ILC Closure for the VCE exams

 

The ILC will be closed from Thursday 29th of October, reopening on Wednesday 18th of November.

This is to allow the year 12s to have enough space, and enough quiet to complete their exams.

The ILC staff will have a number of arrangements in place to make sure this closure impacts you as little as possible. Here are the answers to a number of the questions you might have:

I have a book on loan. When will it be due, and how can I return it?
Books will have their normal due dates (i.e. 2 weeks after the day it was borrowed). ILC staff will be visiting homerooms in the mornings to collect any books students want to return.

How can I borrow something new, or renew something I have already borrowed?
The easiest thing for you to do is to email ILC staff via the library email address: library@ignatius.vic.edu.au. If you let us know what you want to borrow/renew we will organise it for you.

Will I still be able to play Uno or Chess at lunchtime?
You will not be able to come into the ILC at lunchtime, but there will be space provided in the Xavier Centre, and many of the board games will be moved across there during the exam period for you to play at lunch and snack.

What if I need help finding information for an assignment or help creating a bibliography?
ILC staff will be very happy to help you. All you need to do is email them using the library email address library@ignatius.vic.edu.au and someone will get back to you with email help, or to arrange a time and place to give you face-to-face help.

Any other questions? email us and we will do our best to help!
library@ignatius.vic.edu.au

So, you liked Percy Jackson...

You've read Percy Jackson, and it was one of the few books you've enjoyed. But now your teacher wants you to read something else. Is there anything as good that you might like? Here are a few suggestions from Rick Riordan (the guy who wrote Percy Jackson).

Artemis Fowl by Eion Colfer

Artemis Fowl is a twelve year-old criminal mastermind. He knows fairies are real, and he is going for their gold. All of their gold. Fast paced, humourous, easy to read.

Leviathan by Scott Westerfeld

Prince Aleksander, heir to the Austro-Hungarian throne is on the run. Deryn Sharp has disguised herself as a boy so she can join the British air service. In an alternative version of our own world, World War I has just started.

Skulduggery Pleasant by Derek Landy

A funny fantasy/mystery series featuring a detective who just happens to be a fire-throwing skeleton.

The Alchemyst by Michael Scott

First in a series about two siblings who are plunged into a world of immortals and mythological creatures. Fast-paced fantasy set in the modern world.

For more of Rick's suggestions: http://www.rickriordan.com/educational-resources/ricks-reading-recommendations

2015 Inky Award Winners Announced

The Gold Inky Award (Australian author) for 2015 goes to.....

The Intern, by Gabrielle Tozer

Josie Browning dreams of having it all.

A stellar academic record, an amazing career in journalism - and for her current crush to realise she actually exists. The only problem? Josie can’t get through twenty-four hours without embarrassing her sister Kat or her best friend Angel, let alone herself.

Josie’s luck changes though when she lands an internship at the glossy fashion magazine Sash. A coveted columnist job is up for grabs, but Josie’s got some tough competition in the form of two other interns. Battle lines are drawn and Josie quickly learns that the magazine industry is far from easy, especially under the reign of powerful editor, Rae Swanson.

From the lows of coffee-fetching and working 10-hour days, to the highs of mingling with celebrities, scoring endless free beauty products (plus falling for her cousin’s seriously gorgeous flatmate James) this is one year Josie will never forget.

Totally fresh and funny, this debut novel from industry insider Gabrielle Tozer reveals just what is behind the seeming glamour and sparkle of the magazine industry. [Goodreads.com]

The Silver Inky Award (international author) for 2015 goes to....

Fangirl, by Rainbow Rowell

Cath is a Simon Snow fan.

Okay, the whole world is a Simon Snow fan...

But for Cath, being a fan is her life—and she’s really good at it. She and her twin sister, Wren, ensconced themselves in the Simon Snow series when they were just kids; it’s what got them through their mother leaving.

Reading. Rereading. Hanging out in Simon Snow forums, writing Simon Snow fan fiction, dressing up like the characters for every movie premiere.

Cath’s sister has mostly grown away from fandom, but Cath can’t let go. She doesn’t want to.

Now that they’re going to college, Wren has told Cath she doesn’t want to be roommates. Cath is on her own, completely outside of her comfort zone. She’s got a surly roommate with a charming, always-around boyfriend, a fiction-writing professor who thinks fan fiction is the end of the civilized world, a handsome classmate who only wants to talk about words... And she can’t stop worrying about her dad, who’s loving and fragile and has never really been alone.

For Cath, the question is: Can she do this?

Can she make it without Wren holding her hand? Is she ready to start living her own life? Writing her own stories?

And does she even want to move on if it means leaving Simon Snow behind? [Goodreads.com]

Study Skills

Betty by Gary Delainey and Gerry Rasmussen

It's that time of year - when all your hard work is starting to make a difference. You are nearly finished, you can see the holidays coming. But first - the final few hurdles, those last few assignment, and, of course, exams.

The end of the year is always a tricky time. You are tired from all the work you have already put in, but still have some of the most important assessments to go. This is the time that good study habits, stress management and focus really make a difference. The difference is big enough that, even at this late stage, it is worth taking the time to read up and make sure you know how to be your best.

The State Library of Victoria hosts a website called Ergo, that has a whole lot of useful advice, especially the study tips section: http://ergo.slv.vic.gov.au/learn-skills/study-skills.

James Madison University has provided a quick downloadable leaflet on how to study more effectively. Full of dot points it is easy to spot the tips for your own study weaknesses: Improve my high school study skills.

New in the Cinema: The Martian

The Martian by Andy Weir is taking the world by storm, and now there is a movie. Set in the very near future, humans are starting to send manned missions to Mars.

Six days ago, astronaut Mark Watney became one of the first people to walk on Mars. Now, he's sure he'll be the first person to die there.

After a dust storm nearly kills him & forces his crew to evacuate while thinking him dead, Mark finds himself stranded & completely alone with no way to even signal Earth that he’s alive—& even if he could get word out, his supplies would be gone long before a rescue could arrive. Chances are, though, he won't have time to starve to death. The damaged machinery, unforgiving environment or plain-old "human error" are much more likely to kill him first. 

But Mark isn't ready to give up yet. Drawing on his ingenuity, his engineering skills—& a relentless, dogged refusal to quit—he steadfastly confronts one seemingly insurmountable obstacle after the next. Will his resourcefulness be enough to overcome the impossible odds against him? [blurb from Goodreads.com]