Stromness Academy Library

December 13, 2011
by Mrs Sinclair
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Fereday Project

It is the time of year when S2 History pupils are thinking about starting the Fereday Project based on local studies. Orkney’s rich history and culture forms the background to the Fereday Prize run by the Orkney Heritage Society. Set up by former principal teacher of History at KirkwallGrammar school, Ray Fereday, the prize is awarded annually to S2 pupils for an historical investigation on local history with a view to the best projects being placed in the Orkney Library & Archive. The winners are usually those who have researched and written about original topics that have seldom been documented elsewhere.

To help our pupils, here is a guide to using the local studies section in the school library.

The document is also availble via the Stromness Academy Library Glow group in the documents under ‘History’ for those who have access.

December 12, 2011
by Mrs Sinclair
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Countdown to Christmas

What an interesting beginning to December! The Book Fair Scheduled for 5th December was two and a half days late, the school’s internet connection was being fickle and the week was ended by a weather closure on Friday.

So, the Book Fair has begun and is set up in the Senior Fiction section and is appropriately decorated for Christmas. Trade has been a tad on the slow side, but we will put it down to the late arrival and the weather related school closure. The fair will now run all this week so will be a good opportunity for some last minute Christmas shopping for stocking fillers.

S1 pupils have embarked on yet another research project (they have been busy this term) – the aptly named ‘Extreme Weather’, given the fact that the Orkney Islands suffered hurricane force winds on Thursday night. It was a classic ‘eye of the storm’ scenario with the weather being ‘dead’ calm for most of Thursday afternoon then the winds suddenly picking up, with a force that this librarian does not really want to experience in a hurry, in the evening. Thankfully Orkney pretty much stood up well to the onslaught, although due to the continuing winds and forecast for snow (where was it?) the school was closed to pupils on Friday giving staff some time to catch up on any backlogs – shelving in my case and a little indulgence in starting to decorate the library for Christmas which the pupil librarians will complete today at interval.

The postponed Manga club inaugural meeting will now take place this Friday 16th Dec at 12:40 in the library.

Rehearsals are ongoing for the school carol service in Stromness Church on Monday 19th Dec (evening) with instrumentalists and pupil/staff choir and of course our music department staff putting in a lot of work.

It is hard to believe it is nearly the end of another (extremely) busy year and 2012 is around the corner, but no time to stop and rest, still more shelving to do, classes to teach info lit skills to, book processing, shelf tidying, Glow[ing] (our Scottish education intranet), meetings to attend…

December 7, 2011
by Mrs Sinclair
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Book Fair

The Book Fair has finally arrived (two days late) and is now set up in the new location of the Senior Fiction section, leaving main tables free for class use of which there is currently a lot. The books, stationery, posters and book bags will be on display until Wednesday 14th December.

December 5, 2011
by Mrs Sinclair
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Time Flies

Okay, thought we have just had the October hols, and now it seems like Christmas if very nearly upon us. The library has been a hive of activity since October. Mornings and lunchtimes are busy with library regulars who use the library for reading, playing board games, Magic the Gathering, using computers (work or leisure) and generally ‘chilling’. Classtime, has also been busy with library periods on a weekly basis for S1 and 2 classes, and S3 and 4 coming on a slightly less regular basis. There was an informal ‘Spooky Happenings’ storytelling session during the first week back at lunchtime.

S1 pupils are continuing to work on library induction and Reading Record activities during their library periods. In fact, S1 have been busy [fullstop] in the library. November saw them doing research for their History project on Ancient Civilisations, putting into practice some of the skills learned during library induction and learning some new research skills. They are now doing research for their Geography project on ‘Extreme Weather’ (of which we have had our fair share of during the last couple of weeks including 130mph wind gusts recorded at Hammers Hill).

S2 pupils are doing a History Project on Hudson Bay and John Rae and your erstwhile Librarian has spent some time researching on the internet and added to the archive box on the topic produced by the Orkney Library & Archive last year. Web links for this project are available via Livebinders in a binder called Hudson’s Bay Company.

New Manga novels have been added to library stock and you can expect more new books to be added each week. These will be on the new books display. A small donation of magazines from a teacher has been received as well as some from the librarian (horsey ones, xBox, Historic Scotland, Top Gear, to name a handful). Please do suggest ideas for new books – remember, it is your library!

The small team of pupil Librarians continues to meet on a Monday interval and attend to duties during lunchtimes. Any pupils can colunteer to help in the library – good experience for CV and a great way to have a say in the running of he library. Pupil Librarian training can count towards Youth Achievement Awards and further detail can be obtained from the librarian.

A senior pupil has run a small Warhammer group during some lunchtimes and an S4 pupil, is going to help run a Manga Club, starting on Friday 9th November.

A book fair is running this week (if the books arrive) giving a good opportunity to get some Christmas shopping in for books or stationery. Commission is received by the library on any sales (if we make the target) and this is a great way to get more resources for the library. Do support this event.

So, it has been a busy term so far and with three weeks to go there is a lot more to do.

November 15, 2011
by Mrs Sinclair
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Book Trailer for ‘Mockingjay’ by Suzanne Collins

The third in ‘The Hunger Games’ trilogy by Suzanne Collins has recently been added to library stock.

[vodpod id=Video.4255164&w=425&h=350&fv=%26rel%3D0%26border%3D0%26]

Mockingjay trailer, posted with vodpod

November 15, 2011
by Mrs Sinclair
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Recent Library Events

Somehow time has slipped away and we are half way through November already. As they say “time flies”!

The annual ‘Poetry Picnic’ took place on October 6th with around 25 pupils coming along to the library to partake of some poetry reading, games and snacks.

After the October holidays an informal version of ‘Spooky Happenings’ too place in the reading zone with about 20 pupils attending and taking turns reading ’30 second Horrors’ from Mrs Sinclair’s Kindle.

October 14, 2011
by Mrs Sinclair
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Snakes & Ladders

In the run up to National Poetry day, all S1 and S2 classes took part in a Snakes & Ladders game during their library period. The idea came from the official National Poetry Day website.

In groups of 4-5, pupils spent around 25 minutes playing the traditional game but with a difference. Each time they got to the top of a ladder, they looked at the number of the square, then used that number to find a page in one of the poetry books on the table. The player then read the poem out and gave it a star rating. At the end of the session the groups then decided which was their favourite poem.

This fun session appeared to be enjoyed by pupils and it introduced them to, and gave them a chance to read some poetry, when otherwise they might not.

October 14, 2011
by Mrs Sinclair
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Poetry Picnic

Yet another successful and enjoyable celebration went ahead in the library last week on National Poetry Day (Thurs 6th October). Around 25 pupils attended over the course of lunchtime to enjoy poetry readings, a poetry pairs game and a tongue twisters game, as well as the snacks on offer.

The next event will be the ‘Spooky Happenings’ storytelling after the October holidays, most likely on Friday 4th November.

September 27, 2011
by Mrs Sinclair
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Games! Poetry!

National Poetry Day is coming up next week on Thursday 6th October. This year’s them is GAMES. The school library will be celebrating it in the usual way with a lunchtime Poetry Picnic to include poem readings and snacks and maybe even some games. All next week we will be promoting the playing of the available board games in the library at lunchtime.

Click these links to see previous years’ Poetry Picnics:

2010

2009