Christmas events 2024
READING ALOUD – Wednesday 13th November 2024
The Library’s Reading Aloud reading programme, which runs every term in the library, began this Wednesday during tutor time.
The programme encourages Year 9 students to volunteer to listen to and encourage our Year 7 students with their reading during tutor time. Students read to their mentors and then discuss what they have read which gives greater depth and understanding to the students’ reading as well as building their confidence.
The library will continue to run the programme every Wednesday during tutor time, and it is wonderful to see students reading an array of reading materials. Well done everyone!
Poet with Punch Visit – Tuesday 12th November 2024
Matt ‘Poet with Punch’ Windle made his annual visit to CNCS and spent the day with Year 7 in the library. During an assembly Matt spoke to the students about his passion for poetry and boxing describing how fortunate he is to do the two things he loves most. He demonstrated his style of poetry, ‘spoken word’, by creating an on-the-spot poem incorporating some of the students’ names.
Workshops were then held throughout the day where some Year 7s were able to explore rhyme and rhythm, with an anti-bullying theme, using their own chosen words to create some amazing poetry – well done Year 7s!
Year 7 Bookmark Competition
The Library’s annual Year 7 Bookmark Competition took place the first half of the Autumn term.
During their library lessons students were asked to design a bookmark of their own creation. There were some incredible and imaginative entries which made deciding upon winners very difficult.
We are very happy and proud to announce the winners and runners up and we wish them many congratulations and well done on their amazing designs.
Book Raffle Winner - Autumn 1.1 2024-2025
Harry Potter Day - Thursday 17th October 2024
Harry Potter Day was celebrated in the Library on Thursday. To mark the occasion the Library was decorated with Harry Potter themed items including a sorting hat, character posters, spiders sitting on their webs, candles, broomsticks, flying letters and much more. Students were invited to take part in some Harry Potter activities such Harry Potter games, puzzles, word searches, code breakers as well as competitions ‘Where’s Hedwig in the Library?’ and a Harry Potter quiz for fans of the stories. Copies of the books, including some in French, Spanish and Italian and supporting Harry Potter themed books, were on display for students to borrow. In addition, there were prizes for the competition winners and slug sweets, jellybeans and chocolate eggs to enjoy! It was an amazing day, enjoyed by students from all year groups and staff!
Annual Year 7 Book Cover Competition / Year 8 Comic Strip Competition – July 2024
To end the academic year, Year 7 and 8 took part in two different library competitions. Year 7 were given the brief to design a book cover of their choice which could be based on an existing book or one that they have created themselves. They were asked to make it bright and include a book title and author and to also ensure these were written on the spine of the book. The amazing creations made it nearly impossible to pick out a winner so this year two runner up prizes were also given. Well done Year 7s on demonstrating such varied imaginations as well as creative and stand out designs.
Year 8s, having taken part in the Book Cover competition last year were asked to create a comic strip. Their brief was to think about characters and develop a story (beginning, middle and end) which could then be told using a comic strip format. It was fantastic to see students come up with amazing and original stories which they then transferred onto their comic strip templates. There were some very funny, exciting, scary, emotional entries, which like Year 7s, made it very difficult to select a winner so runner ups also received a prize. Well done everyone!
Student Librarian End of Year Awards - July 2024
Today the library held the final Student Librarian meeting where each student received their Gold Student Librarian Award certificate completing the Student Librarian Programme of 2023-2024.
What an amazing year the library has had, and part of that success is down to our wonderful student librarians. Each and every one of them has given up some of their social time each week (before school, break and lunchtimes) to volunteer in the library. They have demonstrated commitment, dedication and hard work whilst taking on new challenges such as learning how the library is organised, assisting and directing their fellow students to the resources they require, contributing to the half termly newsletter, keeping the library a tidy and safe environment, communicating with students and staff whilst maintaining a professional and polite presence. They truly are a credit to the school and especially to the school library. I cannot thank them enough for everything they have contributed, and it is wonderful to see how much they have grown and developed. Well done all of you, we are so proud of your achievements.
Mrs McLachlan
Star Readers Summer 3.2 2-24
Book raffle Summer3.2 2024
BOOK RAFFLE WINNER
Congratulations to Aurelia in Year 8 whose lucky ticket was pulled out before we broke up for the summer holiday – Well done Aurelia!
Neill Cameron Library Visit – Wednesday 26th June 2024
The writer and illustrator of the Mega Robo Bros series, Neill Cameron, paid a visit to CNCS on Wednesday 26th June. He gave an assembly to our Year 7 students where he talked about his career as a writer and illustrator and where his ideas come from to create such fantastic stories and illustrations. During the assembly students were encouraged to take part and come up with some of their own ideas for characters and storylines. Neill spoke about combining two fantastic concepts and combining them to make something amazing such as ‘time travel and dinosaurs’ to create time travelling dinosaurs!
Year 7s were then able to take part in workshops in the library hosted by Neill throughout the day. The workshops encouraged students to think about different concepts and combine them to create different characters which Neill then demonstrated how to draw. Students followed Neill’s lead and drew their versions of the same character and then they were asked to create their own character. After, Neill spoke to them about creating a storyline for their character and asked them to think about what their character wants and what is in their character’s way.
Students really engaged in the process and some amazing characters and storylines were produced. It was wonderful to see how much students enjoyed themselves. Well done all!
CLick here for "The Great Book Giveaway – 10th May 2024"
Book raffle Summer3.1 2024
READING ALOUD
The Reading Aloud reading programme, which runs every term in the library, encourages Year 9 and 10 students to volunteer to listen to and encourage our Year 7 and 8 students with their reading during tutor time. Students read to their mentors and then discuss what they have read which gives greater depth and understanding to the students’ reading.
The library continues to run the programme every Friday during tutor time and it is wonderful to see students reading an array of reading materials. Well done everyone!
Easter - End of Spring Term Certificate Awards – 22nd March 2024
Click here for more info on Easter - End of Spring Term Certificate Awards – 22nd March 2024
World book day - Thursday 7th March 2024
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World Book Day - Thursday 7th March 2024
Book raffle spring 2.2 2024
Book Raffle sPRING 2.1 2024
Emilie Lauren Jones – Friday 26th January 2024
A regular visitor to CNCS Emilie Lauren Jones joined Year 8 for the entire day which started with an assembly for Year 8s where she explained what a poet laureate is, what drove her to become a poet and how she creates her poetry. The assembly ended with some very interesting and mature questions
from the students with amazing answers from Emilie.
The day continued in the library where some very lucky Year 8s had the privilege of taking part in Emilie’s poetry workshops which followed such forms as: ekphrastic poetry (writing based on an image), praise poetry (celebrating something underappreciated), tautogram (a poem where as many words as possible start with the same letter) and kenning poems (using a noun verb format to describe someone/something. Students were able to explore poems chosen by Emilie and then given the opportunity to create their own poems using similar devices and techniques. Students worked incredibly hard and produced amazing and wonderful poems of their own. We are extremely proud of each and every student who demonstrated their creativity and use of language. Well done Year 8!
SORA Reading App – January 2024
Sora, the school's free reading app, has now introduced a variety of magazines as well as a wealth of book titles available for students to read. Students can access this,
By downloading the Sora app and entering their CNCS log-in details. Enjoy!
YEAR 7 AND 8 BOOKMARK COMPETITION – 2023-2024
Held a little later than usual our annual Bookmark Competition was launched during our Library lessons.
The competition was again opened up to Year 7 and 8 students where they were asked to create any design they liked on a blank bookmark. There were no restrictions to what students could create so many designs included a festive theme, football, patterns, superhero, nature, books, space and many more. There were many amazing and very creative bookmarks produced and it was incredibly difficult to decide on winners.
The deadline was just before the Christmas holidays and the winners were announced the first week back to school.
One winner from Year 7 and Year 8, each received a prize with four students from each year group receiving a runner up prize.
We are very proud and impressed with our students’ creativity and designs.
Year 7
Year 8
BOOK RAFFLE WINNER
Congratulations to Sharan in Year 10 whose lucky ticket was pulled out before breaking up for the Christmas Holidays – Well done Sharan!
Christmas Student Librarian Meeting – 21st December 2023
Today the library held its Christmas Student Librarian meeting where the librarians had the opportunity to come together and chat about how the first half term had gone volunteering in the library. They were also awarded their Bronze level award for learning and completing a variety of skills and tasks. These included: attending regularly, working well as a team, issue/return items accurately, shelve books accurately, describe different library resources, friendly and helpful to staff and other students as well as many more.
Well done to all the librarians for demonstrating their commitment to the library and giving up their social time to volunteer. They have been amazing and it is wonderful to see their magnificent progress. We are incredibly proud of them!
Welcome to the Library's New Student Librarians - 2023-2024
The Library’s fabulous new Student Librarians, Yuvraj, Cole, Ketan, Matthan, Laviru, Ameera, Aliyah, Libby and Angel join our long running librarians Krzysztof, Lidiia, Lucie and Kateryna and have started experiencing all the different types of tasks that the role requires.
They have all applied for the position, taken part in an interview and training course and are now volunteering some of their social time in the library.
Well done and welcome to the library team!
Christmas in the Library – 11th-15th December 2023
During the whole week the library hosted a variety of Christmas themed activities for students to enjoy during their break and lunchtime.
Monday students were able to write a message or prayer and decorate snowflakes, Christmas trees, angels or baubles which were then cut out and hung on the library Christmas tree.
Decorate your own tree ornament was available on Tuesday where students had a variety of plain wooden ornaments to choose from and decorate them as they wished to take home.
Wednesday there were Christmas activities such as word searches, colouring templates and bookmarks to complete during their social time.
Thursday the library held the Where’s Santa? competition. Students were asked to find 10 Santas that were hidden around the library. They were rewarded with festive pencils and chocolate coins.
On Friday a Christmas quiz was held to round up Christmas in the Library. Students answered some festive questions as well as enjoying a mince pie and were entered into a draw where a lucky winner won an early Christmas present.
Normally a quiet environment the library was full of festive music, activities and fun for the entire week!
POET WITH PUNCH - Tuesday 14th November 2023
A regular to CNCS Matt ‘Poet with Punch’ Windle paid another visit to our school and spent the day with Year 7s. He held an assembly with them where he discussed how lucky he felt to be earning a living from doing what he is passionate about – boxing and poetry!
A former Poet Laureate of Birmingham and a current holder of a Commonwealth boxing title belt, Matt described his genre of poetry as ‘spoken word’ and asked students to think about what they are passionate about in order to create, write and speak their own poetry.
Workshops were held throughout the day where some Year 7s were able to explore rhyme and rhythm through the use of their own chosen words and create some amazing poetry – well done Year 7s!
Bor - autumn 1.1 2023ok Raffle winne
Harry potter day - Thursday 12th october 2023
The annual Harry Potter Day event took place in the library today. During break and lunchtime students were able to visit the library and discover all of the fantastic displays and decorations around the room. At break they took part in ‘Where’s the Snitch?’ competition where they had to search the library for ten snitches that had been hidden around the room which they received a small prize for. They were also treated to Harry Potter themed sweets such as Jelly Snakes, Jelly Beans and Chocolate Frogs!
At lunchtime students were then able to participate in various activities including Harry Potter themed ‘Chit Chats’, colouring templates, word searches, ‘Write a letter to Harry’, Harry Potter themed games (Dobble, Uno, Frustration, Pictionary, Top Trumps) and the Library Harry Potter Quiz! As well as more sweetie treats, four lucky winners of the quiz received Harry Potter themed prizes.
It was a fantastic day, enjoyed by students from Year 7 to 13 and staff!
summer reading - august 2023
There are many ways to access reading books over the summer break.
- Use your local library (these are listed on our website on the Library page).
- Visit bookshops, charity shops and Oxfam for new and used books.
- Check out this year’s Student Book Reviews and Recommendations on the library website.
- Use the Sora Reading App to access many titles free of charge. www.soraapp.com
Whichever you choose please take the time and relax with a good book!
End of term student librarian meeting - Friday 21st July 2023
At break the library held the last meeting of this academic year for the Student Librarians. Nearly everyone was in attendance and break was spent awarding the librarians for all of their hard work, dedication and commitment throughout the year. The library has been blessed with such fantastic librarians this year and we are incredibly proud how they have developed and grown in their roles.
Well done everyone and we hope you will join the library again in September.
Book raffle winner - may 2023
Congratulations to Mufaro in Year 8 who is the first winner of the Library's new competition which runs every half-term.
Dave Shelton – Author and Illustrator Year 9 Event – Wednesday 26th April 2023
Dave Shelton – Author and Illustrator
Year 9 Event – Wednesday 26th April 2023
The author and illustrator, Dave Shelton, visited CNCS to speak to our Year 9 group. He spoke in morning assembly about the origins of his work, how he acquired his ideas for his books and how he created his illustrations. Students also had the opportunity to ask a variety of very interesting questions.
During the rest of the day Mr Shelton held workshops in the library for some of Year 9 where he demonstrated how he created his illustrations as well as encouraging and coaching students to create their own comic book characters. We are incredibly proud how our students engaged in these workshops and the amazing illustrations they produced. Well done Year 9!
Book Raffle
Languages Around the World
To celebrate our school’s diversity and its cultural richness the library has added a new section called ‘Languages Around the World’. This section includes children’s literature in French, Polish and Spanish which can be borrowed from the library by students.
As there are 45 different languages spoken at CNCS, we feel it is important for students to be able to access reading in a foreign language.
Our aim will be to continue to add to the library collection, literature in as many different languages as possible and we welcome suggestions from students and their families.
READING ALOUD
In the library on the 16th November the CNCS Reading Aloud programme commenced. This is a reading programme where Year 9 and 10 students volunteer to listen to and encourage our Year 7 and 8 students with their reading during tutor time.
It has been a wonderful first session with an outstanding number of students reading aloud and discussing with their mentors the books they are reading.
The library will continue the programme every Wednesday and we look forward to seeing students read an array of reading materials. Well done everyone!
YEAR 7 AND 8 BOOKMARK COMPETITION – 2022-2023
Our annual Bookmark Competition was launched in September during our Library Induction lessons.
Each Year 7 and 8 English class were given a library induction lesson to explain the facilities that the library offers and also give the students the opportunity to understand how the fiction and non-fiction books are organised in a library.
The induction lesson ends with the launch of our annual bookmark competition where students can create any design they like on a blank bookmark.
The deadline was just before October half term and the winners were announced the first week back to school.
Six winners, three from Year 7 and three from Year 8, each received library certificates and a prize.
We are very proud and impressed with our students’ creativity and designs.
ART COMPETITION - 2022
Last term the library held an art competition where students were asked to produce a work of art relating to reading and/or books.
It gives us great pleasure to announce the winners of this competition and to exhibit their wonderful creations. Each will be put up on the library walls for the whole school to admire.
Three winners were chosen and they each received a certificate and a prize. The overall winner also had their artwork chosen to become the library’s new logo. This will be seen on various items attributed to the library such as special bookmarks, CNCS Library User Guides, the library website homepage and many more.
We are extremely proud of the students and their achievement.
Re-opening of the Library’s Book Section
Having been closed the summer term of 2021-2022 due to an in-depth stock check, the library will reopen in the Autumn term 2022-23. Books that were old and not relevant have been weeded out to make room for exciting new titles as well as replacing old favourites, some of which have already been ordered. Keep a look out for new titles throughout the year!
Myton Reading Challenge
Before the end of the Summer term, we launched the Myton Reading Challenge to help raise funds for Myton Hospice. Students have been encouraged to take part by being sponsored for each book they read over the summer. Recommendations have been provided but students are free to choose any books they like, fiction or non-fiction – we look forward to seeing what titles have been chosen as well as any funds that have been raised for what is a very worthy cause.