BBC 500 Words

 BBC 500 Words

Filming

Wednesday 17th July 2024

500 Books

To encourage a love of writing and storytelling our literacy lead teacher submitted stories by some of our children for the BBC 500 Words competition. 

As part of the competition St Joseph’s were the lucky winners of the random prize draw and won 500 books and a literacy wall art. The 500 books have enhanced our wonderful library and the literacy mural is now an interactive and colourful educational addition to our Upper Junior assembly hall.

Literacy Wall Art

On Wednesday 17^th July the BBC 500 Words team came to St Joseph’s to create a film about the impact 500 Words has made on the school. This short video is posted on the 500 Words website and aims to inspire teachers and children nationally to enter 500 Words 2024/25.

Filming in the library

 

Some of our children were interviewed about their experience of participating in the 500 Words competition and the positive impact both writing and reading has had on them. We are so proud of them.

Giancarlo & Athena - Year 5

Not only does the BBC 500 Words competition inspire children to be creative writers but it connects our school to the wider community.

Literacy Lead

Follow link to video

 

Scholastic Book Fairs

 

Junior Librarians

 

Junior Librarians

Autumn Term 2024

Welcome to our new junior librarians for the autumn term who have been selected for this important role from our Year 5 and 6 children.

Cillian, Elena, Ronli & Millie - Junior Librarians - Mondays

Mylo, Abigail, Isaac & August - Junior Librarians - Tuesdays

Phoebe, Evelyn, Rafi & Sorayah - Junior Librarians - Wednesdays

Casey, Dylan, Risti & Sebastian - Junior Librarians - Thursdays

Sadie, Ellie, Liza & Alba - Junior Librarians - Fridays

Congratulations to them on successfully completing the application. 

They will have the important job of making sure the library is a quiet, neat and cosy place to read for all. They will be inspiring their peers with book recommendations. 

Our junior librarians will be responsible for monitoring our book corners throughout the school as well as being reading buddies for our younger children in the library at lunchtimes.

They have all now had their library induction and completed their Library Detective Book Hunt. They will be building on their library information skills throughout the year. Learning about the workings of the library, how to shelve and retrieve books using Dewey system for Non-Fiction and alphabetical system for Fiction.

Book Fair

CONGRATULATIONS!

Together we raised 

an enormous  £3,358,47 

which means we have 

an incredible £2,015.08 

to spend on new books for our library.

Junior Librarians celebrating.

Well done to all!

👏👏👏👏👏👏 

Book Fair

           Our Book Fair has now left

Thank you to everyone.

👋👋👋👋👋

                                  

National Poetry Day Competition

 BOOK FAIR

COMPETITION WINNERS

 Celebrating

National Poetry Day

Well done to all the children who took part and wrote some amazing poetry.

Congratulations!

The winners of our Poetry competition were announced and presented with a

£5 book voucher to spend at our Book Fair.  

Leo - Emerald
Allon - Violet
Giancarlo - Violet
&

Abigail - Tanzanite

😊😊😊😊😊

Book Fair

Our BOOK FAIR 

has arrived!

Classes have been visiting the Book Fair during the school day and the children have been having fun listening and joining in with poetry to celebrate National Poetry Day. 

They have also been enjoying looking at the books and making Wish Lists that they can share at home. 

If you wish to purchase any books from the Wish List you can pay for their chosen books using the online payment system at www.bookfairs.scholastic.co.uk/pay. Please make sure the Wish List is returned to school so that the books can be given to your child.

Children will be able to bring money to purchase books on the day that they are scheduled to come to the Fair. Please provide the money in an envelope clearly marked with their name and class and give it to your child, teacher or the school office. 

Payments can be made at the fair using contactless and cash.

You can purchase gift vouchers or make payments online. Please let the school know what books have been purchased online so that we can give them to your child.

Remember when you buy one book we get one FREE for the library!

😄😄😄😄😄 

National Poetry Day

 National Poetry Day

Thursday 3rd October

POETRY COMPETITION

Write a poem on the theme of

COUNTING

We have 5 book tokens worth £5 to spend at the Book Fair for the lucky winners!

Give all poems labelled with your name and class to your teachers by

Monday 7th October.

Get creative with numbers and good luck!

Book Fair

 

Celebrate Reading at our Book Fair!

 

To celebrate National Poetry Day, we will be hosting a Book Fair, with hundreds of new children’s books to browse and buy. With prices starting from only £2.99, there’s sure to be a book for everyone.

 

When: Thursday 3^rd October – Wednesday 9^th October

 

Times: 8:40 – 9:00am and 3:00 – 3:45pm

 

Where: New Conference Room

 

Please follow this link to your Book Fair Invitation scholastic-primary-invitation-autumn-2024-2270926.pdf

At the fair you will be able to purchase books using contactless credit or debit cards or cash.

If you’re unable to visit the book fair, your child will be sent home with a Wish List and you can pay for their chosen books using the online payment system at www.bookfairs.scholastic.co.uk/pay. Please make sure the Wish List is returned to school so that the books can be given to your child.

Pre-paid gift vouchers are also available. Go to www.bookfairs.scholastic.co.uk/gift-vouchers to buy vouchers.

Your child will have an opportunity to visit the book fair during the school day with their class.

Thursday 3rd October	Year 5 and Year 2
Friday 4th October	Nursery and Reception
Monday 7th October	Year 1 and Year 3
Tuesday 8th October	Year 6 and Year 4
Wednesday 9th October	Last Day of Book Fair
Thursday 10th October	Book Fair Collected

 

They will be able to bring in cash to purchase books on that day or they will be given a Wish List. Please put money in an envelope clearly marked with your child’s name and class.

 

To keep up-to-date with our book fair news log-on to our library blog at www.ilovereadingatstjosephs.blogspot.com.

Don’t forget that every book you buy helps towards FREE BOOKS for our school library. The last Scholastic Book Fair was a huge success for St Joseph’s making £1500 in FREE BOOKS.

 

We thank you for your support and look forward to seeing you at the book fair.

Book Fair

 BOOK FAIR

Arriving 

Thursday 3rd October until Wednesday 9th October

Author Trip - Adam Kay

ADAM KAY

Highgate Junior School

Thursday 12th September

YEAR 6

 This week Year 6 were incredibly lucky to be invited to Highgate Junior School to meet the acclaimed author, Adam Kay. Adam is best known for his best-selling books ‘Kay's Anatomy' and 'Kay's Marvellous Medicine'. 

The children were not only treated to a talk by Adam but there was a surprise guest, the illustrator, Henry Paker. Henry did some live drawing with the aid of a digital screen and shared some of his tips for successful drawing. Adam and Henry were very amusing and the children were delighted. 

The talk was followed by a book signing for Adam's new book – Dexter Procter which is all about a precocious10 year old child. Dexter started talking at four seconds old, by the age of three, he had 86 A-levels, from Afrikaans to zoology, and at aged ten he was a pediatrician at Lilydale General Hospital. 

We are all very excited about Dexter Procter and can’t wait to read it! 

Thanks again to Highgate Junior School for inviting us to this wonderful event.

Author Trip - Adam Kay

 YEAR 6

Author Trip – Adam Kay

Thursday 12^th September

We have been offered a brilliant opportunity for our Year 6 children to meet Adam Kay, the acclaimed author of popular books such as ‘Kay’s Marvellous Medicine’ and ‘Kay’s Incredible Inventions’. The author will give a talk and the children will have an opportunity to ask questions. Signed copies of his brand-new book ‘Dexter Procter: The 10-Year-Old Doctor’ along with ‘Kay’s Incredible Inventions’ will be available for purchase.

This event will take place at Highgate Junior School on Thursday 12^th September.

The children will walk to Highgate Junior School after lunch accompanied by members of the school staff and will return to school by 3:15pm. All children must wear full school uniform, and wear a coat suitable for the weather that day.

 

Please complete the permission slip below for your child to attend the trip and return it no later than Friday 6^th September.

 

If you wish to purchase any of the books please complete and return the slip below making payment via ParentPay by Monday 9th September. Alternatively, children will be able to bring in cash to purchase books on the day of the visit. Please put money in an envelope clearly marked with your child’s name and class.

 

To find out more information about the author and his books please go to the following website:

https://www.adamkay.co.uk/

https://www.adamkay.co.uk/

Summer Reading Challenge

SUMMER READING CHALLENGE

This year's Summer Reading Challenge - developed by The Reading Agency with arts charity Create, and delivered in partnership with public libraries, inspires every child to be a storyteller and maker.

This week we welcomed into school our local Islington librarian, Raksha Agheda, to talk to our children about the SUMMER READING CHALLENGE and how to join in.

Raksha showed the children a fun video promoting the challenge and then gave a presentation on how it works.

1.       Join your local library

2.      Join the Summer Reading Challenge

3.      Borrow Books either physical or digital

4.      Read 6 books and collect stickers and prizes along the way

5.      Awarded certificate

 

Islington Librarian celebrating some of our children who joined the 2023 challenge 

It's a super easy way to encourage children aged 4-11 to have fun reading during the holidays. Children collect rewards for reading whatever they like and there'll be lots of free activities to enjoy along the way.

Take part for free either at the library or online at summerreadingchallenge.org.uk 

RETURN BOOKS

 RETURN BOOKS

Please return all school library books before the end of term.

To keep reading over the holidays you can join the 

Summer Reading Challenge at your local library. 

FREE & FUN!!

Happy Holidays!🌞🌞🌞🌞🌞

Summer Reading Challenge

The Summer Reading Challenge 2024

In order to support literacy in school we wish to encourage all children to join in with the Summer Reading Challenge. The Challenge not only helps maintain and even improve reading levels but promotes reading as a fun activity.

This year’s Summer Reading Challenge starts on 6th July. There are two ways you can take part:

You can join the Challenge at your local library. A librarian will give you a special collector’s pack and help you find books to read for your Challenge. You’ll collect stickers and other rewards along the way.

Alternatively, take part in the Challenge online by going to Summer Reading Challenge. Set a reading goal and log your books on your profile. Reach your goal and unlock a limited-edition online badge and a certificate.

Please note, the in-person and online Challenges are separate. Physical incentives like medals and certificates are only available via the library, for those taking part in person.

We have invited our Islington librarians to come into school in July to talk to the children about joining the Summer Reading Challenge and they will also have a stand at our Summer Fair on Friday 12^th July.

If you have any questions, please contact me at office@st-josephs.islington.org.uk.

Ofsted Visit

OFSTED—HMI—National Subject Lead for Primary English—Library Visit

The National Subject Lead for Primary English, HMI, Lesley Sullivan, came to visit our school library at St Joseph’s on Thursday 18^th April.

News of our excellent library had travelled far and Ofsted Communications decided that our library would be an excellent place to film a short video on the importance of getting the basics right in the teaching of English in primary schools.

We were delighted to host HMI, Lesley Sullivan.

The morning was spent in the library and she was really impressed, not only, with our resource but, with our junior librarians who showed her around. Afterwards, they had a long talk together about reading, their favourite books and the importance of having libraries in primary schools.

It was a special moment to have been asked to host this event following our recent Outstanding award from Ofsted.