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Drawing with a difference at Lochend

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In April, we were very lucky to have a visit by the super talented artist and author Neil Slorance.  Neil had our pupils’ attention when he first came to the school as he has an impressive CV –including writing for the Doctor Who comic and publishing his own comic titles such as Dungeon Fun.  Here are some of the pupils paying full attention to Neil’s talk about his life as a comic artist and what inspires him.

By talking through his character making in terms of both drawing the characters and creating a story line the pupils were very keen to create their own characters.

Step by step drawing instructions as well as offering ideas for starting off stories helped produce some brilliant character drawings.

The pupils enjoyed making these characters so much that Neil was keen to guide them onto the next step – creating a short comic strip with their very own characters.   Again, after showing examples and talking about what a comic strip could contain, Neil helped our pupils create some amazing short comic ideas.   Look at these !   With such a great session, the pupils are enthused to keep creating and reading more at Lochend.

April @ Castlemilk Highschool

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What’s happening this month..

World Autism Acceptance Week: 2-8th April 

Autism Acceptance Week is a yearly event planned around Autism Acceptance Day. It aims to help more people understand autism and the experience of autism. It also highlights and celebrates the achievements of autistic people past and present.  

Reading books is a brilliant way to develop understanding and share life experiences from many perspectives. Along with information books, there’s a great range of fiction books written by or about people with autism, available in the school library. You can get the full list on our library Padlet page. Here’s a bit more about a few of our top picks from the list:

A kind of spark by Elle McNicoll  

Kind of Spark tells the story of 11-year-old Addie as she campaigns for a memorial in memory of the witch trials that took place in her Scottish hometown. Addie knows there’s more to the story of these ‘witches’, just like there is more to hers.

Can Addie challenge how the people in her town see her, and make her voice heard?  

Finding my voice by Aoife Dooley

Frankie is different, and so is her best-friend, Sam. So when they both start secondary school, it’s tough.

When she gets the chance to compete in a Battle of the Bands contest Frankie couldn’t be more excited. Except, to have a band, you need to have band members. And to have band members, you need to be good at making friends… Can Frankie learn to find her voice and stand out? 

Ways to be me by Libby Scott and Rebecca Westcott 

Tally had high hopes for Year 6.Being in the top class at school means a whole host of privileges, and even better than that is the school production But at home, things aren’t going so well. Mum and Dad have been making Tally feel pressured and upset. Sometimes she feels so misunderstood and frustrated, she could explode!  Then Tally’s mum and dad tell her about something she’s never heard about before. Something called autism. And everything changes. 

Exam Season  

 It’s a busy and stressful time for our senior pupils, as they begin their exams this month. It’s extra important to look after yourself and your mental health during these kinds of stressful times.

There are lots of books and ebooks available from the school library to help with managing stress, anxiety and finding a wee bit of calm in the chaos! Browse our ebook collection, ‘Young Minds – Mental Health and Wellbeing’,  in the Teen section of Overdrive and Libby.  

You can also download digital practice papers in lots of exam subjects. Browse the collection on Overdrive here or search for ‘SQA’ in Libby. 

Good luck to everyone starting exams next week!

New books 

Finally we’ve got lots of lovely new books in this month! There’s a great variety of genres so plenty to choose from. Here’s a few of the highlights we think will be first off the shelves.  

Romance 

Boy like me / by Simon James Green

Cuts both ways / by Candice Brathwaite

A British girl’s guide to hurricanes and heartbreak / by Laura Taylor Namey

 

 

 

Fantasy 

Tyger / by S. F. Said & Dave McKean

The kingdom over the sea /  by  Zohra  Nabi & Tom Clohosy Cole

The ivory key / by Akshaya Raman

 

 

Spooky 

Most haunted theatres / by Yvette  Fielding & Hannah Shaw

Jodie / by Hilary McKay & Keith Robinson

Wise creatures / by Deirdre Sullivan

 

Book Group @Holyrood Secondary

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Logo by Hunnah & Fabia

‘Chapter Chats’ is our new pupil-led, super friendly Book Group for anyone who loves reading. Started by Fabia and Hunnah in S3, we meet in the Library after school on Mondays. Drop in for a quick and friendly book chat. Our meetings last for about 15 mins. ….. perfect if you’re rushing home to do your homework or make the dinner. Everyone is welcome, both young people and staff.

 

Some of the books we’ve been chatting about :

What I’m reading ……

‘Yellowface’ by R. F. Huang – an unusual and gripping plot line about a young author who will stop at nothing to succeed. Themes include cultural appropriation, addiction to social media, plagiarism and becoming so lost in a lie you even start to convince yourself!

Just discovered our young people are reading Rebecca Huang too:)

Sharing books at Chapter Chat group

Other events

We had great fun with Design a Book Token competition for World Book Day. These designs by Maha and Victoria won joint 1st prize for S1. All entries have also been sent away to the national competition. Well done everyone, fantastic work.

Special thanks to our brilliant S6 Khola, Claire & Fahima who decorated the display board,  and presented prizes to all the winners at our lunchtime celebration. (Fahima is just out of photo as she’s chatting with and encouraging our S1 pupils).

S6 Guest helpers

A fond farewell to all our S6. Their contribution to library events, book groups, paired reading, artwork, general fun, kindness and laughter has been much valued. Exciting times ahead !

“If you’re brave enough to say goodbye, life will reward you with a new hello.” – Paulo Coelho

Library Closure for Exams

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Just a quick update this month to let you all know the library will be shut for the duration of SQA exams. Fortunately, we will be able to accommodate class visits during your usual library period, but all clubs and other activities have been put on hold for now.

person writing on brown wooden table near white ceramic mug

Photo by Unseen Studio on Unsplash

Don’t worry; everything will be back to normal before you know it — maybe even better than before!

Finally, if you’re sitting exams yourself, you might want to check out our Exam Skills Study Guide from December. Good luck & see you soon!

Grand Library Reopening!

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Hi, everyone! Very pleased to announce that the library has now reopened following our closure in February. We have lots of new books for you to check out, as you can see from our latest display…

… As well as all your old favourites just waiting to be rediscovered! So pop in and say hi — just keep in mind the SQA exams.

New library “well being corner”

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The back of St Mungo’s library is a quiet study area.

Recently, a health and well being corner was added for pupils to colour, play chess, or complete a jigsaw puzzle. This relaxation space, available during stressful times like exam periods, is known as the Well Being corner. It features comfortable seating and a “mindful table” with activities such as a giant mindful colouring sheet with pencils, crossword books, word search books, and a jigsaw puzzle.

To boost pupils’ concentration, heighten awareness, broaden memory, and foster teamwork, the library offers a giant Sudoku. To assist pupils in expanding their vocabulary and improving word spelling, the library provides a Boggle game for everyone’s enjoyment.

Additionally, the library maintains a current “shelf help” collection, offering books on a wide range of mental health issues such as anxiety, depression, eating disorders, and life pressures like bullying and exams.

Smithycroft in April

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Our librarian Mr Hassett has created this wonderful display to show a selection of different kinds of books in the library – perfect for a busy pupil looking for a quick browse at library books, but also perfect as a snapshot of the wide range of entertainment that the library has on offer for everyone! 📚📖