CHRISTMAS has come early in Leitchville and the surrounding Murray Plains Cluster as the Mobile Area Resource Centre (MARC) library van received funding for new books.
MARC library teacher Helen McLaren at base school Leitchville Primary also travels to schools in Murrabit, Koondrook, Gunbower and Nanneella and students will now benefit from $2000 worth of new reading.
“I have been very fortunate to have received a $2000 donation of new books for my van,” Ms McLaren said.
“$1000 is from the Terry Floyd Foundation – Building Brighter Futures for Kids and $1000 from Dymocks Children’s Charities.
“The cost of books is very expensive and this is a very generous donation that will benefit all 200 children in the cluster.”
Ms McLaren travels around teaching library lessons with a van of fantastic picture story books, fictional novels and non-fiction books which students can borrow.
The MARC program is targeted at schools with fewer than 100 primary-level students with ‘base schools’ receiving funding from the Victorian Department of Education through the Student Resource Package (SRP).
Leitchville Primary has been involved in the program for 40 plus years, enriching generations of young people with the love of reading.
Ms McLaren particularly thanked Dymocks Children’s Charities program manager Billie Shacalli and Daryl Floyd, the president of the Terry Floyd Foundation named after his brother who disappeared 46 years ago, for their generous donation.
She said Grade Six students were most excited as they were unpacking the new collection, while other students pointed out books they were excited to read.
From stories by Olympic hero Patty Mills and soccer and cricket star Ellyse Perry, to non-fiction reads about volcanoes, and even some golden oldies like Anthony Browne’s Piggybook, the students are spoilt for choice.
