We all know the importance of encouraging kids to engage with books and at Galvin Park we have been doing just that with a series of initiatives across the Middle Years. Year 7 embarked on the journey first and have been reading voraciously ever since. It all began with the College purchasing licenses for all Year 7 students to access the Scholastic Lexile Reading Program. This program provides students with a Lexile Level and a list of recommended titles to help them find a book that is 'just right' for them.

All students read every week from a collection of engaging and challenging books. Favourite titles in the collection include: The Tale of Despereaux, Just Tricking, Once, The Curious Incident Of the Dog In the Night-Time, Specky Magee (series), David Mortimore Baxter (series) and Ella Enchanted just to name a few.

Independent Reading is also being established at Year 8 with an extensive collection of books and reading conferences underway. Reading conferences are a great way for teachers to help readers develop their strategies for comprehension and it is a time when teachers and students get to know each other better by talking about great books they have read.

Year 9 students are catching the reading bug, with a classroom library being established in the Year 9 Open Learning Space and students taking up the challenge of reading regularly.

You can help support the college's important initiative by asking your child about their reading, talking about your favourite book, encouraging them to read at home and by helping them to build connections between their reading and their own life, other stories and the wider world.

"I think it's a great program, I think the books that are recommended provide a good mix of what I can read but still challenge me." David Velevski 7F

"I enjoy independent reading because it helps me improve my reading. I now have a bigger interest in reading and I enjoy talking about what I've read." Kacie McLean 7E

"I think there is a good range of books in the Year 7 Open Learning Space. The books are interesting and I feel like I have been challenged by some of the titles I've read this year." Zak King 7F