Our Research and Study Centre (RASC) is an essential part of what makes Kennedy a fantastic learning environment, and we had the opportunity to celebrate this on Wednesday 23 August with Australian School Library Day. A great part of Children’s Book Week, this day started last year with the aim of celebrating and highlighting the variety of things that school libraries do.
Kennedy Baptist College’s leadership values the RASC and has resourced and staffed it exceptionally well. The importance of the centre is highlighted by the fact that it is considered one of the eight learning areas of the academic program. We are truly blessed by this, and it makes us unique amongst other schools in Perth and is one of the reasons why the RASC was awarded School Library of the Year in 2020 and Mrs Lorinda Gersbach was recognised as Teacher Librarian of the Year in 2022 by the Western Australian School Library Association (WASLA). The head of the centre, Ms Natasha Georgiou continues to give exceptional service to both the RASC and libraries in Western Australia by serving as President and now Vice-President of WASLA.
Another way that the RASC differentiates itself is through frequent learning events during recess and lunch, some, like our fortnightly Origami Tuesdays, driven by our students and resourced by our team. Recent exciting events run by the centre includes a virtual escape room during Science Week, ‘Write a Book in a Day’, and a Lego Tournament.
As part of Australian School Library, RASC staff and student volunteers (RASCals) got to wear specially designed t-shirts, while students had the opportunity to enter competitions on the RASC Instagram page, were rewarded with a unique bookmark when borrowing a book and gave their thanks to the RASC by writing messages on an Appreciation Wall. The feedback from students was outstanding, with the impact that the RASC has made as broad as giving students the confidence to borrow a book for the first time, to helping students come “alive in adventures of reading, games, puzzles and imagination.”
Kennedy Baptist College and RASC team will strive to provide exceptional academic support to students and staff and to cultivate a space that encourages reading and creativity. Just as our students are excited to enter the RASC, we are excited to see what comes out of it.
