20 Mar 2018 Whittlesea Review, Whittlesea (General News) by Brooke Haffenden A SCHOOL community campaign in gel a library Is one step closer I hanks lo an i lives [men [ boosi ol 190,000 Irom ihe slale govemmenL Member for Northern Vlclorla .laclyn Symes and Member for Yan Yean Danielle Green visited the school last Friday, March IS, to present the cheque and celebrate the announcement with students, teachers and parents at the school assembly. The funding will mean the school cancreate a new permanent library space that Is large enough to support Us volunteer-run lunchtlme library service as the library Is currently temporarily housed In a small classroom space. Over ihe pasl several years, the school has raised $50,000 through various fundraisers. Principal Sue Egan said the students wrote letters to their local members of state and federal parliament raising the Issue of the need for a school library. Parent .lodle Hopper, who has children al the school, also raised this Issue with Ms Symes late last year and led the campaign. Ms Egan said the students were excited about the new library. Were absolutely delight ed to be receiving grant for our students and were hoping this will Inspire their love of reading, she said. T d like l o thank Jaclyn Symes, Danielle Green and Rob Mitchell for support ing us with the grant and I also want to thank the Department of Education for allowing funding to go through so we can have this very valuable resource for our school. Two of the students who had written letters took the time to thank Ms Symes and Ms Green at the assembly. The new library will be a huge benefit for our school. It will help students Im prove in reading and it also helps us have lots of choice for class novels and books. Zara Shinn-Mahoney said. We never d reamed though that there would soon come a grant of 190,000. We once again thank you for taking this cause seriously. There was a huge amount of enthusiasm and excitement in our school when It was announced by Ms Egan that we had got a grant to go towards a new library. We are very grateful that you took our letters approvingly and raised them In parliament. We believe that as soon as our library gets built all our readers will shoot like stars to become advanced readers and even authors, Kate I lopper added. Ms Symes said libraries form an integral part of any school community and commended the school for Its effots. This is a spectacular result for Upper Plenty Primary School who had not only raised funds towards the project, but students and parents also approached their local state and federal Labor Members for assistance, Ms Symes said. Ms Green said the upgrade will provide students ihe first-rate school facilities they deserve, while building community pride In a fantastic local school. It Is exciting to see Upper Plenty Primary School get ihe funding it needs lo build a new library thai will be a wonderful resource for its students, she said. Caption Text: New chapter (front) Upper Plenty Primary School captains Zoe Stokes and Cooper fork and (rear) Member for Northern Victoria Jaclyn Symes, principal Sue Egan and Member for Yan \fean Danielle Green are excited about the new library.Licensed by Copyright Agency. You may only copy or communicate this work with a licence.