Senior Newsletter - The Southport School

Readers are leaders
Andrew Stark - head of libraries
Those of you who follow this column regularly might remember that August is a busy month for readers. During this month, Book Week
will give a national focus to reading and schools around Australia (and in some of our international neighbourhoods) will be celebrating
the joy and benefits of reading. Officially, Book Week, the longest running children’s festival in Australia (it’s in its 66th year!) is a weeklong
celebration that begins on August 20. During the week, we do not simply focus on the CBCA short-listed books, but celebrate all
forms of Australian literature produced by our highly regarded authors and illustrators.
During the boys’ reading lessons, they have been introduced to a variety of Australian
(and international) authors and illustrators and many boys have taken up the challenge
of reading through the CBCA short-listed books. The CBCA finalists were announced
earlier this year and this Friday, August 19, the winners in each category will be declared.
While this is an exciting time for young readers around Australia, it is even more
exhilarating for those authors and illustrators who have made the final cut in one of the
world’s most highly regarded literary competitions for young readers.
Recently, library staff began organising four different collections of fiction and non-fiction
with the intention of placing a small library of works in each of the senior school boarding
houses. Each ‘Boarders’ Library’ will be the domain of each boarding house and selected
boys will be responsible for maintaining the collection and suggesting acquisitions to
extend it. Each collection will consist of a combination of brand new and second-hand
books, and, never fear, each House will have its fair share of ‘Harry Potter’, Matthew
Reilly and Robert Muchamore! A similar library will be set up in Rogers House for Prep
boarders.
It is envisaged that each Boarders’ Library will be up and running for the beginning of
Term Four and boarding boys are very welcome to add their own books from home to the
collection. There will be no official ‘borrowing’ of the books; all the books are available at
any time (and there is now no excuse for nothing to do during prep!)
Happy reading!
FOUNDATION
TSS Foundation Business Breakfast Tuesday 23 August 2011
Special Guest Dr Peter Beattie
FORMER PREMIER OF QUEENSLAND AND QUEENSLAND TRADE COMMISSIONER FOR THE AMERICAS
Dr Beattie is the former Premier of Queensland and former Queensland Trade Commissioner for
the Americas. He became leader of the Labor Party in Queensland in 1996 and was elected Premier
in 1998. He held this position for nine years, until retiring in 2007. During his time as Premier,
Dr Beattie launched the Smart State Strategy to boost biotechnology research in Queensland. The
Institute for Molecular Bioscience was the first institute built under the Smart State Strategy. After
retiring as Premier, Dr Beattie was appointed Trade Commissioner for the Americas. He retired
from this position in 2010. Dr Beattie is currently the non-executive Chair of the Board of the
National Association of Cinema Operations – Australasia (NACO)
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