NSW Premier's Reading Challenge

The NSW Premier's Reading Challenge is now open and St Thomas More is excited to be participating!

What is the NSW Premier’s Reading Challenge? 

The PRC is a statewide Challenge that encourages students to develop a love of reading for leisure and pleasure and enables them to experience quality literature. It is not a competition, but a challenge to encourage each student to read, to read more, and to read more widely. 

All students who complete the challenge and have their reading record validated by the school’s PRC coordinator will receive a certificate signed by the Premier of NSW. 

How many books do students need to read? 

Students in Kindergarten to Year 2 are challenged to read or experience 30 books. 20 of these books must be from the relevant Challenge booklists, and up to 10 books can be personal choice books. Books can be read with a parent, carer, teacher or another student.  

Students in Year 3 to Year 10 are challenged to read 20 books independently. At least 10 of these books must be from the relevant Challenge booklists, and up to 10 books can be personal choice books. 

If a book is from an approved PRC series, students can enter up to 5 books as Challenge books, and can read up to 10 other books from the same series as Personal Choice books. More information on the rules of the Challenge can be found on the PRC website. 

Books must be added to a student’s online reading record by Friday 19 September 2025 in order for their reading record to be validated and receive a certificate. This is the new extended date as the PRC website was experiencing technical difficulties.

How do students log their reading? 

Students can access the PRC’s Student Experience site using their DoE username and password, or can log into the site via the Student Portal. There is a video guide explaining how to use the Student Experience on the site. 

How can students find books on the NSW PRC challenge lists? 
The PRC books in our Library have a PRC sticker on them to guide the students when choosing which books to borrow. 

Are you up to the Challenge?
If your child would like to participate in the PRC, please contact me and I will send through their username and  password. I will upload all K-2 students using the books read to them by their classroom teacher. However, if you would like to read to your child, or listen to your child read, then when completed, you can go online and enter the books read. 

National Simultaneous Storytime

This coming Wednesday 21 May our school, along with thousands of other students around the country, will be participating in (NSS) and listening to this year’s chosen picture book - The Truck Cat written by Deborah Frenkel and illustrated by Danny Snell.

“NSS is held annually by the Australian Library and Information Association (ALIA). Every year a picture book, written and illustrated by an Australian author and illustrator, is read simultaneously in libraries, schools, pre-schools, childcare centres, family homes, bookshops and many other places around the country. Now in its 25th successful year, it is a colourful, vibrant, fun event that aims to promote the value of reading and literacy, using an Australian children's book that explores age-appropriate themes, and addresses key learning areas of the National Curriculum for Foundation to Year 6”.