As we are moving swiftly towards the end of the term, and the fact this blog hadn’t been updated in a while, here are a few highlights from a busy session 2025-26.
Activities in the Library
Miniature Painting
Minitiature painting on Mondays saw a small influx of new S1 pupils, after it had had a hiatus. The pupils attend regularly and even paint on other days. This year we also resurrected the miniature painting competition the small group putting in several entries each.
Dungeons & Dragons
D&D has been running in the library for 20 years now, after a couple of pupils asked if they could run a game in the library. It has gone from strength to strength this year with games being run by pupils and the librarian on Tuesdays, Thursdays and during Friday afternoon activities. There was an influx of around seven S1 pupils, some of whom are very enthusiastic. Three of them are starting to run their own games at lunchtimes as Dungeon Masters. They can often be seen with a D&D core rule book and or character sheets in hand during their visits to the library. An S5 pupil also ran a demo game at the schools’ open evening in September.
World Book Day March 2026
Our annual celebration of books and reading will took place in the school library with a small informal event at lunchtime on the 5th March. A short story was read to pupils in 4-6 minute sections at the beginning of each lesson as well, giving all pupils across the school a chance to have a short time-out to stop and listen.
World Book Day was created in 1995 and we have been marking the event in the school library for the last 15 or so years.
Evidence from the Book Trust shows that reading for pleasure has many benefits, from overcoming disadvantage, developing improved mental wellbeing, relationships and social skills, supporting and improving attainment in education, developing creativity and empathy. (Further information:
https://files.booktrust.org.uk/…/BookTrusts-Benefits-of…)
We aim to promote reading for pleasure here, by allowing choice of reading, whilst also giving pupils time set aside to read. Marking events such as National Poetry Day and World Book Day reinforce this by providing a fun way to engage with and talk about reading, sharing our favourite books or even making suggestions for the library.
£1 book tokens were given to those who want them. They could be used in part payment for a new book or in exchange for the official WBD £1 books from local bookshops. We also had a few available in the library.
Jólabókaflóð
We wrappped up a busy autumn term in the school, by again celebrating the Icelandic tradition of Jólabókaflóð. The Christmas Book Flood, Jólabókaflóð, is a tradition of gifting books on
Christmas Eve, followed by cosy evenings
spent reading, accompanied by eating chocolate or drinking hot chocolate.
Pupils and staff selecte a wrapped mystery book to borrow over the holidays to be opened on Christmas Eve. Mrs Sinclair, the librarian also offered to make a personal selection based on a quick conversation about reading likes and dislikes. In amongst the library books there were some
actual book gifts which the pupil can keep after opening it, or pass it on to someone else to read.
June 2025 – Empathy Festival
From 2nd to 12th June 2025, we quietly marked the Empathy Festival—a celebration of how stories help us see the world through other people’s eyes.
Research shows that as well as improving literacy and attainment, reading can help build empathy. When we read, we step into someone else’s experience—feeling their fears, hopes, challenges, and joys. It can stretch our perspective and reminds us that every life is complex, valuable, and worth understan
ding. In a world that can sometimes feel overwhelming, reading offers a moment to slow down and connect—with ourselves and with others.
There was an opportunity for pupils and staff to send ‘Empathy Messages’ to other pupils or staff in the school with message slips and ‘post boxes’ available in the library and foyer. This can be to thank them for being kind, caring and helpful towards them, or for something nice they did. It is an opportunity to show appreciation.
On Empathy Day, Thursday 12th June, there was a low-key event in the library at lunchtime: a space to reflect, discover books that promote empathy and wellbeing, and maybe find a story that speaks to you in just the way that one might need.
Our Empathy Collection reading list can be found here on OLIVER, our Library Catalogue:
