LIBRARY
The school library is part of your school’s teaching and learning environment. It provides resources and services that support students, staff, families and whānau. Your library’s resources, physical space, and staff have tremendous potential to make a difference to students’ achievement, educational equity, and their social and emotional well-being.
The purpose of your school library is to help every member of your school community — students, staff, families and whānau — gain new knowledge, skills, and dispositions for learning and personal development that they will use throughout their lives.
We have a fully equipped modern Library/Information Centre, which the children visit on a rostered basis with their classroom teacher.
There is a wide range of books available at all levels from age 5 upwards. We encourage our students to read these books, and these books may be borrowed and kept in the classes at school. Teachers also borrow books as class sets for use in the class library corners.
The Library is open before school from 8.30am and is open at break times.
There is also a large selection of activities available in the library including puzzles, games and the use of computers for either research or educational games. We employ a full time Teacher Aide Librarian who is always available to assist students.
At break times, all these resources can be used along with the use of the television area of the library where movies and educational documentaries can be viewed.
What makes an effective school library?
The school library is a central hub supporting every student and staff member, as well as parents and whānau. The library combines several elements — library staff, resources, and space. Each of these plays an important part in supporting teaching and learning. School libraries are most effective when these elements combine to form an integrated whole.
An effective school library:
improves student outcomes — collections developed for your unique school community enrich reading and learning programmes
welcomes people in — the library is a safe place, that values and includes students from different cultures and backgrounds
brings people and information together — connections with other libraries and information sources enhance your library’s collections, and help your library staff help users find what they need
embodies the principles of ‘learner agency’ — students having the independence to choose their own reading, and to find resources that help them develop their interests and strengths at their own pace
helps close the education gap — for students who might otherwise be disadvantaged, the library can provide access to the stories, information, and technology they need.
