Welcome to John Paul Academy Library!

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Welcome to all our new pupils and staff!

And hello again to returning staff and pupils this August!

This post will give you a quick introduction to the library and how it works – pop in and visit soon!

Meet the Librarian

First, I would like to introduce myself – Miss West, the librarian for John Paul Academy.

Here’s a little information about me:

  • I joined the school in September 2019
  • I love fantasy and sci-fi books and graphic novels
  • Inspired by the book The Hundred-And-One Dalmatians, by Dodie Smith, I have a pet Dalmatian
  • I enjoy reading, writing, crafting and occasionally baking.

You can find me in the library all day, every (school) day.  If you have any questions, need help, or just want a good book chat, pop into the library and say hello!

About the Library

You can find fiction, non fiction, comics, graphic novels, quick-reads and super-readable books in the library.  There are books on a variety of topics or genres to suit your needs, whether it’s reading to learn or reading for pleasure!  

And it’s about more than books!  We also have space for group work, games and crafts.  In the library, you can read, write, relax, play, learn and create!

New Feature: The Craft Cart! – Whether you enjoy designing and making useful or fun objects, or you just like to keep your head and your hands busy, there will be something to keep you occupied on our craft cart! 

How The Library Works

Here are the basic rules on how you can use the library:

Opening Hours: 

  • Mon, Tue + Thu – 8:30-3:45
  • Wed + Fri – 8:30 – 3:00
  • Closed every day from 1:10 to 1:25 for lunch

The Rules

  • No food or drink
  • No loud music or videos (you can use headphones)
  • No running or roughhousing
  • Keep the library clean and tidy
  • Be respectful to one another
  • Follow all COVID guidelines until further notice

Borrowing: 

  • Check out all books with the librarian before taking them out of the library
  • Borrow up to 6 books for 2 weeks each, with 3 renewals
  • Return books to the drop boxes in the library when you are finished
  • Bring your library card with you every time you visit the library

The Library Online

There are lots of ways you can take part with the library online:

  • Teams – On the JPA Library Team page, you can see what we have with Book Browser, ask questions, read Bookmarked: The JPA Library Newsletter, join competitions, play games and more!
    • To join, just search ‘JPA Library’ on Teams or ask in the library for the Team Code.
  • Apps – You can also use your library card to browse and borrow eBooks, audiobooks and eMagazines with the Libby app, Borrowbox app, or online at glasgow.overdrive.com.  You can even stream and download music for free with your library card using the Freegal app.
    • All you need is your library card number and your 4-digit-PIN.  If you’re not sure what this is, just pop in and ask the librarian.

That’s everything you need to know to get started!  Library cards for new pupils will be handed out soon, and everyone is welcome in the library! I look forward to seeing you all soon – Miss West

Spring in Smithycroft Secondary School Library

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In May, we were very lucky to be part of STEM Equals project, supported by the Scottish Government School Library Improvement Fund.

The project started with our 3 researchers visiting from the University of Strathclyde– Lauren, Atimati and Richard introducing themselves and talking about their life as students of Biomedical Engineering, Electronic and Electrical Engineering and Physics.

Our S1 class compared Paisley’s annual rainfall data and explored how this data is relevant for understanding climate change with the help of researchers. Pupils drew graphs and looked for weather patterns and trends. We talked about who can be a scientist (everyone!) and what is Citizen Science.

Pupils did two experiments – identifying plastics and plant water sensor using micro:bits.

Lastly, our S1 pupils got a remote visit from Gill Lewis, who is a children’s author, vet and wildlife enthusiast. She wrote over 20 books about animals and environmental issues and many pupils were already familiar with her books, especially White Dolphin. In her video, Gill explained why books are important, why arts are important to science and even taught us to speak Gorilla!

The school library received almost 50 new books (thank you SLIC and Miss Clarke, a school librarian from All Saints Secondary School and Lochend Community High School!) and we created a new display to tie in with the project.

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Jules Scheele (they/them) are a Glasgow-based illustrator, comics artist and graphic facilitator whose art focuses strongly on mental health, queerness, activism and community. They created many personal zines, but most notably illustrated books Queer: A Graphic History, Gender: A Graphic Guide and Sexuality: A Graphic Guide.

Jules recorded a video talk for our S3 pupils and school LGBT+ club, where they talked about the history of zines, their journey to becoming an illustrator, showed us how to make a simple zine by using only A4 paper and scissors and answered pupils’ questions that were everything from “Who do you hope to reach with your art?” to “What advice would you give to your teenage self”.

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Smithycroft Library won a Toppsta competition for the best display using new Angie Thomas’ book Concrete Rose and won two more copies of the book! I can’t wait for pupils to read this prequel to the bestselling book The Hate U Give and tell me what they think!

Thank you everyone for this school year and see you in the next one! 🙂

Holyrood Library – Summer Term

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Thank you Helpers!

Here’s a round up of some of the fun we’ve had in May/ June:

Most days start with a “Good Morning” on library Teams. We check in with each other and make sure everyone is having a good day.

We enjoyed fun quizzes for ‘Earth Day’, and ‘Oceans Day’, finding out which animals each of us resembles!

   

On Empathy Day we chatted about empathy and how we can look out for each other. We put up a book display of Self-help books, and recommended our favourite authors.

           

“I recommend self-help books because it does a lot of good for my mental health and self-esteem. I really like the author Fearne Cotton. She uses examples that I can relate to”            (S3 Pupil) 

 

We made a Book display for Euro 2021, and prepared books to give to our visiting P7 pupils.

   

Our Library Helpers have been fantastic, whether helping with book displays, activities, or just chilling out with friends,

 

Thank you so much to everyone who has borrowed books, helped out either in person or on library Teams or simply just been there for company. Thanks also to Laraib and Fiza our Duke of Edinburgh helpers. You have all been amazing!

Can’t wait to see everyone next year and have even more fun.

Bon Voyage!

See Yourself in STEM – SLIF Project

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Hello there!

It’s almost time to wind down for the summer holidays after an action packed May. We had some wonderful visitors in last month, working with our S2s in the Tech Department for the See Yourself in STEM Project.  With a focus on climate change and diversity in STEM, the project was funded through SLIF (the School Library Improvement Fund) and involved collaboration between three Glasgow schools (including ours), three authors, Glasgow Life Libraries and the University of Strathclyde. Role model scientists and engineers from the university came in over four sessions. We had the opportunity to try out various experiments such as making bioplastics in the microwave and creating a potato battery. Unfortunately some potato batteries were injured in the process :-).

For more info on the project and the researcher role models click the links below:

Project: https://www.stemequals.ac.uk/Initiatives/See-Yourself-In-STEM

Role models: https://www.stemequals.ac.uk/Initiatives/See-Yourself-In-STEM/Profiles

(This Project is supported by the Scottish Government School Library Improvement Fund).

 

3 books to read during Refugee Week​

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In June we celebrate  Refugee Week​  (14-20 June 2021), Refugee Festival Scotland (14-20 June 2021) and World Refugee Day (20 June).

Here are 3 books I recommend everyone to read:

  1. Alpha by Bessora and Stephane Barroux, Graphic Novel

Alpha tells a story of a man, who flees his home country in search of his wife and child, who already left. As he tries to reach France to meet them, he encounters people traffickers, harsh conditions in refugee camps and people desperately trying to cross the sea in overcrowded and dangerous boats.

The journey that would take few hours on a plane, can take months or even years if you are a refugee. The illustrations are mostly black and grey, portraying the journey as never ending and hopeless.

You can watch Sarah Ardizzone (translator) and Bessora (author) talk about Alpha here.

  1. Boy, Everywhere by A.M. Dassu, Fiction

This book is about Sami, a 13 year old boy living in Damascus with his parents and sister. After the local mall is bombed, his family decides they can no longer stay in Syria. Together they embark on a long journey through countries and continents, hoping to reach and find a new home in England.

Boy, Everywhere was included in 2021 Read for Empathy collection.
You can watch A.M. Dassu speak about empathy in this video.

  1. Forced to Flee: Refugee Children Drawing on their Experiences, Non-fiction

Force to Flee is a collection of refugee children’s stories and drawings, focusing on children from Syria, South Sudan and Central America. The book describes a political situation in these places and explains why so many people try to flee them. It also includes a great list of additional resources for further reading.

None of these books are easy to read. They are heartbreaking, but powerful and important. You can find all these book in the Empathy display in the school library.

Celebrating our different cultures

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Hello readers, 

 April has marked the beginning of our EAL Reading project, supported by the Scottish Government School Library Improvement Fund.  We are one of the many Glasgow school libraries taking part, guided by the wonderful Ms DeLeavey – librarian at St Margaret Mary Secondary School and Shawlands Academy – who has tirelessly been working on it. 

As school librarians we have also taken part diverse and very informative training by different stakeholders, such as the Glasgow City Council EAL Unit and the Scottish Refugee Library.  This solid basis, and the support of Mr Gibson – Knightswood Secondary School EAL teacher – has given Ms Spaltro the right incentive to start the reading club with a group of S2 pupils. But also a multicultural club, ‘Culture Vulture’, co-lead with Miss Di Rollo, German and Spanish teacher.

Since April, the group has largely grown and while we have been all been improving our English – included the librarian – we have also learnt a lot about each other’s cultures; while reading  ‘Eagle Warrior’ by Gill Lewis. A great reading for those who seek to know more about Scottish culture and countryside.

Our weekly schedule looks like this: reading group on Wednesdays, and Culture Vulture on Thursdays at lunch, open to everyone. The topics of the club meetings have been: favourite place in Glasgow, different idioms compared, and Fashion in different countries. 

Thus far, the pupils’ commitment has been outstanding, but this was only a small part of the whole project. Stay tuned to know what’s boiling in the pot – as we say in Italy!

We’re back!

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Hi there! The blog has been a bit quiet lately as we have been busy producing a shiny new newsletter. Every month, we will be featuring some of the best the library at St. Andrew’s has to offer plus book reviews, events and much much more. Follow the link here for the March edition and here for the April/May edition. We have already had some pupils coming forward to contribute to next months’ edition but we are always looking for more! Email me on gw19mcgregormark@glow.ea.glasgow.sch.uk if you are interested.

Our service will be limited over the coming weeks due to assessments taking place in the library which will make browsing very difficult, if not very close to impossible. But fear not! We still have a click and collect service! Look out for the QR codes around the school or follow this link and fill out a form! 

Also, to keep up to date with the very latest goings on in the library, follow us on Twitter! @standrew_schlib

May News

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Hello!

Although the library is mainly closed this month due to SQA assessments taking place, we still have a busy time ahead.

Book Amnesty: Please search high and low for any school library books you may have. Drop them off in the library, when you get a chance, or hand them into your English teacher. Don’t worry if they are reaalllly overdue. You have a good excuse! 🙂

Library Newsletter: Please email me if you have anything you would like to submit to the library newsletter. it can be a book review, drawing, poem, flash fiction – anything considered! My email address is: gw17clarkepamela@glow.sch.uk

EAL Reading Group: We’ve started an EAL Reading Group with some of out S3 pupils, as part of a citywide SLIF funded project. What a great group! Plenty to discuss and some biscuits too. Looking forward to all our upcoming sessions.