Category Archives: St Roch’s Secondary School

St Roch’s Reads: October

What’s happening this month in St Roch’s School Library?

Story groups

Our S1 and S2 story groups take place every two weeks in the library. In September we had a new bunch of pupils join, so we made some ‘All about me’ zines to get to know each other. Our S2 group did some poetry craft, making their own patchwork-poems out of quotes from lines of poetry and songs. 

This month we had a spooky theme for our sessions- monsters! We learned a bit about the story of Frankenstein (did you know that ‘Frankenstein’ was actually the scientist, not the monster??) and then designed our own monsters. There were some very scary creations! Afterwards we managed to squeeze in a Blooket ‘gold quest’ quiz, which was almost as scary.  

New volunteers 

This month we welcome 10 new volunteers who want to join the pupil library team. Our new members met their mentors who will help them learn all about being a library assistant and show them the ropes for the next month. Pupils will be learning about how the library is organised, practising customer service skills and helping senior volunteers with projects.  They’ll be pros in no time!

October Book Displays

We’ve got two spotlight displays this month. On our Black History Month display you’ll find a range of non-fiction books celebrating Black history, culture and important figures. Don’t worry if you’re not a non-fiction fan, there’s also some great fiction books by Black authors. 

October is of course Spooky Season. If you’re a fan of all things scary, our Halloween display is perfect for you. It’s full of frightful books, ghoulish horror, mysterious murders and things that go bump in the night.

Happy reading everyone!

St Roch’s Reads: September

What’s been happening this month in St Roch’s School Library?

After a brief visit from the sun, Autumn is definitely here. This week our library assistants Niamh and Ava put together an autumnal- themed display, full of lovely seasonal colours. 

The library also got a wee refresh this month, with some new carpet. All the library volunteers were on hand to help with emptying the shelves and they deserve a huge Thank You for their efforts. Now the real task is reshelving but they’re doing a great job of it! 

We welcomed all our new S1 pupils to the library this month. Classes learned how to use the library, all about the different books available and they also got their brand new library cards.

We had some kind S2 and S3 pupils on hand to help answer questions and show younger pupils around too. Everyone is ready for a great year of library visits! 

Lastly, the new book options have been great this month. Here’s the top picks so far from library assistant Roya.  

New term, new books!

Its the start of a new school year and we’re delighted to welcome everyone back to the library. We can’t believe it’s autumn already!  

Even though school is just back, we’ve already got lots of lovely new reads on offer. Our library assistants have been excitedly rifling through the new books. Here they share their top picks and the reasons they’re excited to read them. 

A tale of two knights : An Arthurian love story / ill. by L S Biehler 

When Merlin goes missing and Camelot falls under attack, King Arthur sends his estranged half-sister, Morgan le Fay, and esteemed Knights of the Round Table, Tristan and Lancelot, to find him. In this reimagining of an Arthurian legend, Knights of the Round Table Lancelot and Tristan set out on a quest to find the missing magician Merlin but instead discover an unexpected romance. 

Pupils say: This looks like a very good slow-burn love story 

If my words had wings / by Danielle Jawando 

When fifteen-year-old Tyrell Forrester gets caught up in a high-profile armed robbery, he’s sentenced to eighteen months in a young offenders’ prison.  Inspired by a visiting poet while inside, Ty discovers a whole new world through spoken word and is finally finding his voice. But will society ever see him as anything other than a criminal? A life affirming story of rehabilitation and hope after prison. 

Pupils say: The book cover is really eye catching and the title sounds engaging. 

The hunt for Star-Lord / Illustrated by Cam Kendell 

Rocket and Groot are living their best lives touring the galaxy for the very best deep-dish pizza in the universe. Just as Rocket is about to bite down on a gooey slice of pizza with extra trash, an alert pops up on his bounty tracker: Star-Lord has been kidnapped and is being held for ransom! 

Pupils say: I like Marvel in general, especially Star-Lord 

Deadly deep / be Jennifer Kilick 

It’s summer term and time for a school trip with a difference! Year 8 are on a boat off the coast of France, learning about ocean life. But things are about to get WEIRD . . . 

Who is the creepy man on board the ship? And what IS the vast, shadowy creature seen lurking at the bottom of the ocean? A perfect story for fans of R.L. Stine’s Goosebumps and Stranger Things! 

Pupils say: The cover tells me it’s a very good read and the blurb sounds amazing. 

Black Hole Cinema Club / by Christopher Edge  

When Lucas meets his friends at the local cinema – nicknamed ‘The Black Hole’ – they’re excited about the movie marathon ahead. Non-stop action, blockbuster special effects and all the snacks they can eat. But as the lights go down, Lucas, Ash, Maya, Caitlin and Finn watch in disbelief as a jet-black tidal wave comes crashing out of the cinema screen and the five friends find themselves swept into an epic adventure. 

Pupils say: The cover and the back look interesting, it sounds like a very good read. 

Dead lock / by Simon Fox 

Archie Blake thought his policeman father teaching him how to pick locks and open safes was just a bit of fun. But when a diamond necklace is stolen and his dad is arrested, Archie realises the only way to prove Dad’s innocence is to go on the run and use everything he’s learned to uncover the truth. But Archie soon finds himself deeply tangled in the criminal underworld, where it’s hard to know who to trust and even harder to see what’s right or wrong. 

Perfect for fans of Alex Rider and Artemis Fowl. 

Pupils Say: The art of the cover makes this look like a really cool book.  

 Skandar and the unicorn thief / by A. F. Steadman 

Thirteen-year-old Skandar Smith has only ever wanted to be a unicorn rider. To be one of the lucky few selected to hatch a unicorn. To bond with it for life; to train together and race for glory; to be a hero. But just as Skandar’s dream is about to come true, things start to take a more dangerous turn than he could ever have imagined. A dark and twisted enemy has stolen the Island’s most powerful unicorn – and as the threat grows ever closer, Skandar discovers a secret that could blow apart his world forever . . . 

The first book in the award-winning, international hit fantasy adventure series. Perfect for fans of Harry Potter, Percy Jackson, Eragon and Fireborn  

Pupils say: The cover has a fantasy vibe and it kind of looks like the Percy Jackson series, which I really like.  

Dune / by Frank Herbert 

Melange, or ‘spice’, is the most valuable – and rarest – element in the universe. And it can only be found on a single planet: the inhospitable desert world Arrakis. Whoever controls Arrakis controls the spice. And whoever controls the spice controls the universe. When stewardship of Arrakis is transferred to his house, Paul Atreides must travel to the planet’s dangerous surface to ensure the future of his family and his people. But as malevolent forces explode into conflict around him, Paul is thrust into a great destiny beyond his understanding.

Librarian’s pick: I really loved the Dune movies, the story is so exciting and mysterious. I grabbed this new edition arrived, I wanted to read it and find out more about the characters. Plus, this way I don’t need to wait for the next movie to find out what happens next!

What will your next read be?

St Roch’s Reads: June

What’s happening in St Roch’s library as we reach the end of another school year

Empathy Day

Taking place in June every year, Empathy Day celebrates and grows empathy’s power to create a better world. It shines a light on books’ role in raising an empathy-educated generation. through stories, and to put empathy into action! 

This year we marked empathy day with an Empathy Bookshelf display and  Empathy Reads noticeboard. The library volunteers did a wonderful job on their corridor display.  

Ms Wood’s S2 class also joined in an Empathy Day activity session. We listened to ‘The piano at the station’ a story by Helen Rutter from the empathy shorts collection. We then spoke in groups about the story, using conversation prompts then helped us think about the experience and emotions of characters.  Afterwards we broke out the art supplies and created colourful emotion maps, describing our own feelings from the day or imagining what the characters were feeling in the story. There are lots of great activities and samples in the annual Empathy Day resource pack and on their website including a great selection of short stories from fantastic authors.  

Storytelling group 

We also had our final story group of the year! Our groups in S1 and S2 take part in creative activities focused on storytelling which can help pupils to recognize their emotions and express themselves. 

For our last sessions pupils picked an emotion off the feelings wheel, imagined that emotion as a character and then wrote a descriptive poem. Afterwards we used modelling clay or lego to build our poem character. This session was based on poetry prompts shared by Waterstones Children’s Laureate 2023 Joseph Coelho.

Library Volunteers

As term finished, we celebrated a year of hard work from our volunteer team with a pizza party and movie screening. Everyone was a great help in the library over the year but a few pupils went above and beyond and earned their first Library Assistant Award. Well done to Raya, Ore, Rose, Ava, Roya and Msgana. And a big thank you to our HT Mr Herron for providing the pizza and snacks, which went down very well!  What a great end to the school year. 

We were very grateful to the Scottish Poetry Library this month for funding a poetry session for pupils with Julie McNeill.  Julie is a poet and non-fiction writer living in Glasgow. She has published two poetry collections: Something Small and Ragged Rainbows, she also co-wrote Mission Dyslexia, a non-fiction book for children and young people with dyslexia.  

Julie is the Poet-in-residence for St Mirren FC charitable trust and a huge football fan.

In the session with our S2 pupils she used football to explore emotion and self-expression. Pupils used a memory as a jumping off point to write their own poem. We were really impressed with the poems that were created, and well done to the pupils who willing to share their wonderful work. 

Huge thanks to Julie for visiting and for donating us a signed copy of We are Scottish football. You can borrow this and Mission dyslexia from the school library now.  

St Roch’s Reads: April

Autism Acceptance Week, Easter, Eid, exams – April is one busy month! Here’s what’s been happening in St Roch’s School Library. 

Pupil Reads: Steady for this by Nathanael Lessore 

This month some of our pupils have been reading through the Yoto Carnegie shortlist titles and sharing mini-reviews.  Here are Roya’s thoughts on Steady for this by Nathanael Lessore. Find out about the other shortlist books available in the school library here.

Q: Tell me about the book, but don’t give away the ending! 

The book is about a boy who wants to be a rapper and then a big twist happens. It is a book about racism and lifestyle. At first you might not like it but at the end it’s a nice and smooth going book.

Q: Tell me about your favourite part of the book 

When he meets a new friend who doesn’t know about his embarrassment and sticks with him till the end. 

Q: I recommend this book to anyone who likes.. 

A nice, easy going, romantic comedy. 

Q: What would you like to ask the author? 

What would you do if your mum exposed your dirty laundry to the world, live? ?

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 what autism is and how it can affect life for people. It also highlights and celebrate 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. 

Eid 

Earlier this month Muslim people around the world celebrated Eid, marking the end of Ramadan and 30 days of fasting. It is one of the biggest festivals in the Islamic calendar, celebrated with family, friends, food and prayer. We put together a collection of books by Muslim authors to mark Ramadan and Eid, which you can find on our Padlet page.

You can borrow any of these from the school library, just ask at the desk.  

Lucky Dip  

St Roch’s pupils have a great reading culture, with library visits and personal reading time built into English classes. Pupils regularly visit us regularly for new reading material, but sometimes they can find it hard to choose something. Our library assistant Ava had a great idea to help pupils who just can’t decide- a Lucky Dip book box!

How does it work?

We chose a range of different books we thought pupils would enjoy, non fiction, quick reads, comics and all types of fiction genres. Then Ava made up tickets with the book title and 3 word descriptions. Now pupils who are stuck can take a ticket from the box and bring it to the desk to get there lucky dip surprise read. It’s worked really well with our regular class visits. Well done Ava for a great idea! 

Keep calm and carry on-through-exams 

It’s exam time for our senior pupils! This time of year can be very stressful few weeks, so it’s extra important to take care of yourself and your mental health. There are lots of books that can help you manage stress/anxiety and find a little bit of calm. Check out some of these books on the Stress Less book display, available now in the school library. Well done to the library assistant team for putting this together.

St Roch’s Reads: March

Word book day 

March means World Book Day time! The library has handed out lots of tokens and they’re available until the end of the month. WBD token can be used to claim a free book in bookshops an participating shops until 31st March. You can find out about the books and shops here. 

To mark the day, this year pupils competed in quizzes and joined in some bookish games of Tumbling Towers. Every block had a question or action and we had some delightful reading dares as forfeits. Big thanks to all the pupil library assistants who helped out as activity leaders.

 

Yoto shortlist 

On 13th March the Yoto Carnegie award shortlist was announced and the pupil assistants have jumped right in. We’re reading Away with words , The door of no return and Steady for this at the moment, you can find out more about these titles below.  Stay tuned for next month’s blog to see what we thought.

Away with words by Sophie Cameron 

Gala and her dad, Jordi, have just moved from home in Cataluña to a town in Scotland, to live with Jordi’s boyfriend Ryan. Gala doesn’t speak much English, and feels lost, lonely and unable to be her usual funny self. Until she befriends Natalie, a girl with selective mutism. Set in a world where words appear physically when people speak, AWAY WITH WORDS explores the importance of communication and being there for those we love 

The door of no return / Kwame Alexander

Eleven-year-old Kofi Offin  loves these things above all else: his family, the fireside tales of his father’s father, a girl named Ama, and, of course, swimming. But when the unthinkable  occurs during a festival between rival villages, Kofi ends up in a fight for his life. What happens next will send him on a harrowing journey across land and sea, and away from everything he loves. 

Steady for this by Nathanael Lessore 

Shaun (aka MC Growls) is ready to drop his best bars and smash the competition at Raptology. That way, he’s convinced Tanisha, his crush, will finally give him a chance.
But when a livestream practice goes epically wrong, Growls’s dirty laundry is literally exposed. He’s finally achieved his dreams of going viral – not in the good way.
Now Tanisha won’t look at him, he’s the joke of the school and there’s no way he can show his face at the competition. Will he ever catch a break? 

Happy Ramadan

Ramadan is the ninth month of the Islamic calendar, taking place in March and April this year. It is a holy month which Muslims observe by giving, fasting, worship, studying the Quran, spiritual reflection, prayer and helping others. The end of Ramadan will be celebrated in April with Eid al-Fitr – the Festival of the Breaking of the Fast. Remember to be considerate of your Muslim friends during Ramadan, as they may be fasting during the day. 

Many St Roch’s pupils are observing Ramadan this month, including some of our library volunteers. They put together a lovely library display to share information about Islamic culture and promote Muslim authors. Well done to Rose & co for their work.

The holidays will soon be upon us, we hope you all enjoy a well earned break. Time to rest and recharge before getting ready for exam season! 

Ramadan Mubarak & Happy Easter to everyone celebrating.

St Roch’s Reads: February

Our library assistants out done themselves with book displays and promotions this month. Well done everyone who pitched in!  Morire and Ava made our Dark reads for Dark nights display, full of thrillers and chillers. Along with a love-themed book display, Iman and Amani  decided to conduct some pupil research, asking library visitors to vote For or Against Valentine’s day. The votes were counted and ( drum roll)… turns out it’s an even split, so the love stories can stay. 

Everyone helped decorate for International Mother Languages Day. We’ve got colourful signs up to represent lots of the languages spoken in school. Did you know that in the library you can find books in languages from all around the world too? Including old favourites like Harry Potter, Dork diaries and Diary of a wimpy kid. 

New Books 

This month we had a delivery of new senior stock, hurray! Our senior collection includes fiction and non fiction for S4+ upwards. These new books were recommended by teachers, pupils and librarians. There’s lots of different genres, from contemporary to classic sci-fi, so there’s plenty to choose from if you’re ready to branch out from teen fiction. here.  

Ready player one / Ernest Cline
Ready player one is a thrilling science fiction novel by Ernest Cline that follows teenager Wade Watts as he navigates a virtual reality world in search of a hidden Easter egg that holds the key to a massive fortune. Packed with 80s pop culture references, high-stakes challenges, and a race against time, this book is a must-read for gamers and nostalgia enthusiasts alike. 

Klara and the sun / Kazuo Ishiguro 
From her place in the store, Klara, an Artificial Friend with outstanding observational qualities, watches carefully the behaviour of those who come in to browse. She remains hopeful a customer will soon choose her, but when the possibility emerges that her circumstances may change for ever, Klara is warned not to invest too much in the promises of humans. 

In Klara and The Sun, Kazuo Ishiguro looks at our rapidly changing world through the eyes of an unforgettable narrator to explore a fundamental question: what does it mean to love? 

The night circus / Erin Morgenstern
The Night Circus is a fantastical and enchanting tale of a mysterious, travelling circus that only opens at night. Within its black-and-white striped tents, two young magicians engage in a magical competition that could have far-reaching consequences for everyone involved. With its vivid imagery and intricate storytelling, this novel will transport readers to a world where the line between reality and illusion is blurred. 

The goldfinch / Donna Tartt 

The Goldfinch is a gripping novel that follows the life of Theo Decker after a terrorist attack changes his world forever. As he navigates loss, love, and the pursuit of a stolen painting, Theo’s story is a heartbreaking and captivating exploration of fate and redemption. 

LGBT history month 

LGBT+ History Month is celebrated every February across the UK and was founded in 2004 by Schools OUT UK. It started as a way to claim the past, celebrate the present and create the future for LGBT+ people.  

You’ll find a great mix of fiction and non-fiction books on display in the library to mark the month. If you prefer to use Libby, there’s plenty of ebooks and audiobooks available  too. 

Check out our LGBT+ fiction  and non-fiction book lists on Padlet to see what’s available.  

St Roch’s Reads: January

New year, new books 

Happy 2024 everyone! We’re back for a new term- and lot of lovely new books.  

The boxes were barely open before library assistants dove in to see what’s on offer.  Here are some of their top picks to read first.  

 You could be so pretty by Holly Bourne 

Uglies meets The Handmaid’s Tale for the new YA generation in this mind-blowing novel from bestselling queen of YA Holly Bourne. 

Pupils say: “This book looks interesting because of the title, it looks like a thriller. When it says ‘beauty comes a price’ it makes you want to pick it up.” 

Wise Creatures by Deirdre Sullivan

I always thought that hauntings began with houses. They don’t, of course. It’s people, isn’t it? They begin with people. .. 

Pupils say: “This looks like a psychological horror that might have a shocking ending…” 

How to find a missing girl by Victoria Wlosok 

For fans of A Good Girl’s Guide to Murder and Veronica Mars, this whip-smart thriller follows a teen detective seeking the truth behind a growing trail of missing girls in small-town Louisiana. 

Pupils say: “This book looks really interesting, it reminds me of ‘A good girls guide to murder’.” 

Fir by Sharon GoslingSavage Island by Bryony Pearce / Charlotte Says by Alex Bell 

The Red Eye Series is a collection of bloodcurdling YA horror – from chilling ghost stories to addictive psychological thrillers. 

Pupils Say: “I really like horror and Red Eye is a horror series. The best authors write this, so give it a try.” 

All of these books are available to borrow now from the school library.

 

 

St Roch’s Reads: December

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The festive season is in full swing in St Roch’s. Earlier this month we constructed our Christmas Tree and pupils have been adding their handmade decorations to it during break times. Pupils also made mini-trees out of old books for our Christmas book display and, in the spirit of the season, we even broke out the glitter to decorate.

At our regular S1 storytelling group last week, we had a lovely chill creating session to wrap up for this term. Some pupils chose to make lego, some chose clay, and some made a paper-craft gnome. Every Gnome also got it’s own name and back story, of course. Here we have 3 of the creations- Ava, Geoffrey and Steve. Steve’s favourite food is veggies, Ava’s favourite colour is purple and Geoffrey wants to be the first gnome into space.

 

 

Friday December 15th was Cultural Diversity Day in St Roch’s, a day where pupils showcase food, music and traditions from cultures around the world.

It was a busy day of activity in the assembly hall, and pupils in every year had the chance to visit and see the displays.  Well done to all the staff and pupils who took part- especially the library assistants. As well as sharing their music and drama skills in the assembly hall, they also made a library display to showcase books in multiple languages and by authors from all over the world.

Now, onto the books! This month we’re reading..

Timelines of world history 

If you could travel back in time, where would you go first? Who would you most want to meet? What pivotal moment in history would you most like to experience? This awe-inspiring history book may be able to help you answer those questions and more!

Fear Street: Secret Admirer by R. L. Stine

A young actress draws a sinister spotlight in this spooky instalment in R.L. Stine’s bestselling Fear Street series!

FNAF: The bobbiedots conclusion by Scot Cawthon

Fans won’t want to miss this pulsepounding collection of three novella-length stories that will keep even the bravest player up at night…Readers beware: this collection of terrifying tales is enough to unsettle even the most hardened Five Nights at Freddy’s fans

Pumpkinheads by Rainbow Rowell & Faith Erin Hicks

A smart and swoony Rainbow Rowell romance. This graphic novel is about two teens discovering what it means to leave behind a place – and a person – with no regrets.

Engineers making a difference by Shini Somara & Adam Allsuch Boardman

In this book you’ll meet 46 engineers, from apprentices and lab technicians to university professors and start-up CEOs and hear what problems they are solving and why they love their jobs. Engineers are changing the world. Will you be one of them?

Win lose kill die by Cynthia Murphy

The students at Morton Academy are high-achievers, selected based on academic excellence. So when a series of murders target the school’s brightest and best, the pressure is on. Someone is determined to stop at nothing to clear their path to the top. But who is it? And can they be stopped?

Hopefully now you’ve got some ideas for what to read over the holidays.

Merry Christmas & Happy new year!