Our current LRC was set up as a “temporary structure” 28 years ago! It was VERY exciting to hear that funding from the Federal Government means we can now build a brand new 21st Century LRC! This is what our LRC looks like now from the outside.
This is the front of our current LRC
This is the back of our LRC
SOIL TESTING
At the end of Term Two, 2009 some men came to test the soil. They had to drill a hole through the concrete so they could see what type of soil or rock was below.
It was a very deep hole!
The LRC is on the move … August 10th – 14th, 2009
The first thing we had to do was remove all of the books off the shelves and place them in order on the floor so they could be carried down to the new hall.
Next Mrs Collins and I dismantled all of the book shelves and the boys from 6V helped to carry them down to the new hall where Mrs Collins and I put the shelves back together again. (Who said that librarians didn’t have muscles!!) The shelves were then waiting for all of the books to arrive.
On Wednesday and Thursday we were VERY lucky to have the help of 18 mums and 2 dads who moved all of the books and lots of things we have in the LRC. There was a well worn path down the steps and across Middle Yard between the old and the new LRC!!
By Friday the new hall had been transformed into our LRC again! Lots of students popped in for a look and were amazed at how much bigger and brighter the new home for our LRC looks!! We are looking forward to starting our Library lessons in our new LRC home…
In all of the excitement of the move it is sad to see what is left of our old LRC. We have cut out a square of carpet to put on the floor of the new LRC. The books still remaining on the floor are Teacher Reference books that will be moved to the PLC when it is finished being refurbished in s few weeks. The old LRC will be demolished in the school holidays.
Our old LRC now reminds me of the quote by Cicero
“A room without books is like a body without a soul”
Going Going…nearly gone
Today, October 2nd,2009 I went to see how the demolition work was progressing and this is what is left of our old LRC…It now has 360 degree views!!
The safety fences were also put up today and this is the view we now have from the LRC. The trucks will be going right past our door!!
Living in our Demolition Site
So far this term it has been very dusty and noisy at SMOT as the demolition team has removed the LRC, old hall, two classrooms and the Middle Yard toilets. It has been a fascinating process to watch how buildings are slowly and methodically dismantled and the building materials are sorted into piles that can be recycled or taken away in the skip as rubbish. I have a great “viewing platform” outside the LRC and Matthew W and Matthew H are there regularly keeping an eye on the workmen. The Grade 3 classrooms have a terrific “bird’s eye” view of the demolition and get regular waves from the truck driver!
As you can see from the photos…there’s not much left of the building now!
This is from Top Yard…you can’t see the LRC anymore!
A sad farewell…
I was devastated to hear that our beautiful tree in Middle Yard was going to be chopped down to make way for our new building!! I was really hoping that we could find a way to save it. Our beautiful deciduous tree has been in Middle Yard for over 40 years and we have all enjoyed watching the seasons change though its leaves. We watched its leaves turn a golden yellow in Autumn and cover the ground; basked in the Winter sun through its bare branches; looked closely to see on which branch the first green leaves would appear in Spring and in Summer we were so grateful for the shade it provided with its leafy boughs.
I love trees and think of them as Storykeepers. They see so much over the years and if they could talk they would have so many stories to tell. Imagine the stories our tree would tell about the SMOT students it has watched over the years as they made their way from Prep to Grade 6…
I’m sad that I don’t have a photo of our tree with its leaves to put here. Mrs Boland and I think our tree had become very sick and that is why it doesn’t have its leaves this year. I am going to be sad to return to school next week to see the place where our tree lived. Mrs Stewart has promised we will replace it with another established deciduous tree as soon as the building is completed. Then we can welcome another Storykeeper to SMOT to watch over us all …and the seasons once again will be joy to behold!
TERM TWO – 2010 (Construction Time)
It has been a LONG time since I’ve written an update for our new LRC! That’s because nothing really happened over the Christmas holidays or for most of Term One. However, Term Two has seen lots of activity in Middle Yard. The new retaining wall has been built and now preparations for the slab are taking place. In fact one day this week I had a bobcat moving mountains of dirt outside the LRC’s front door and on the other side of the LRC there was a big crane working on the church roof!! Life is never boring in a construction zone…. but at least we know it’s another step closer to our new LRC!
TERM TWO – Friday, June 18th, 2010
What an exciting day! After many weeks of preparation by the builders the slab was FINALLY poured for our new building!! Now we have a much better idea of how big our new building is going to be.
The Second Slab – September School Holidays 2010
Thursday, November 25th, 2010
We now have the steel frame work in place and we can see the shape and size of our new building a lot more clearly! The carpenters are busy on the ground floor putting in the wall frames for the classrooms. Hopefully we will have our new roof before the end of term.
Last week of term 2010
On Tuesday we had to close Top Yard while the steel panels were delivered for the roof on a really big truck.
The panels were 19 metres long and had to be lifted by a crane.
On Friday, the last day of term, Mrs Collins and I had an early Christmas present with the opportunity to walk around the new LRC – it was very exciting!! Look at the great views we will have from the LRC. This is what I’ll be able to see from the Circulation Desk. The Fiction area will be along this wall of windows…
The office doesn’t have a wall yet but this is where it will be…and it will have a sink!
The Multi Media Room is first and then the office
The Official Opening of our new LRC – Thursday, November 10th, 2011
After two years waiting for our new LRC to be built we have now moved into our new home. Our new BER building (including our LRC) was officially opened on November 10th.
It has definitely been worth the wait…
The LRC is the place to be on PhotoPeach
Hi…
Can’t wait for the new library and the Grade Six building to be finished. It keeps getting delayed!
An 6CZ
Hi everyone,
We cant wait for the new library to be finished !!!
It’s looking great. Hope it turns out to be as great as it looks.
Kate and Giorgia 6cz
Hi Miss Y,
I think the new building is looking really cool.
From Aleesia 6SC\6KC
Dear Miss Yeomans,
We can’t wait to see the new library.
It has taken sooooo long to finish and now it’s almost done with only 2 terms left 🙁
Anyway can’t wait to move in !!
from Jess.P and Emily.A 6SC
Hi Miss Y,
I can’t wait until the NEW library is ready because I would like to borrow alot of your fantastic books and I want to see your NEW fantastic reading chair because I want to sit on it. I hope it all goes well. It would be really nice if the NEW library is opened this term.
From Patrick 🙂
Hi Patrick
Not long now until we can move into the new LRC! The books will be moved up on Thursday and the new shelves will be installed on Friday, the last day of term.
Hopefully the new LRC will be up and running for students in Week 3 next term.
Miss Y 🙂
Hi Miss Y,
The new Library looks so good.
Me, Aury, Natasha, Bianca and Alissa saw the Library with hardly any books.
Have you been in the library?
From Hannah 🙂
Hey All!!!
Wow the library building is almost finished!! I bet it will be great. You guys are soo lucky to be getting a new library! I wish I was (Even though the OLMC library is absolutely amazing. I think I might be in love with it!) We are moving into our new, flash, modern building about the same time you are! The lockers are red!!! And there is a Common Room kind of thing!! We have couches in our corridors!!! Well anyway, when you guys are all moved in I will have to come visit!! Enjoy the holidays and your new library!!
See ya
Andie W 🙂 (from last year!!)
Hi Ms. Yeomans,
Not long to go! The big count down is about to start. I think when the new library opens we need to have a ceremony, the cutting of the ribbon and the christening of the “NEW fantastic reading chair” (from Patrick M). Where many children will listen and be taken to another world with all the amazing stories that are going to be read to them.
From Mrs. Mosbauer
Hi Miss Yeomans
It’s just Ingrid. The construction sight look like it’s nearly done. I can’t wait till it’s done. I watched all the videos about what’s happening – it looks great!
Say hi to Maddie’s and Calista’s class for me!
Love Ingrid M xxx
Hi Ingrid
It’s great to see you on the LRC Blog – thank you for your messages!
I hope you received the email I sent you to your new school email address. I enjoy looking at the blog the senior students are writing with Mrs Niewman at your new school. I have a link to the Clairveaux blog on our LRC Blog – did you see it?
You will be pleased to know that on the last Thursday of term we moved our books up to the new LRC and the new silver shelving was installed on Friday. I have lots of shelving ahead of me!
I’ll make sure I say hello to Maddie and Calista for you.
Enjoy your holidays Ingrid…
Miss Y 🙂
Hi Miss Y
I saw that the new LRC was finished building.
Bob
Hi Bob
It’s great to hear from you! I hope that you and Jia Jia are both well and enjoying your new schools. I miss seeing you both in the LRC.
Yes, the new LRC is nearly ready for us to move into in hopefully Week 3 this term! I have the first two weeks to get things ready so I’ll be very busy getting the books on the shelves and lots of other jobs.
I hope you and Jia Jia might be able to come and visit the new LRC one day…
Miss Y 🙂
Hi Miss Y
I love the look of the new library Miss Y
Hi Blake
I’m glad you like the look of the new LRC…it’s coming along slowly.
Mrs Collins and I unwrapped the new ottomans yesterday.
On Monday the rest of the shelving arrives and our Storytelling chair should be here this week too…at last!!
Miss Y 🙂
Hi Ms Y and all the others at SMOT,
Sadly I cannot see the new LRC but I hope it looks great. Have fun in the new LRC Miss Y
Adam M
Wow! The new LRC looks soooooo amazing!! Great Job Kim! The students at your school are lucky to have such a motivated teacher librarian! Can I come and sit in the story chair?
Awesome!!!
Hi Lucy
You’re welcome to visit our LRC and sit in our Story Chair whenever you have time.
Miss Y 🙂
The New LRC Looks so much better than the old LRC!
The space inside it is bigger than the old LRC!
The outside of the new LRC looks amazing!
I hope this LRC doesn’t go!
Harrison
I LOOOOOOOVVVVVVVE the new LRC!!
I wish we had it when I first came to school. The Preps are so lucky.
Marysa 5c 🙂
Hi Miss Y,
I am in the last photo. I really like it! But my back is to everyone.
Alicia 4d
I have been enjoying the lrc :]
Hi Alicia
Sorry I took a photo of your back! I guess at least you’re in the photo!
Miss Y 🙂
Hi Faith
Thanks for your comment. I’m glad you’re enjoying the LRC. What do you like best about the LRC?
Miss Y 🙂
WOW just seeing the LRC change , its fantastic!!!
Hi Erin
Our LRC has changed a lot over the past few years hasn’t it! We definitely have a fabulous library now …
Miss Y 🙂
Dear Miss Y,
I can remember the old LRC. I am glad we got a new one. I love our new LRC. It is much bigger than the old one .
From Morgan. 🙂
Hi Morgan
I still love that our old LRC was small and cosy…sometimes I miss that!
Miss Y 😉
I can remember when the LRC was still small and cosy but I still like the new LRC even better. All in all it has come a long way from that small cosy LRC that it used to be so I hope the preps are enjoying it as well.
Regards Thomas Hanrahan
Hi Thomas
It’s wonderful to hear from you! How are you enjoying life in Ballarat?
We are enjoying our new LRC, especially the space. It’s still warm and inviting (I hope) like our old LRC was when you were here.
I hope you’re still reading!
Miss Y 🙂
Hi Miss Y did you have fun on your long long holiday?
from Claudia and Belinda
Hi Claudia and Belinda,
Yes I did enjoy my long holiday and having the opportunity to do things I’ve wanted to do like visit WA and climb the Sydney Harbour Bridge. I made a video of it http://smotlrcblog.edublogs.org/2015/01/19/home-again/
Miss Y 🙂
Hi Miss Y
I sooooooooooooooooo loooooooooove the new LRC
LOVE EMILY
Hi Emily,
Our school is SO lucky to have such a wonderful LRC!
Miss Y 🙂
Hi Miss Y,
I like the LRC because it has a lots of books for everyone. The book I like the most is Press Here.
Love Isaiah Prep PC
Hi Isaiah,
How exciting to have a comment from you!
I try very hard to buy books for our LRC that everyone will enjoy reading.
Lots of children at school like ‘Press Here’ too, it’s lots of fun! Have you read “Mix It Up!” by the same author? You will find it in the T family…
Happy reading Isaiah!
Miss Y 🙂
Hi Miss Y
I love the photopeachs on the building of the new LRC!
Hi Jocelyn,
I hope you enjoyed the journey we have made from our old LRC to our new one and you might understand why we feel so lucky to have such a wonderful library space.
I learnt a lot about demolition and building while taking all of the photos! Sadly PhotoPeach lost some of our slideshows when they moved to a new server…
Miss Y 🙂
Hi Miss Y
At my old school we got a new library and it also took two years to build.
When I first came here I did not know that the library was new!!!
Dear Miss Y,
I love the new library! The hard work was
worth it all! Now I can read in it!! 😀 YES.
From Colette
Hi Jocelyn,
Did you like the new library they built at your old school? Is it similar to our LRC?
Miss Y 🙂
Hi Colette,
Our new library has so many wonderful places to snuggle up with a book and get lost in its story…
Miss Y 🙂
Dear Miss Y
The new LRC looks much better than the old library AND IT’S SO COOLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLL!
Hi Aaron,
Even though our old library was small and old, I loved that it was cosy and filled with books. Our new new library is a wonderful space that is bright, open and welcoming. I wonder what you like best about our new LRC?
Miss Y 🙂
Hi Ms Y
My best part is nothing well what I meant was I just love it when people sit on the bean bags and enjoy their story.
Aaron
Hi Aaron,
One of my favourite things in our LRC is seeing people snuggles in a beanbag lost in their book…
Happy reading!
Miss Y 🙂