The Library is open for class visits and at lunchtimes Monday - Thursday.

Scholastic Book Club #7 is open for ordering. Online orders via this link or by downloading the Book Club app called LOOP. To find our school, search for MOUNT ROSKILL INT. Orders due by Wednesday 22 October 2025.

Diwali, also known as the Festival of Lights, marks the beginning of the Hindu New Year. It celebrates the triumph of light over darkness and the renewal of life. Celebrations can last for about five days and it is celebrated by people in India and Indians living abroad. Families light lamps, candles and fireworks to symbolise the triumph of light over darkness, wisdom over ignorance and good over evil. Diwali is also celebrated by Sikhs and Jains. It's an official holiday in India, Nepal, Sri Lanka, Myanmar, Mauritius, Guyana, Trinidad & Tobago, Suriname, Malaysia, Singapore and Fiji. (Source Asia New Zealand Foundation)
This year Diwali will begin on the 18th of October in 2025. This will last until October 22nd.

in India, one of the most significant festivals is Diwali, or the Festival of Lights. It's a fiveday celebration that includes good food, fireworks, colored sand, and special candles and lamps.

A classic myth about Sita's rescue from the clutches of the demon king Ravana.

Covers Indian mythology and why the festival is a celebration of victories.

In the Library this term we are exploring popular music from around the world. Pop into the Library to see our books on music, artists, musicians and instruments, we may even have music playing at lunch time. Let us know your favourite song from anywhere in the world, in any language, and we will make a MRI playlist.

What does this word mean? Click here to find out..

Te reo Māori proficiency and support continues to grow. Data from the 2021 General Social Survey (GSS), collected in 2021 showed that the ability of New Zealanders (aged 15 and over) to speak te reo Māori in day-to-day conversation has improved. Since 2018, the proportion of people able to speak more than a few words or phrases of te reo Māori rose from 24% to 30%. Learn more about New Zealand on the Stats NZ website.

Test your vocab with this visual quiz.

The Science of Storytelling: How can reading books change our brains?
What happens inside our brains when we read? How does the science of storytelling explain the power of narratives to shape our minds? In what ways do stories make us uniquely human?

Puketāpapa Kāhui Ako shared waiata project: He Kākano Āhau

Looking for something to read and can't get to the Library? Here are links to some mostly free online ebook sources.

Term 4's topic: Our Careers & Future
The choices we make about learning, money, and work shape our opportunities, our independence, and the communities we belong to.

How do you: Identify fake news? Recognise content that is biased? Understand what reliable information means? Check out these tools and resources.

Rewordify is an online program that assists reading and learning by simplifying difficult English, for faster comprehension, and teaching words, for building a better vocabulary.

Find the numbers on everything you can think of about Aotearoa New Zealand: population, environment, economy, society, cities and provinces.

A great starting point for science topics and concepts.

On DigitalNZ, you'll find videos, newspapers, maps, photographs, audio recordings, artworks, news reports, and many other kinds of digital content from over 200 different organisations all around Aotearoa.

The Topic Explorer helps you find quality, curated resources on a range of topics to support and inspire inquiry. Each topic features a carefully selected set of national and international resources, including websites, images, videos, books and more.

Want to understand Aotearoa history? The Aotearoa History Show is for you... Check out this programme of the story of New Zealand and its people from its geological origins to modern day, hosted by William Ray & Leigh-Marama McLachlan.

An audio/podcast version of the story of New Zealand and its people from its geological origins to modern day, hosted by William Ray & Leigh-Marama McLachlan.

Are you interested in chemistry? Then try the Elemental podcast: A journey through the periodic table of elements, produced by RNZ. 5-10 minute sessions on each element of the periodic table, its history, application and miscellanous facts.

If you have a research question, and you've searched all your resources, contacted your teacher and Whaea Rachel and you still don't have the answer, you can contact the National Librarians and ask them for help. The Librarians are available between 10am-6pm.

Everyone should have membership with Auckland Libraries. It is free to join for Auckland residents, check the link to join up now. You are able to borrow ebooks and audiobooks without leaving home!

When you choose a book, you can log in with your library card number, and can start reading in your browser. When you have joined Auckland Libraries, and started reading books, you do have the option of downloading an app, such as Overdrive or Libby so that your book becomes a bit more portable, especially on a phone - Auckland Libraries has a guide for the apps. These apps can be adjustable to display dyslexic fonts, large print and lighting.

You can read freely and anonymously on their site, or create an account to keep an ongoing bookshelf. And there are books from all over the world (you can even search by countries on the globe).

Many books, most of them classics but freely available, and downloadable for ereader devices or onscreen.

Access to a colelction of selected reference e-books containing biography, literature, science, history, social sciences and more. Accessible from within the school network.

Still reeling from the loss of his mother, Jonas escapes into his vivid daydreams. After making his way through a portal in his grandmother’s strange painting, he finds himself lost in a fantasy world, unable to return. A webcomic.

House cats Elvis, Puck, and Lupin report on such breaking news stories as “The people are missing!” and “There’s a box with a towel inside it on the kitchen table.” Select ‘Past Reports’ for a list of topics or click the random button you will find at the bottom of each comic.

Though being the new kid is never easy, it’s especially hard for Peter, an average kid whose classmates include a mummy, a pumpkinhead, and a skeleton. A webcomic.

This webcomic follows John Egbert, who on his 13th birthday plays a video game that unleashes the apocalypse

Auckland Libraries have a great selection of audiobooks.

Radio NZ's Storytime has a selection of NZ novels and picture book stories you can listen to without needing to join up or download apps.

Watch comedians, the PM and TV people read NZ bedtime stories at TVNZ. Maybe you could try and sit down with the younger people in your family for storytime.

Lit2Go offers audiobooks, plays, short stories, and poems that have been tailored for use in classrooms. Along with each free audiobook, you’ll get citation information, play time, and word count. Some, like Shakespeare’s Hamlet, have an accompanying PDF that can be used to read-along with the text.

For Sci-Fi readers… Mind Webs was a radio series that began in the 1970s. Over 169 half-hour shows were recorded until the series ended in 1984, of which over 150 shows have been archived and can be accessed.

If you have access to Spotify, check out Spotify’s “Audiobooks” playlist for a list of audiobooks that are always being added to by the service. Spotify is free to listen, or you can go premium if you don’t want the ads.

Short Story Guide is designed to help middle school / high school teachers, students, and reading lovers find the right story and allow them to easily read online short stories free, where possible. It has examples of many types of stories. The stories are listed by theme, note that if the story isn't freely available there is no link.

Who are you? What career might suit you? What interests you? Also resources to develop your financial literacy. How do jobs and money work?

A video on the science of character.

Take the VIA character test in 15 minutes or less and reveal your greatest strengths.

Career inspiration and job hunting support.

CareerQuest takes just 15 minutes. Complete the 78 question photo quiz and
CareerQuest will suggest job ideas matched to your interests.

Career planning is essential to achieving satisfaction and success in your chosen career.

Each webinar designed to introduce you to a different industry or career pathway that you can explore.

Whether you’re planning your first career, finishing your studies, or ready to change direction, looking ahead now could set you up for long-term success. New Zealand’s job market is being reshaped by rapid technological change, shifts in social priorities, and new ways of working.

Thinking about where growth is likely to happen — and how to build the right skills — can help you step confidently into the opportunities of tomorrow.

A series of articles looking at the types of jobs of the future and what to consider.

The jobs of the future – and the skills you need to get them.

The world of work is changing rapidly as a result of new technologies, such as artificial intelligence (AI), the emergence of new forms of work, as well as greening, demographic change and globalisation.

The future of work is a bright one, with new jobs and opportunities emerging in areas like drone piloting, caregiving, and coral farming..

A short animated video about how money works - its functions and the role the Reserve Bank plays in it.

Topic explorer: Explore the history and world of currency and learn how to spend or bank your money. Understand concepts such as saving, inflation, investment, budgeting, profit, loss, interest, EFTPOS, credit cards and why to be wary of loan sharks.

EVERYTHING important about money now to set yourself up for life.

Whatever your financial situation, with a little planning you can avoid becoming the broke student stereotype and the stresses that go with being low in cash. Our guide tells you how to make your money go further, and EFTPOS declines and 2 Minute Noodle dinners will become a thing of the past.

A cryptocurrency is a virtual or digital currency built on cryptography (secure communication techniques).

Within school, you do not need passwords to access the EPIC databases, including Encyclopedia Britannica. Outside of the school network (when you are at home) you will need a log in and password. Please contact your teacher or the Librarian for the log in details.

Contact Whaea Rachel by email if you have a question about any of these links, or have suggestions for other links.