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! 📚📖
World Autism Acceptance Week runs from 2nd to 8th April 2024.
Autism is a lifelong developmental disability which affects how people communicate and interact with the world. More than one in 100 people are on the autism spectrum and there are around 700,000 autistic adults and children in the UK (source).
Unfortunately, the school being closed for a well-deserved spring break means that our pupils will not be in the library to explore our collection and display for this week, but school librarians can be trusted to make sure autism visibility and acceptance are important elements of our stock representation all year round. Here is a gallery of fiction and non-fiction books which feature autistic characters, or are written by autistic authors!
The past couple of weeks have seen a planning for World Book Day and meetings with English Department to improve the service we provide to our dear readers. For World Book Day, the well-established worldwide celebration of reading for pleasure, Mr Hassett set up a spectacular book display in the centre of the library, and Ms Bortolato organised a little party in the library with bookish activities and snacks, which were enjoyed by Smithycroft’s library regulars. Over the past week, the pupils have also received their £1 book token which will allow them to get a free World Book Day Book or £1 off other books!
At the time of writing, today is also International Women’s Day, so a new display honouring this has been set up in the library. We try every month to have a non-fiction display that is informative and promotes equality and diversity – so with March being Women’s History Month, this will hopefully catch our readers’ eyes and enable young people to learn about women’s contributions and history!
Finally, many new books have arrived to the school library in Smithycroft! The most recent order was aimed at fleshing out our 🤣 Comedy 😂 and 🐴 Animals=Pals 🐶 sections, however there were also a few new releases and pupils’ requests which are mostly pictured in the selection below.
Happy reading!!
It’s December at Smithycroft Secondary. It began with a lovely gifted donation by author Nadine Aisha Jassat who was the school’s Writer in Residency for 2023, working with pupils and the English Department on creative writing. Her book, “The Stories Grandma Forgot” is a beautiful story in verse about identity and memory and how family ties it all together.
As the festive season is undeniably upon us, I made a display widening the scope of Christmastime to focus on how many religions have Festivals of Lights coming up in these cold dark months: Hinduism’s Diwali diyas, Judaism’s Chanukkah candelabras, Christianity’s Christmas Trees and St Lucia’s candles all show that, no matter what background we come from, what we all have in common unifies us. So may we all share more light and kindness to reduce the darkness and loneliness during this festive season.
On November 20th, a group of S1 pupils from Smithycroft Secondary School had the fantastic opportunity to stroll over to Riddrie Public Library to engage in a session with author Ross Mackenzie.
Ross is a captivating storyteller and kept the pupils group enthralled for the whole session by sharing the memories of how he became a reader and by transporting us into the magical worlds he created. When he unveiled the storyline of his book “The Colour of Hope”, and proceeded to read a chapter of this book out loud to us, we were on the edge of our seats, curious to hear what was coming next!
The element that made Ross Mackenzie into a reader was the excitement he felt when his P5 teacher would read “The Witches”, out loud to his classroom – a great testimony to the impact expressive storytelling can have on a young mind, flicking a switch that turns a child into an enthusiastic, curious reader.
The session continued with some creative writing inspired by “The Colour of Hope”, with Smithycroft pupils having a go at finding a story as to why a villain would steal colours from the world. Here are some of the explanations the participants came up with (click on image to open a large version in a new tab)!
At the end of the session, a Q&A allowed kids to ask Ross some questions – here are some of his answers to inspire everyone! When asked how to find what story to write next and how to find a story to write, Ross’ advice was to ask questions about the world, because questions help dig out stories; a beautiful metaphor likened this to “panning for gold”, a worthy nugget of gold might appear when sifting through all the questions and ideas travelling around the imaginative mind, so just give it a try!
October marks Black History Month in the UK, which gives us many opportunities to celebrate the rich contributions and achievements of Black individuals throughout history.
The roots of Black History Month can be traced back to the USA in 1915, when historian Dr. Carter G. Woodson set up a Society to study the achievements of American Black people . Such achievements had been, until then, undocumented: therefore, this groundbreaking Society earned Dr Woodson the title of “Father of Black History.”
Black History Month wasn’t adopted in the UK until 1987, coinciding with the 150th anniversary of the abolition of slavery in the Caribbean. It was launched in London by Akyaaba Addai-Sebo, a refugee from Ghana.
This year, the theme for Black History Month is “Celebrating Our Sisters“. The school library is excited to participate by showcasing a collection of books which also highlight the impact that women of African and Caribbean heritage have had on society, culture, sports and science. Black women’s’ accomplishments were overlooked for far too long, so I encourage everyone to explore these books and be inspired by their lives.
Within Smithycroft’s school community, we take pride in fostering inclusivity and promoting anti-racism. One notable example is the Anti-Racist Club, co-led by principal teachers Gemma Walters and Rebeca Long, which provides a safe space for students to engage in important discussions surrounding racial equality. This club is also an important source of education for school staff on how to decolonize the school curriculum. Recently, students from the Anti-Racist Club were present at the launch of Glasgow City Council’s Anti-Racism Charter at the City Chambers, so the library is proud to promote anti-racism and a more inclusive history while surrounded by such smart young people.
Holocaust Memorial Day is on January 27th. This date marks the anniversary of the liberation of Auschwitz-Birkenau, the largest Nazi death camp, in 1945.
To mark Holocaust Memorial Day 2023, a display has been made in both schools with plenty of factual information, as well as stories, in order to remember the 6 million innocent Jewish people who were murdered by the Nazis and their collaborators during World War II. We also remember those who survived to live with these horrible memories – and bravely share them.
Some pupils in Bannerman were keen to keep working on Holocaust Education.
Please read real-life testimony from the people who lived those times. Here are some recommendations:
On the Libby app you can find reading lists of eBooks and audiobooks you can borrow for free with your Glasgow Libraries membership. Here they are:
To celebrate and highlight all the author events that took place in the Library this year, me and Miss Pye created #SmithyReads display in the school hallway.
My favourite thing is definitely the pupils’ feedback! Here are some examples:
“Amazing! Her books are really interesting!” Ben L. (S1) about Maisie Chan
“Listening to them explaining their creative process and their backgrounds – it was amazing.” Amy M. (S1) about Metaphrog
“Really got the group together, made us feel a part of something and transported us into his experiences.” Struan Y. (S3) about Alex Wheatle
“Super unique, it didn’t feel like a lesson.” Daniel S. (S3) about Tawona Sithole
Looking forward to hosting even more author events and workshops in the next school year!
Smithycroft pupils joined many other people across Scotland and pledged to read for at least 6 minutes on Wednesday 11 May. The campaign aiming to highlight the positive impact reading can have on mental health and wellbeing was a huge success – in the end there was over 450 000 minutes pledges which far exceeded the initial goal! All Smithycroft pupils had an opportunity to read during the first period – I can’t imagine a better way to start a school day! 🙂
Glow Blogs uses cookies to enhance your experience on our service. By using this service or closing this message you consent to our use of those cookies. Please read our Cookie Policy.