The library aims to promote literacy, supports teaching and learning, and encourages reading amongst the whole school community.
The library is open throughout the school day and stocks a wide range of reading material to cater for varying ages, tastes and reading ability. In addition to fiction and non-fiction books the library stocks Graphic Novels, Manga Novels, Barrington Stoke books for dyslexic and reluctant readers, ‘The Week’ and the ‘Booked magazine’.
Suggestions from pupils for new books are always welcome and will be considered when ordering new books.
Ongoing Library Activities
Reading Group
This group reads one book per month and meets monthly with Mrs Macleod and Miss Brown to discuss the book and receive the next one. New members are always welcome to join, just let Mrs Macleod or Miss Brown know if you are interested or would like more information. From time to time we use review copies of books so pupils are asked to complete a short review with their thoughts of the book.
Pupil Library Committee
The pupil library committee was commenced to give pupils the opportunity to be more involved in promoting reading throughout the school and to assist with library activities and are a very active group. Meetings are held regularly at lunchtimes in the library.
- Chair – Aiden Bremner
- Vice Chair – Megan Cowan
- Minutes Secretary – Daniel Murray
- Correspondent Secretary – Cassie Sutherland
- Treasurer – Ruby Bruce and Reece Macleod
Committee members:
- Catherine Messem
- David Gibbons
- Ailsa Bruce
Up and Coming Trips/Events
Edinburgh Book Festival
In August our current 1st years will spend a night in Edinburgh giving us the opportunity to attend events at this year’s Book Festival where they will meet authors, browse bookshops in Charlotte Gardens and hear spooky story telling on a ghost tour! Once the Festival Schools programme is announced we will be able to choose which events to attend. It is helpful if pupils can read some of the books by the authors prior to the trip.
News
Author Visit
Award winning Scottish author Cathy MacPhail visited the school on the 14th of April. Hannah Chisholm and Skye Warner-Mackintosh, 2nd year pupils, who have read and enjoyed some of Cathy’s books, introduced her to the audience of 2nd and 3rd years. Cathy talked to pupils about her love of writing and the importance of reading. She also talked about some of her books, giving us great insight into what inspired her to write each one. Cathy also told of the excitement she felt at having her book ‘Another Me’ made into a film and showed a trailer of it which was enjoyed very much by the pupils. Feedback was very positive with pupils finding the talk interesting, informative and inspiring. Cathy’s books have been flying off the library shelves since the event!
We Are Writers
Our 3rd ‘We Are Writers’ book is now registered and ready to be filled with pupils work. These books give pupils the opportunity to see their work in print, and it is also a great platform to showcase a selection of pupil’s work and what is achieved here in the Academy, and it makes a great read!
Any writing is accepted – stories, essays, letters, folio work, reports, songs, language work, etc. There is no limit to how may entries a pupil can submit and no work is too long or too short. If you would like to add a piece of writing please speak to Mrs Macleod or your English teacher.
We hope to have a sample copy to view at our school book fair in early November so pupils/staff can have a look at it and order lots of copies for Christmas presents!
St Finnbarr’s Donation
We are delighted to have received a £200 donation from St Finnbarr’s Charities Shop to increase our stock of Manga novels. Pupils are devouring these books, which are particularly popular amongst boys, and this donation enables these pupils to keep reading on a regular basis.
Competitions
Huge congratulations to Cassie Sutherland, S1 who won 3rd place in the Innes and Mackay Writing Competition and to Sybil Somerset, S4 who was winner of the Library Committee Logo Competition.
Useful Links
The Highlife Highland Libraries site offers many free resources to pupils and staff such as digital newspapers and magazines and online reference resources and is well worth a browse. If any help is required to use any of the resources please visit the school library for help.
https://www.highlifehighland.com/libraries/
Moniack Mhor Creative Writing Centre has many writing opportunities open to young people aged 12-25 living in the Highlands. Keep an eye on their website to see what they have to offer.
Dornoch Academy 