Available now in the library is an interactive ‘Bookflix’ that can be used on the large touchscreen in the library. This lets pupils browse through different genres and top picks, and find out where the books are in the library.
Not sure what to read next? Why not spend some time browsing through Bookflix!
We’re kicking off 2020 in the library by taking part in Amnesty International’s ‘Words that Burn’ poetry project. Writer, poet, musician and performer Tawona Sithole will be helping our S2 pupils explore human rights through poetry. We can’t wait to get started at the end of January and get down to writing some poems of our own. Pupils will have the chance to perform their poems live at a citywide poetry slam and all poems will be published in a fabulous new poetry anthology. We can’t wait!
Did you know that Shawlands Academy has a Twitter account? We’re looking for a new Twitter avatar and who better to design it than our extremely creative and talented students!
To enter:
Draw a reading or book themed picture Submit to the Librarian by January 31st Submissions will be displayed throughout February Pupils will vote on their favourite design Winner announced March 2nd
LGBT+ Mitchell Event: Over the past few months, Shawlands Academy Library, Smithycroft Secondary School, and Hillhead Secondary School were part of an LGBT project funded by the Scottish Library and Information Council (SLIC). The project is aimed to support LGBT+ young people’s wellbeing and digital literacy by creating an online community and safe space, which will develop and encourage digital creativity through sharing experiences and peer support. To do this, each Library created an online community with an equalities/LGBT+ focus across Glasgow Schools that will give pupils an opportunity to share experiences through creative writing and informal communication. Pupils were invited to partake in an LGBT+ book group supported by their School Librarian and share their opinions of the book on the GLOW blog. There were also opportunities for pupil involvement and input throughout the project through participatory purchasing which involves the pupils to select the LGBT+ resources they want in the Library. Authors in Residence were invited to work with students on their creative writing. Authors, Michael Lee Richardson, and Jem Milton, visited our school over October and November to deliver some interesting and thought-provoking workshops as well as create a piece of collaborative poetry to be presented at the Mitchell Celebration event.
December 3rd saw the project’s finale at the Mitchell Library where all three participating schools met to attend workshops and share their work. The event included workshops by Dean Atta, Jem Milton, and Kirsty Logan.
Read more information about the project on the Glasgow Libraries LGBT Blog
LGBT Youth Scotland: Shawlands Academy has been awarded their GOLD charter from LGBT Youth Scotland! It is the first secondary school in Glasgow to have received it and one of a handful in the country to have been awarded it. GOLD Charter is a programme that shows the school champions LGBTQI pupil inclusion and safeguards their rights. Read more about the Charter
Disco Books: The Library celebrated Book Week Scotland by throwing a book tasting disco party! Blether was this year’s BWS theme, so pupils were invited to attend a special lunchtime Library club to learn and talk about books. Pupils took a seat along the table. In front of them were books ranging in different genres, lengths, and levels were positioned. The activity involved blasting disco music as pupils handed books around the table. When the music stopped, they had four minutes to read the blub and a section of the book then write what they thought about it, whether or not they’d read it, and who’d they recommend it to. Discoveries were made, conversations were had, and books were shared!
First Minister’s Reading Challenge shelf recommendation cards were distributed to S1 and S2 classes to encourage them to share their favourite book or a title they’d recommend. These were used to inform the books selected for our Book Week Scotland display.
Finally, the Library had a special guest, multi-award winning slam poet Ash Dickinson, to perform and deliver a workshop with one of our S3 classes during Book Week Scotland. Ash is a poet, author, performer, and workshop facilitator who has toured worldwide. Students got the chance to hear some of his performance poetry as well as having a go on creating their own.
The Scottish Book Trust ran a poll to find out the Nation’s Favourite Scots word. Judges narrowed down 30 words from across Scotland that we displayed on our board outside of the Library to encourage pupils to vote on their favourite. The Librarian worked with S1 pupils who spent their lunch break collecting other students vote.
Last week for Book Week Scotland, the Rosshall Library Group imagined what the blethering would be like between characters from various books. We had Jamie Johnson and Frodo chatting about football, Katniss tried to get Percy Jackson involved in a revolution, and Lyra got Harry and Ron confused!
As Book Week Scotland comes to a close, my first as a school librarian, I can safely say that the week has been a great success and a lot of fun. All week we have been running a book swap station where staff and pupils have been encouraged to bring in old books in return for new ones. We also had a BWS Manga Club Special with the young people designing their own Manga book covers.
However, the highlight was definitely the Reading Lunch on Thursday, run along with our PT of Literacy. The turnout was excellent and it was great to see so many young people and staff come along with their books, ready to discuss them over a spot of lunch.
Book Week Scotland is almost here, and to celebrate at Bellahouston Academy I enlisted the help of Miss Johnson and her excellent ESOL class to translate some first lines into other languages. We have Coraline in Urdu, Dr Jekyll & Mr Hyde in Spanish, How To Train Your Dragon in Russian and Belarussian, Pride and Prejudice in Italian, and Skulduggery Pleasant in Arabic and Punjabi.
Great stories in any language
Pupils from S2 at Cleveden have taken part in their first session of the Amnesty International project Words That Burn. After an introduction to the work of Amnesty International and a discussion around what human rights meant to them, the pupils attempted the Make a Difference in a Minute challenge: Creating a poem that can be performed in a minute or under in response to the theme of human rights.
Invoking their right to freedom of expression, the pupils performed in a brief poetry slam with spoken word pieces (and a full-on rap!!!) focussing on women’s rights, education inequality and bearing witness. It was refreshing to see an awareness of major issues and even better to hear a willingness to use creative solidarity to protest and speak truth to human rights violations.
Author workshops: Author, poet, and Bafta-award winning scriptwriter, Michael Lee Richardson, returned to deliver two more poetry workshops. Michael had introduced the pupils to ‘cut-up poetry’, a technique popularised by Dada artists Tristian Tzara in the 1920s where linear text is cut up then reassembled to create a new poem. Our version was LGBT themed, using some of Michael’s published text on Ru Paul and Queen frontman, Freddie Mercury. Our final session with Michael saw us creating poems and creative writing pieces using LGBT photos as inspiration. In the latter part of the session, pupils were instructed to write about colours of pens they’ve chosen using sensory, descriptive words that he would then take away, rearrange and send back in poem form.
A big thank you to Michael Lee Richardson for his time and talent. The group really enjoyed the workshops and felt empowered and proud of the poems they created.
Book Week Scotland: This year’s Book Week Scotland theme is Blether, so the Library has created a display of pupil suggestions taken from FMRC recommendation cards. Here’s what some pupils are saying about their favourite books:
Does my Head Look Big in This by Randa Abdel-Fattah: You’ll enjoy this book if you like realistic stories that you can relate to.
The Cupcake Wedding by Gillian Cross: You’ll enjoy this book if you like books about cupcakes and humour
S/He by Catherine Bruton: This book is worth reading because it shows the LBT community working together and you shouldn’t have to label someone. You should just be accepting of everyone.
Wonder by RJ Palacio: You’ll enjoy this book if you like realistic books, comedy and emotional text. It has an incredible ending.
Tokyo Ghoul 14 by Sui Ishida: You’ll enjoy this book if you like books full of action
Book Week Scotland Comics: The Library teamed up with the English Department who organised a week-long comic-making activity for all S1 pupils. Pupils were put into teams and given free rein to plan, design, and create their very own comic book. The top four comics were chosen by a teacher and the Librarian and winners would receive Amazon gift vouchers and would have their comics turned into a flip-book. Congratulations to the winners and well done to those who participated.
Book Week Scotland: Book Swap: We also enjoyed a cake, a book, and a blether as part of the Big Book Swap in the library to end an eventful Book Week Scotland. . Students and teachers were encouraged to donate books for the event in exchange for a slice of cake or a free swap. A huge thank you to Miss McLean of the English Department for organising some the event.
Shawlands Favourite Scots Word: As part of Book Week Scotland, the Scottish Book Trust held a poll to find out the nation’s favourite Scots word. Judges narrowed the selection down to 30 words. We thought it would be interesting to run our own poll within the school to find out Shawlands Academy’s favourite Scots words.
Here are the winners: Scotland’s favourite: Driech Shawlands Academy’s favourite: Wheesht!
Hurricane Book Group: The Hurricane Book Group met for their Twitter chat with Muhammad Khan to discuss his book I Am Thunder. Pupils enjoyed pizza and soft drinks and were thrilled to have an opportunity to chat back and forth with a published author. Looking forward to the next term when we will read Sara Barnard’s prize-winning book, Goodbye Perfect.
Author visit: Jem Milton: The Library invited illustrator and author, Jem Milton, to visit some S3 pupils for an LGBT superhero character workshop as part of our SLIF-funded project. Jem introduced the pupils to LGBT identities and taught them how to create their own characters by thinking about their background, personality traits, powers and abilities, and how they identify. Students then had the opportunity to bring their superheroes to life using one of Jem’s templates.
