Library & Reading

ACCELERATED READER

ACCELERATED READER: INDEPENDENT READING PRACTICE

Accelerated Reader is a computer program that helps teachers manage and monitor students' independent reading practice in Year 7 and Year 8. The student picks a book at their own level and reads it at their own pace. When finished, students take a short quiz on the computer by going to bit.ly/shhsread. (Passing the quiz is an indication that the student understood what was read.) Accelerated Reader gives both students and teachers feedback based on the quiz results, which the teacher then uses to help your students set targets and direct ongoing reading practice.

For more information, please see page 132 in the student planner, which contains more information about your daughter's reading age and how we approach reading at Sacred Heart.

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LITSOC

Current and past members have had the following to say about the Society:

“... Mr Spraggon has challenged us and our ideas at points, which is definitely difficult when you have to think on your feet to defend yourself! I would say the most difficult but arguably rewarding part has been his questioning, especially when it isn't your presentation, because you have to think quickly and present yourself with confidence but be open to changing your mind rather than being stubborn....”

“... attending Lit Soc has been invaluable for my university application and as an addition to my personal statement. It was how I explained the link from my studies in English Literature with Theology, how I have read outside of the curriculum and linked it - particularly the Wife of Bath and A Modest Proposal - to the importance of religious themes and their presentation within texts....”

“... LitSoc has taught me the importance of reading a wide range of texts from different time periods, all the texts we studied have been very influential and timeless, and learning about the historical contexts behind each of them has helped in two of my subjects mainly but also in general life - challenging my points of view on how literature and attitudes have changed through time and teaching my family about what I have learnt in LitSoc. …"

“.... It has definitely improved my confidence in presenting but also in analysing and looking into texts independently, helping me to understand that there isn’t always a right or wrong answer and that I shouldn’t doubt my opinions. It has been a pleasure to discuss and receive different perspectives and I feel that it will really benefit me in my University life and applications....”

“... LitSoc has surprised me in how valuable it is in preparations for higher education. Although at times challenging me, and the other LitSoccers, I think it has been a great experience that without I don’t think I would be as prepared for Uni…”

SENIOR LITSOC:

This invite-only club runs from the January of Year 12 to the December of Year 13. It is led by Mr Spraggon, ex-Head of English at Sacred Heart , whose role is to introduce and facilitate reading and debate across a range of texts from the Literary Canon, which are outside of the A Level Literature syllabus. The group meets twice monthly, having pre-read a text (all the texts are gifted to the students as part of being in the society). Mr Spraggon delivers a mini-lecture on the text. This is then followed by a seminar: one student is responsible for leading the session, whilst all students are pushed to debate and offer alternate viewpoints. It was established to prepare students for Oxbridge interviews, but has developed over the years to just generally encourage debate and allow students to find their voices: an essential skill for any Higher Education institute.

Texts have been: The Wife of Bath’s Tale, Hamlet, A Modest Proposal, Tintern Abbey and Tess of the D’Urbervilles. Still to come: A Doll’s House, The Waste Land and Waiting for Godot.

JUNIOR LITSOC:
Junior LitSoc runs each year. It is comprised of Year 11 students who have been selected by their GCSE teachers as showing a particular aptitude for the subject, which we hope will then translate into taking A Level Literature or Language. It runs every Monday lunchtime from September to the end of February and is comprised of half hour sessions led by members of the English department (including ex-members Mrs Bath – CEO of the Bishop Bewick Trust and Mrs Howell – Headteacher of Sacred Heart High School), plus occasional guest speakers. So far this year, we are about to welcome GINA LOWES, who works in Feature Film Post-Production for the Disney Corporation, and actually began her film career with Film Studies A Level here at Sacred Heart.

We cover a range of topics from The Beat Poets to Political Correctness in Language, via Language and Cultural Identity, Tennyson and Jane Austen. The course is designed to broaden the girls’ knowledge of the world of Literature and Language, and offer them insights into the A Levels that hopefully await them!

READING PASSPORTS

Modern Foreign Languages

VISITING WRITERS & OUR FESTIVAL OF READING

VISITING WRITERS: AUTHOR EVENTS

At Sacred Heart we work hard to provide an engaging and entertaining program of author events throughout the year. Using our connections with local bookshops and working directly with publishers, students are able to meet authors, gain an insight into writing careers and learn about their processes from initial ideas all the way to published novels. Students are also able to get signed copies of books either at the event or through pre-orders, allowing them to build up a varied personal library over their time at Sacred Heart.

Here are just some of the authors we have welcomed to our school in the past:

Katherine Woodfine
Angie Thomas
Holly Jackson
Lucy Powrie
Emma Carroll
Cathy Cassidy
Sinead O’Hart
Eloise Williams
Catherine Barter
Lauren James
Holly Smale
Siobhan Curham
Bryony Gordon

YEAR 9 BOOK REVIEWS

Let us know what you think about the books that you’ve read and automatically enter our prize draw.

Each time you finish a book you can review it at bit.ly/shhslibrary This is also the place to go to search for books in the library and find other reviews.

The aim is to keep reading and to share your opinions. Don’t just tell us the plot - we want to know if you enjoyed the book, why you enjoyed it and whether you liked the characters.

Every month there is a chance to earn merits for excellent reviews and a prize draw to win chocolate. We’ll also be announcing special review competitions in your library lessons and on the display in the library.

Your username is your school email address, e.g. 2020surname@shhs.org.uk and the password is 1234. Look for the book that you want to review by using the search box on the top right of the screen. When you have found the correct book click on the "Create Review" box to write and post your review.

Where can I find books to read?

Click here for the School Library Catalogue https://eclipse.microlibrarian.net/. The login is your full school email address and the password is 1234.

You can find books to read online at http://bit.ly/shhsebooks. The login is your full school email address and the password is 1234.

Books are also available from Newcastle Libraries. Click here for more information and how to join https://www.newcastle.gov.uk/services/libraries-and-culture

FESTIVAL OF READING

To celebrate our Festival of Reading in the summer term, we were very lucky to invite three authors to talk to our students in Year 7, 8, 9 and 10. The authors shared with us their journeys as writers, their writing processes and answered our students’ excellent questions.

Yvonne Banham visited Year 8 on Monday the 12th of June to talk about The Dark and Dangerous Gifts of Delores Mackenzie. She talked about her writing space and snoring beagle. We were shown the locations in Edinburgh that inspired her writing. She asked us how we felt about reading creepy books and if monsters could be unscary. I can’t wait to see what Delores does in her next adventure.

Prize-winning author Danielle Jawando visited Year 9 and 10 on Wednesday 21st June. She talked about her latest book, When our World’s Collided and about her experience as a writer on Coronation Street. Danielle discussed diversity in children’s books and how representation is important in her writing. We should all have the opportunity to see ourselves and the places we know represented in the books we read.

Lisette Auton visited our Year 7s on Thursday 22nd July. Lisette talked about the inspiration she sees in everything around her and about how place is important to her writing. Inspired by Lisette’s writing process and imagination the Year 7s shared interesting objects they might keep in a beard (a croissant or a pigeon included) and they drafted their very own whimsical story.

WRITER IN RESIDENCE

SUSAN MULHOLLAND

Here at Sacred Heart, we are lucky enough to have our very own Writer in Residence, Susan Mulholland. Susan is a professional playwright who has been writing for almost twenty years. She has an English Literature degree from Leeds University and a Master's in Film from Newcastle University. Susan has written extensively for children and her work has been staged regionally and nationally. She also mentors other writers as they develop their own work. Susan’s latest play, Only the Beginning, is about women’s football and she has been able to consult with Sacred Heart girls as part of her research.

Susan works with our Year 7 classes on a story development course, which has become embedded in the English curriculum, inspiring creativity and engendering a love of stories in a fun, accessible way. She also works with smaller, mixed age groups in the Learning Centre, where sessions involved working on their creativity, with the intention to increase confidence and self-esteem. She is also able to support our A Level students on a 1-2-1 basis with their dramatic monologues.

We feel very fortunate that Susan is the SHHS Writer in Residence, meaning that all of our KS3 students get the amazing opportunity to work with an experienced professional writer. Susan has been able to guide and inspire so many of our girls to find their own voices as writers.

From our Writer in Residence - Susan Mulholland

“I am passionate about stories, whether we're reading, watching or writing them ourselves and I want this programme of work to spark that passion in the students.

The students here are smart, funny and so creative, it only takes a little bit of encouragement for their ideas to start flowing. It’s a real privilege to work with them and I especially like it when we bump into each other in the corridors and they tell me all about their latest story.”

FEEDBACK FROM ENGLISH STAFF
"Susan has worked with a range of students in the LC this year on various projects including "Celebrating Neurodiversity" where the girls considered the advantages to being neurodiverse. They designed and pitched ideas for the new sensory areas in the Learning Centre which is now up and running and she worked with a group of students to write a student voice piece for the SEND transition booklet.

All of the students involved have grown in confidence and the work has significantly contributed to the Learning Centre community."

Nichola Swan, SENCO

"Susan's work with Year 7 has been invaluable this year. Her lessons allow girls more creative freedom, but it also consolidates a lot of the work we are focused on in English around story structure etc. For GCSE a big focus for us is on improving the creative writing outcomes for our students - her work helps to build the foundations for further success at KS4. She talks to the girls about her work as a writer so it also contributes to our focus on 'Careers' in English, as the girls can see that writing is a viable career choice."

Lucy Floyd

STUDENT FEEDBACK FROM YEAR 7

What was the best thing about working with Susan?

“She encouraged us to read or watch more films so that we could tell her about them.”
“The endless pen writing exercise was the one I enjoyed the most because it really got me to think creatively.”
“The best thing was that I could express my inner thoughts and feelings without feeling judged by others.”
“The best things about working with Susan was … everything!”
Has working with Susan made you feel differently about English?
“Yes because it has made me see it from a writer’s point of view.”
“It has made me feel more confident about sharing my ideas with the class.”
“Working with Susan every Tuesday made me really look forward to lessons when she was there. Her lessons have helped me with how to structure stories, introducing me to tips like the story arc and taught me how to engage readers. It has showed me that having a career in English can be hard but it is a lot of fun if you enjoy it!”
“Susan has made me more confident in English.”
“Susan has really inspired me to like English – every time I have walked into the classroom I have smiled and every time I left I thought about how amazing the lesson was and how I couldn’t wait for the next one!”

What have you enjoyed/Found Useful about the sessions?

When she told us that stories are like rollercoasters.
The tips she has given us on making a story – looking at a picture and describing it.
I have enjoyed writing my story, it has been fun working with her!
Not writing a story in one big chunk but breaking it down into little chunks.
Warming up our brains before writing.
Learning the structure of every story was useful.
I have enjoyed the freedom of what to write as I love creative writing.
How to make different points in a story and build suspense.
Being able to talk about my ideas and feeling more confident when doing so.

LIBRARY & READING

ACCELERATED READER

LITSOC

READING PASSPORTS

VISITING WRITERS & OUR FESTIVAL OF READING

WRITER IN RESIDENCE

When she told us that stories are like rollercoasters.

The tips she has given us on making a story – looking at a picture and describing it.

I have enjoyed writing my story, it has been fun working with her!

Not writing a story in one big chunk but breaking it down into little chunks.

Warming up our brains before writing.

Learning the structure of every story was useful.

I have enjoyed the freedom of what to write as I love creative writing.

How to make different points in a story and build suspense.

Being able to talk about my ideas and feeling more confident when doing so.