GET ISLINGTON READING

 GET ISLINGTON READING

is now

 FINISHED.

St Joseph's have been participating in  GET ISLINGTON READING, a three-year project to develop a community of happy, confident readers,

It was delivered by the National Literacy Trust and The Reading Agency, working with local Islington libraries to support children aged 9-14. The project aimed to inspire young people to keep reading in the transition between primary and secondary school.

Over the last three years we have benefitted from a range of new books for our school library and participated in many reading activities such as: 

• new books covering wellness and diversity
• new books for languages, graphic novels and manga
• new books on transition to secondary school
• new magazines and comics
• an ebook & eAudiobook online platform
• author and illustrator workshops in school 
• virtual author and illustrator events

THANK YOU

to

GET ISLINGTON READING

The National Literacy Trust

&

The Reading Agency

&

Islington Libraries

Summer Reading Challenge - Islington Librarian Visit

 

SUMMER READING CHALLENGE

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

Every year our public libraries team up with the Reading Agency to run the Summer Reading Challenge. This year they have joined with Youth Sport Trust to bring a sports and games themed reading Challenge that will encourage children aged 4-11 to pick up a book and love reading over the summer holidays.

To launch the Summer Reading Challenge we invited into school today an Islington Librarian to talk to the children. They were treated to a fun interactive presentation and the librarian explained the steps to take part:

1.       Join your local library to borrow books, eBooks and audiobooks by either visiting the library or online.

2.                 Sign up to the Summer Reading Challenge at your local library or online at Summer Reading Challenge.

3.                Get rewards for reading either at your library or online.

4.                 Receive a certificate and medal for taking part at your library and we will celebrate achievement in school at the end of the school year.

The Islington Librarian also presented certificates to all the children who participated in last year’s Summer and Winter Reading Challenges.

To join in visit your local library (Library Finder) and sign up or go online at summerreadingchallenge.org.uk. Children set a reading goal, borrow and read books, eBooks and audiobooks and collect rewards for their reading.

It’s FREE and FUN to take part.

Islington Librarians will be at our School Fair on

Friday 14^th July so it will be easy to sign your child up for the

SUMMER READING CHALLENGE.

Summer Reading Challenge

The Summer Reading Challenge 2023

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

Every year our public libraries team up with the Reading Agency to run the Summer Reading Challenge. This year they have joined with Youth Sport Trust to bring a sports and games themed reading Challenge that will encourage children aged 4-11 to pick up a book and love reading over the summer holidays.

We have invited 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 14^th July.

To join in visit your local library (Library Finder) and sign up or go online at summerreadingchallenge.org.uk. Children set a reading goal, borrow and read books, eBooks and audiobooks and collect rewards for their reading. It’s FREE and FUN to take part.

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

Get Islington Reading: Pupil Reading Survey

YEARS 3, 4, 5, & 6

Get Islington Reading: Pupil Reading Habits Survey

Our school is working with The National Literacy Trust, The Reading Agency and Islington Borough Council as part of the Get Islington Reading project to help our children be happy, confident readers. Please see attached leaflet.

In order to help The National Literacy Trust measure reading habits and attitudes in our school they have asked us for our children’s participation in completing a survey.

Please see below our school's link to the GIR pupil reading habits survey which needs to be completed before 13^th July.

https://research.literacytrust.org.uk/s/GIR2023FinalPupil/ 

Thank you for your participation.

Sita Brahmachari

 

Author Visit

with

Sita Brahmachari 

Tuesday 27^th 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.

 

REFUGEE WEEK

 

REFUGEE WEEK

19^th – 25^th 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 19^th 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

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.

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.

New Story Sacks

 STORY SACKS

We have just received story sacks for our early years to enjoy complete with their 

hand and finger puppet characters to bring these beautiful stories alive.

Monkey puzzle

What the ladybird heard

Handa's surprise

Gruffalo's child

A beehive

Dear zoo

The Gruffalo

Brilliant bugs

 Thank you

to the

National Literacy Trust 

GET ISLINGTON READING

a three-year project with 

The Reading Agency & Islington Library Service

Find out more at 

https://literacytrust.org.uk/communities/islington/

 #GetIslingtonReading

Our school is working with the National Literacy Trust and The Reading Agency and Islington Borough Council to make Islington a borough of happy, confident readers.

 

Comic Artist Visit

 

COMIC ARTIST

Kev F Sutherland

Thursday 9^th March

Comic Art Masterclasses – Year 5

This event is part of the National Literacy Trust and The Reading Agency #GET ISLINGTON READING project.

Our Year 5 children had a very entertaining and productive day in the company of Kev F Sutherland, Scottish comedian, caricaturist and comic strip creator who has drawn for a variety of publications, including The Beano.

Kev gave two 2-hour sessions teaching the children all about how to draw a comic strip. Indigo class had the morning session and Tanzanite class had the afternoon one.

For everyone who thinks they cannot draw Kev gave a useful and inspiring demonstration of how drawing is just a series of shapes and lines on a page and he had the children drawing confidently in no time.

With the expert help of Kev the children set about creating their very own comic strip. Firstly, they all had to suggest a title and then they all voted and the favourite one was chosen. 

"Go Crazy" - Indigo Class

"Dingleberry Town" - Tanzanite Class

The time was spent drawing with Kev sharing lots of tips for making a successful comic strip and lots of fun in-between.

 

All along Kev made the lively interactive sessions really entertaining and laughter filled the Art room.

He also made a caricature of each child to include in the final comic.

At the end of the day every child was given a copy of the comic strip they had all contributed to making. 

Title pages of our comic strip finished by Kev.

The children were delighted and agreed that it had been "so much fun and had taught them an easy way to draw". 

Kev had a quick visit to our library and was very impressed with our array of graphic novels.

Thanks Kev! 

& 

Thank you

to the

National Literacy Trust 

GET ISLINGTON READING

a three-year project with 

The Reading Agency & Islington Library Service

Find out more at 

https://literacytrust.org.uk/communities/islington/

 #GetIslingtonReading

Our school is working with the National Literacy Trust and The Reading Agency and Islington Borough Council to make Islington a borough of happy, confident readers.