Tuesday 27 June 2023

Sita Brahmachari

 

Author Visit

with

Sita Brahmachari 


Tuesday 27th July 2023

TRANSITION

Year 6 classes were treated to an engaging workshop with the award-winning author, Sita Brahmachari, to support them as they make the big change of moving to secondary school.

Sita’s workshop introduced her book ‘When Secrets Set Sail’ highlighting the themes of journeys, change and transition. She shared with the children her own experiences of growing up and her journey to becoming an author. She told the children how she was shy at school and only had the confidence later in life to share her writing.

She used the symbols of anchor and sails as metaphors for what connects us to our past, and what propels us into our future encouraging the children to doodle on ‘anchor and sails’ worksheets things that they treasure and emotions they feel that connect them to their history and inheritance.

 “Fold all your emotions and experiences into stories”, advised Sita, as she stretched the treasured sari from her past across the classroom with the help of a child.

With Sita’s help the children also completed a Reading Identi-tree noting books on branches of a tree that were important to them and creating a type of character map. 

Sita’s book ‘When Secrets Set Sail’ deals with issues of transition and her workshop helped the children think about ways of positively embracing this new beginning. 

Sita was given a tour of our school and library. She was impressed not only with our school library but with all our reading corners giving children every opportunity to read.

Sita signed school copies of her books to the delight of the children. 


In our school library we have copies of the following books written by Sita:

Red Leaves

Worry Angels

Where the River Runs Gold

Swallow’s Kiss


Thank you to the #GetIslingtonReading program run by The National Literacy Trust for giving us this opportunity.

 

Monday 26 June 2023

Book Corners

READING CORNERS

📘📙📗📕📗📘📙📕

We are continuing in our mission to transform spaces in school into reading corners 

and so creating more opportunities to read.


The latest space to get a make-over is our 

Reception area.



Wait & READ!


Monday 19 June 2023

REFUGEE WEEK

 

REFUGEE WEEK

19th – 25th June


Refugee Week is a UK-wide festival celebrating the contributions, creativity and resilience of refugees and people seeking sanctuary.

The theme this year is Compassion.

The National Literacy Trust as part of the

GET ISLINGTON READING project

have invited our children in Years 1 & 2 to a free

Virtual Author Event

Monday 19th June

A Child Like You: online storytelling and drawing session with author

Na’ima B Roberts

& illustrator

Nadine Kaadan

This remarkable book

A Child Like You

Centres on the experiences of real-life activists and campaigners, explaining how these children demonstrated courage, determination and hope in the face of challenges.

Books in Library


We will be sharing a selection of these books with children during this week’s library sessions.

On the Move: Poems About Migration – Michael Rosen

Kind: A Book about kindness – Axel Scheffler

All are welcome – Alexandra Penfold

Refugee – Alan Gratz

The Windrush Child – Benjamin Zephaniah

Paddington – Michael Bond

The Proudest Blue: the Story of Hijab and Family – Ibtihaj Muhammad

My World Your World – Melanie Walsh

Refugees and Homelands – Louise Spilsbury & Toby Newsome

Here we are – Oliver Jeffers

Monday 12 June 2023

BOOKS FOR BIG CHANGE

 


BOOKS FOR BIG CHANGE




Going to secondary school is a big change, and it’s natural to feel nervous, excited, or just confused! 
Here are our favourite books that tackle the theme of big change. 
You can find books from the ‘ten top picks’ in your school, and your local library.

Fiction 
When Secrets Set Sail by Sita Brahmachari: a magical and moving adventure story about unlocking stories and secrets of the past. 


The Gifted, The Talented, and Me by William Sutcliffe: a brilliantly funny book about fitting in, falling out and staying true to your own averageness. 
Arctic Star by Tom Palmer: a gripping story of courage and survival about three young Royal Navy recruits on their first mission. 

Graphic novels 
Frankie’s World by Aoife Dooley: A two-colour graphic novel offering a unique perspective on Autism, told with humour and heart. 
Amulet by Kazu Kibuishi: a world of man-eating demons, a mechanical rabbit, a giant robot, and two ordinary children on a life-or-death mission.


Non-fiction 
You are Awesome by Matthew Syed and Toby Triumph: Practical, insightful and positive, this is the book to help you build resilience and embrace your mistakes. 
Go Big: The Secondary School Survival Guide by Matthew Burton: From your first day to your final exams, this handbook will have you achieving, succeeding and being the best you can be.

Poetry 
Everything All at Once by Stephen Camden: A collection of poems about the highs and lows of one week in a secondary school, where everything happens all at once. 
A Hurricane in my Head by Matt Abbott: A collection of honest poems on themes of friendship, bullying, technology and being a teenager

There are so many great books that tackle big changes! 

Thank you to the National Literacy Trust and the Get Islington Reading project
for donating these books to our school library.

Friday 9 June 2023

SUMMER READING CHALLENGE

 SUMMER READING CHALLENGE

Starts on JULY 8th

The SUMMER READING CHALLENGE takes place in libraries and online in the summer holidays. 
It's FREE, FUN and LOCAL! 
Read books and collect rewards along the way. Everyone can join in! Ask at your local library.



Looking for a way to keep children active over the summer break? 
This year’s Summer Reading Challenge - Ready, Set, Read! - will inspire children to keep their minds and bodies active with free rewards to collect for reading.

Get your wish lists ready! Try out some of the fantastic stories in our 
Summer Reading Challenge Book Collection, themed all around play.

The Summer Reading Challenge is available in libraries across the UK this summer. 
Check out the Library Zone to find your nearest library!

Children can also take part online through the official Summer Reading Challenge platform: summerreadingchallenge.org.uk

Thursday 8 June 2023

Sita Brahmachari- Author Visit

 Author Visit

SITA BRAHMARCHARI

Tuesday 27th June

Year 6 

Workshops on theme of TRANSITION

Sita Brahmarchari will be coming into school on Tuesday 27th June to deliver TRANSITION workshops to our Year 6.

GET ISLINGTON READING is working with our school to support our Year 6 children as they make the big change to moving to secondary school.

They have donated 2 classroom sets of Sita Brahmarchari's book 'When Secrets Set Sail' in preparation for Sita's workshops.


Thank you to #GET ISLINGTON READING project run by the National Literacy Trust and the Reading Agency

Empathy Day

 


EMPATHY DAY 
Thursday 8th June

As part of the
#GET ISLINGTON READING project
the National Literacy Trust 
has organised a 

Virtual Author Event 
with 
Cath Howe

Cath Howe joined us on Empathy Day to discuss her books, her inspirations as an author, and to share insights into her latest title, My Life on Fire published by Nosy Crow. As a teacher and EmpathyLab-trained author, Cath brought the themes of the day to life for our children in Years 4, 5 & 6.




Thank you to #GET ISLINGTON READING for a very enriching classroom experience.