Stromness Academy Library

Every year S1 History pupils study ‘Invasion & Independence’ which includes classroom based work on the plague, Scottish wars, as well as how to attack and defend castles.

This unit of work culminates in  pupils, in small groups, building their own model castles out of cardboard boxes, amongst other things. Some of these amazing models go on display in the library.

During World Book Day last month we ran a small colouring competition for the collection of the special £1 WBD books. Only four entries were returned, however the winning dragon was lovely.

The Pupil Library Assistant Training Scheme has recently been re-established after a few years hiatus, during which a few pupils have volunteered on an informal basis, helping with basic tidying and at special events such as National Poetry day or Spooky Happenings.

Sorting some donations into book boxes for departments to help support Accelerated Reader

Pupils can volunteer to help in the library before registration, at lunchtime, some intervals and possibly after school or on free periods and are required to make a regular commitment to the training and work. The training allows pupils to earn certificates for each level. Responsibilities, duties and commitment increase at each level. Pupils can also work towards Dynamic Youth and Youth Achievement Awards.

Tidying and sorting The Orcadian boxes

Thirteen pupils from S1 to S4 have volunteered to help in the library on a regular basis which will help to develop a number of skills which also link to Curriculum for Excellence.

• Become Successful Learners; Confident Individuals; Responsible citizens and Effective Contributors (Curriculum for Excellence – Four Capacities)
• Make a valuable contribution to the life of the school
• Help develop the library and the services it offers
• Help the library staff provide the best library service they can
• Make a difference to other pupils’ learning
• Act as a role model for other pupils
• Improve your communication and problem-solving skills
• Work well with others in a team
• Take responsibility
• Think on your feet
• Have first choice of new stock, which you can help to choose
• Have access to the library prior to official opening before registrations and some intervals
• Have the chance to get involved in special events

Processing new books – labelling

Most of these pupils have signed up to do Dynamic Youth and Youth Achievement Awards which are peer assessed awards leading to recognised qualifications.

Meeting with Maureen Herdman, Community Learning, to discuss DY and YAA participation

World Book Day is one of those celebrations that you know is happening in advance, however its timing in a hectic term can mean the day itself often catches me by surprise. This year the thought processes started last week and on Monday plans were put in place for an informal event in the library, advertised in the school daily bulletin.

New book being covered prior to display

A delivery of new books

World Book Day £1 books – a very nice surprise

This included:

• Early access to some new books – many chosen  by pupils.
• Book swap – bring in a book (in very good or excellent condition) and swap it for another to take away and read – for pupils and staff.
• Share your favourite book or author.
• Bookmark colouring in
• National Book Tokens design competition – First prize = £250 book tokens for school; £100 tokens for pupil. More info from Mrs S. Entries to library by 5^th

This, today with the arrival of more new books chosen by pupils and purchased with money donated by the Parent Council, as well as a surprise box of the £1 books, morphed into:

Around 20 pupils and a member of staff took part over the course of the 40 minute lunch break, with the colouring competition of book marks and images based on the Beast Quest books from the World Book Day website. This proved most popular. Attendees were also asked to fill in a mini survey with a view to suggesting more books for the library as well as filling out a short evaluation forms. Snacks, coffee and hot chocolate also proved popular, not surprisingly.

Quite a few pupils reserved some of the yet to be catalogue new books which only arrived today, as well as exchanging their £1 vouchers for the £1 WBD books which came as a complete surprise from the wonderful bookshop – Stromness Books & Prints. This proved popular. There was also an animated discussion about favourite books whih started on the back of filling in the survey.

For what effectively was a ‘last minute’ event, this lunchtime has been energetic, animated and most enjoyable.

The library is not only open during the timetabled school day, but is also available before registration from 8:35am (approx 8:25am onwards for pupil library assistants), lunchtime,  and after school.

Everday

Pupils often choose to do any of the organised activities (shown below) during lunchtimes on days other than the designated ones.

• Reading
• Homework
• Research
• Computers for work
• Computers for leisure
• Board games

• Pupil Library Assistant Duties – The training scheme has recently been re-established with 11 volunteers.

Monday

• Miniature Painting

Tuesday

• Chess Club

• Pupil Library Assistant Meeting

• Dungeons & Dragons (After School)

• Study Support (After School)

Wednesday

• Magic the Gathering

Thursday

• ‘Luncheon & Dragons’ – a very short D&D session – sandwiches allowed

Friday Activities

• D&D

• Pathfinder

• Magic the Gathering

• Warhammer

Once again, the cycle of the school year has led us to options times. In the next few weeks pupils in S2 – 5 will be selecting their subjects for the following year.

As part of this process, S2 visit the library on several occasions to do Some Careers Information Literacy Skills, be introduced to the small Careers Section and to finding relevant information on the internet (Primarily, My World of Work).

The first lesson is loosely based on The Reading Game.

Pupils are split into 5 or 6 small groups depending on the size of class and given a starting station where the choose one of the career areas on that table, then between them select what they think are the the jobs that fit into the area, personal qualities and skills that are key to the career, as well as what school subjects might me required. Pupils only get a short time (5-8mins max) to make their selections and write them down on there sheet. A whistle is blown, and each group moves on to another station. The time they have a t each station reduces as the lesson proceeds.

Once finished, pupils will have been exposed to a number of career categories, and this has also enabled them to think about their own skills and qualities that they are good at thus enabling them to make better options choices and helping in the future, to write job, college, university applications, personal statements and CVs

The Role Playing Games (RPG) activity in the school library at Stromness Academy has been running since 2003/4 or thereabouts. It started after a couple of pupils asked if they could run Dungeons & Dragons games in the library during Tuesday after school activities. Mrs Sinclair, Librarian, said “Yes” as she had played for he first time back in 1992 (two days before moving to Orkney and taking up her post at the Academy) and remembered enjoying that game.

The activity group back then consisted of four pupils and the Librarian, but grew to an average of seven players. Mrs Sinclair then offered Dungeons & Dragons as a Friday afternoon (part of the school timetable) activity. Over the years we have dabbled in other RPGs, including Call of Cthulhu, Warhammer Fantasy RPG, Vampire the Masquerade, but the heart and soul of the group is still Dungeons and Dragons. We started in 3rd edition, moved forward t0 4e, and now play 5e, alongside a pupil running a Pathfinder RPG group. Games now run three times a week, Tuesday after school (1hr 10 mins), Thursday lunchtime – Luncheon & Dragons (30mins), and Friday activities (50 mins).

Resources (rule books, miniatures, map tiles, dice, etc.) for the group have mainly been supplied (loaned) by Mrs Sinclair, with core rule books being bought out of extra funding. Mrs S also spent many hours (and still does) of her own time planning and writing adventures for the group. However, in the last three years, the Friday activities group has grown from an average of 8 or 9 players three years ago, to a whopping 40 participants back in August, dropping to 33 in October, and now back up at 39 since the beginning of January. This is unprecedented and means that over 10% of the school roll participate in the RPG activity which for the time being is the biggest one in the school, surpassing the usual big take-up in the sporting activities. This meant that two Player’s Handbooks and single copies of the other core books just weren’t enough.

At the tale end of 2018, Michael Mordor, a professional miniature painter, (he had previously donated miniatures to the Monday mini painting club), with permission, put out a call via his Patreon Website and Twitter for donations of RPG materials for the school group. I wonder how many school libraries have such a well stocked RPG section?

The response was overwhelming with resources coming in from the UK, Europe and the US (as far as I know). We received Core rulebooks, modules, Xanathar’s and Volo’s, Dice galore, miniatures, dungeon tiles / maps, character sheet masters, DM screens.

Thank you to everyone who donated (Scroll down to bottom of page) (If I have missed you off the list, please let me know). Your support is very much appreciated by the pupils and myself. F.S.

National Poetry Day has now been celebrated in the school library since 2003 but it was in 2004, when the theme was ‘Food’, that the Poetry Picnic was born.

This annual poetry picnic took place in the school library at lunchtime on Thursday 4th October. Around 20 pupils and two members of staff  joined us for some snacks and some poetry readings which involved a poetry pairs game. This was enjoyed by all. Before the end of lunch a couple of folk read out their own choice of poems as well.

Thank you to the pupil volunteers who helped set up just before the event, and tidied up, washed cups, etc, afterwards.

Pupil Comments & suggestions:

Write a poem on a theme. This has been done in the past and will be considered for the future.

It was all great. Nothing could be done to make it better.

More drinks. This was a bring and share snacks event, so you could bring your own. 🙂

I liked it. I don’t think it should change.

You did nothing wrong and everything right.

Was fun! Maybe next year could write couplets and say them.

It was all great! I can’t think of anything to make it better.