This is a time to build our skills and understanding and promote a positive attitude about the importance of reading for pleasure.
National Simultaneous Storytime
Each year the school participates in the National Simultaneous Story Time. Every year a picture book, written and illustrated by an Australian author and illustrator, is read simultaneously in libraries, schools, pre-schools, childcare centres, family homes, bookshops and many other places around Australia. At Bunbury PS the book is projected onto a large screen for everyone to view as the principal reads the story.
Book Week
Book Week is an exciting time across Australia as it's a time when children's literature is celebrated and brought to life. Displays are an important way of presenting the Library collection to the school community. During Book Week, which is celebrated each August, the library is transformed according to the National Book Week theme.
During this week classes participate in activities, but of course the hugely anticipated centre point of Book Week is our whole school Dress Up Day and Parade! It is a fabulous event, with costumes that bring life and fun to favourite book characters. It is thrilling to see the parade in action with high participation from both staff and students. It is exciting to see what characters our children select each year.
Book Club
Our Library Officer and volunteers co-ordinate our participation in the Scholastic Book Club which promotes home reading and benefits our school with 20% of each order going towards the purchase of valuable educational resources. Purchased items from the Scholastic Rewards program make a difference and the resources benefit the whole school. We thank all families for their ongoing support.
Book Club catalogues are sent home every term. Ordering is completed online. They are sent to the school and then delivered directly to students in the classroom.
Student/ Family Book Borrowing
We have a dynamic collection of fiction and non-fiction books for our students to borrow for a week at a time. Students are able to borrow books as follows:
- Pre-primary & Year 1: 1 book
- Year 2: 2 books
- Year 3 & 4: 3 books
- Year 5 & 6: 4 books
Borrowing Guidelines
All books need to be returned in the same condition as borrowed, therefore one of the requirements for borrowing is students have a protective bag to carry their books; bags are available through our school uniform shop.
Overdue Books
Teachers are notified the day after class borrowing of any overdue books. Students are encouraged and reminded to bring the book back to school. If a book is more than two weeks overdue a notice is sent out in the mail or via email to alert parents. During this time borrowing is restricted.
What to do if a book goes missing
If a book becomes lost after all searches prove fruitless, do not despair! We offer two options for reimbursement:
- Purchase a replacement copy of the lost book.
- If this is not a current title you can pay the invoiced amount at the school office.
Please don't hesitate to come into the library if you have any questions or concerns.
Opening Times
In addition to scheduled library time, our students can access the library during most lunchtimes except Fridays. Students are invited to come in and read, draw or complete colouring in activities or sometimes help our library officer to make things for the next library display. Thursdays is Games Day and it's not so quiet with board games, laughter and exclamations of victory always evident!
Library Monitors
EEvery year a Year 6 student leadership group is selected as library monitors. These students are schooled in the art and science of How-to-library. The students are a great help and assist in the library with tasks such as encouraging other students with reading recommendations, shelving books, reading stories aloud, scanning books in and out, and running games during lunchtime. They also assist with any special days and Scholastic book club.
Parents and Community Volunteers
Parents are very welcome to visit the library, whether to have a look and help their child select a book, or to help shelve and cover new books. It's a busy place and there is always something to do! Volunteers are the heart of the school community and for the past few years the Library has had the pleasure of having dedicated volunteers who regularly come in to assist. We thank and acknowledge and value our team of community volunteers and their ongoing dedication to our school community.