Hi everyone, my name is Jonny and I am a volunteer library assistant at the school. One of my favourite books is “Bleach” by the Tite Kubo. However, my favourite author is J.K. I can probably be found listening to music whilst reading a book, because that is what I spend most of my time doing if I’m not playing music, making another instrument from scratch or doing homework. I enjoy films so I am part of the St Ninians Filmclub where we watch lots of obscure and wacky film Like Shoailin Soccer or a Town called Panic. My favourite time of the year is the summer, Because you don’t have to do a lot of work in preparation for exams or Folio essays. If you have any questions about manga or graphic novels I’m your guy.
Favourite Author – J.K. Rowling
Favourite TV Show – NCIS (not spelt wrong: Naval Criminal Investigative Service)
Favourite Colour – Lime Green
Favourite Food –Anything foreign
Books – Currently reading Rise by Anna Carey
Favourite Chocolate – Dark Chocolate Orange
I like things to be in order so don’t put a book back in the wrong place right in front of me or I might just explode on the spot (Especially if you do it just to annoy me!!).

More fun stuff from my amazing library assistants plus a special guest…

Obey the law!!!

Hiya everyone, my name is Charlie and I am a volunteer library assistant at the school. One of my favourite books is called “The Girl Who Saved The King Of Sweden” by the Author Jonas Jonasson. However, my favourite author is J.K.Rowling ( I am still trying to convince Mrs Lamont to let me do my dissertation on Harry Potter.) I enjoy lots of different TV series like Sherlock, Star Trek and The Thick Of it (but some of you shouldn’t be watching that.) I enjoy going to the theatre to see all sorts of different things; musicals, comedy and dramas etc. My favourite time of the year is whatever time the Edinburgh Fringe is because it is full of tons and tons of interesting things to see and do (I would recommend the Addams Family.) I am a fun and approachable character and I’m always here to help.

Favourite Author – J.K. Rowling
Favourite TV Show – Star Trek the Next Generation
Favourite Colour – Whatever you want it to be
Favourite Food – Thai food
Books – Currently reading Winger and Laughter in the Dark
Poetry – “Do Not Go Gentle Into That Good Night” by Dylan Thomas
I have been a library assistant for a whole 20 minutes so you can trust me to help. I am in sixth year, help with the Saltire Award programme and help out at Isobel Mair school. I became a library assistant because I love books and you should too! A person I would most like to meet is Casey Neistat because he is one of the best modern story tellers alive.

Hi, my name is Holly and I am a volunteer library assistant at St. Ninian’s. My favourite author is Jennifer Brown and my favourite book of hers is ‘Hate List.’ I love to eat food (who doesn’t) and play the trumpet (but not at the same time!) My ideal story is probably very dramatic with lots of plot twists. I have a tendency to be quite timid, but talk to me about books and I won’t shut up!

Favourite author– Jennifer Brown
Favourite TV show– Doctor Who/Sherlock
Favourite colour– Green/blue
Favourite food– Steak Pie with soggy pastry
Books I enjoy- ‘Hate List’, ‘Perfect escape’, Apple and Rain’, ‘Mind Blind’… I could go on.

I became a library assistant because I was hanging about the library all the time and thought I would be as well to do something useful that could help somebody out. It is a great thing to do because I have been able to share my love of reading with other pupils who I would have otherwise never have met and exchange book suggestions.

Why not pop in to the library and say hello!

Welcome to the first in a series to help pupils get the most out of their school library.

I am biased and know I have the best pupils but when they are as creative as this it just goes to prove I am right.

Cast:
Caterina stars as very helpful library assistant
Goudham stars as confused borrower
and special guest star,
Poppy as Mrs Baird.

A brilliant comic version of what goes on in our library

Keep coming back to our web pages for more in this series…

Each week I will be posting about one of my lovely library helpers – this week it’s Toni.

Indulging in some Potter

Hi, my name is Toni and I am a volunteer library assistant at St. Ninian’s. My favourite book is Skin Game the fifteenth book in the Dresden Files collection written by Jim Butcher. My favourite authors, however, are Darren Shan and J.K.Rowling as they are both excellent fantasy writers in different ways and using different styles. I enjoy watching NCIS and eating popcorn, usually at the same time. I love to read and write. Although shy sometimes I am lively around friends and can be a little crazy sometimes. I love all things fantasy and out of this world as I find it a great way to escape from the worries of real life. I also enjoy the great outdoors and watching TV.

Favourite author– Daren Shan and J.K.Rowling
Favourite TV show– NCIS
Favourite colour– Black (or red)
Favourite food– chicken nuggets and chocolate ice-cream (not together)
Books I enjoy– Skulduggery Pleasant, The Saga of Darren Shan and Runaways are but a few.

I have been a library assistant for many years but as I am now in sixth year I have taken a more prominent role during some of my free periods. I became a library assistant in order to give back to the school community, also as I enjoy reading it is a great why to recommend books to people and even find new reads that I myself might find interesting. The author I would most like to meet would be J.K.Rowling as she is a huge inspiration for me to start my writing.

Why not pop in to the library and say hello!

The Everest Files by Matt Dickinson

Each year for the past 6 years Saint Ninian’s School library and Woodfarm High’s school library have been working in tandem on specific literacy projects – from You’re Booked; the football scheme where pupils met the Scotland manager, read books by and met author Tom Palmer and were trained by the local SFA development team – to our cli-fi carbon neutral project where we created our own films on the premise- Can books save the world?
This year after having read the amazing book by Matt Dickinson; The Everest Files there really was nowhere else to seek inspiration.

The scheme will focus around the novel which deals with topics such as Buddhism, the cold chain, arranged marriages, ethical tourism, animal welfare and much, much more as well as the obvious of climbing. The aim of the project is to get pupils thinking about fiction in all its various facets. No book is ever written in isolation so how can we take each thread, each idea, each character and look at them on their own? Over 80 pupils will be involved in this scheme our biggest challenge yet!

The difference with this book to many others is that the author has lived this experience having climbed Mount Everest a number of years ago. So, the detail is the reality and, the thrill of the action is based on truth.

Some endangered species

We hope to have pupils putting themselves into the book by having experience of researching the topics but also having a go. Part of the grand plan is to have some pupils trying out a climbing wall to see if they have what it takes to really face a challenge such as Everest. I would like, in the wake of the horrific earthquakes in the region, to have pupils think about the lives of the Nepalese whose lives are dominated by the presence of the mountain and their livelihood sustained by rich mountaineers (which will be used as part of an inter-class debate). In the light of this I would like pupils to be sponsored to walk Mount Everest using pedometers and the monies raised would go towards supporting the relief effort.

Pupils will also be able to present their work using an interactive online poster using thinglink.com; an image is used for the focal point for research, how that research manifests itself will be , in part, up to the pupils; allowing them to take ownership of the scheme and play a significant role in their final project.
Pupils will be directed to different ideas through working through a traditional booklet on their own, in pairs or as part of a team. The team aspect will also come into play with the other final project; a playable board game. Pupils will have a chance to play traditional board games and discuss what makes them tick and apply this knowledge to their own games.

It only looks small because it’s far away

The scheme will be supported by other departments –
Geography – will talk about the creation of the Himalayas
RE – will talk about Buddhism
HE – will help pupils plan a Nepalese feast, and will look at Nepalese attire, and
Art and Design – have created a Pinterest board of relevant images to use as source materials for pupil’s own selection for thinglink and their board game.

In September, a new film will be released all about climbing Everest and I would like to take a small group to the I-max theatre to experience an epic up close. And we are also hoping that Matt might be able to fit us into his busy schedule and pop in to the school to talk about the book and his experiences!

The final part of the scheme – I would like to have an evening at the school where family and friends will be able to come in to the school, have a taste of Nepal, try out the board games and watch some of the presentations – any monies raised from this event will again go toward the relief efforts in Nepal. ( bobble hats at the ready!)

It is only with the support of pupils, parents and teachers that I am able to undertake such an exciting scheme and I would like to thank all of you who will get your snow boots on and harness yourself to this climb.

Just in case you didn’t know the way

Nearly 7000 people have summited Mount Everest – I hope we can too. Sort of!