AMCS Library NewsYour half termly round up of literacy-linked stats, facts and ideas

Library opening hours: Monday-Friday, 8.00am-3.30pm

LRC Manager: Mrs Singleton0161 219 6626r.singleton@abrahammoss.manchester.sch.uk

LRC Assistant Manager: Mrs Fitzgerald0161 219 6619s.fitzgerald@abrahammoss.manchester.sch.uk

All pupils are welcome before school and during break. Please obtain a Library Pass at break to visit during lunchtime.

syllable - a single unit of speech, either a whole word or one of the parts into which a word can be separated, usually containing a vowel.

timbre - a quality of sound that makes voices or musical instruments sound different from each other.

ultrasonic - ultrasonic sound is too high for people to hear.

decibel - a unit for measuring the loudness of sound.

onomatopoeia - the act of creating or using words that include sounds that are similar to the noises the words refer to.

cacophony - an unpleasant mixture of loud sounds.

homophone - a word that is pronounced the same as another word but has a different meaning or spelling, or both.

Words of the WeeksSummer 2, 2016

You came, you bought, you were rewarded!Although June didn’t quite deliver on the weather front, it did bring 28 brandspanking new books to the Library, courtesy of Scholastic rewards. This haul of freebies included some replacement copies of the Minecraft Handbooks (reference only this time round as they always appear to ‘grow legs’...), the latest installments of Tom Gates’ wacky antics and a Jacqueline Wilson novel that some Year 7 girls have been asking for daily for the last two months. Most fittingly, given the news of late, is the DK Politics book, to help you get your head around right-wing, left-wing, lame ducks and witch hunts. Yes, really!

Second-hand book fair

When we asked staff to donate books to a cheaper, more environmentally friendly book fair we did not expect to receive 334 contributions!! Equally, we did not anticipate raising, a quite fankly ridiculous, £137.60 (especially considering some books cost 20p!) Thank you to everyone that gave us a book, bought a book, helped us sell the books and let us keep the change. All proceeds have been donated to Bloodlines charity and Francis House.

This half term the Library explored the theme of sound...

Sounds dreadful Sounds good

Same sound, different meaning

Sign language: speaking and listening without sound

Sounds familiar

Moss Heads championsIt took a great deal of general knowledge (and several Bulletin reminders) for this year’s Moss Heads champions to be crowned. Y8 and Y9 teams first went head to head against their respective year groups way back in October, with all tutor groups quizzing their way through the monthly heats to progress to the final in June. Brainpower, teamwork, commitment and fervour eventually led 8 Orange and 9 White to victory and to claim the coveted Moss Heads Winners’ Cup. Congratulations and thank you to everyone who took part.

‘Euro’ a winner!Forget Portugal, if there was one winner from this summer’s Euros competition it was Ashraan in 7 Green. He scoured the corridors for football shaped clues, figured out the missing words and solved the treasure hunt before most of us had even figured out what colour week we were on! His problem-solving skills earned him a £20 Amazon voucher, making him one of the highest paid LRC competitors of the season!

Keep your eyes peeled and ears tuned for more LRC competitions in the new school year!

New books!

Tina is a triplet, but she’s always been the odd one out. When Tina is split up from her sisters in school and has to fend for herself for the first time, she discovers her independence and it turns out there’s a lot more to her than meets the eye. A beautiful, heartwarming story about friendship, confidence and becoming your own person.

Find it on the fiction shelves under W Find it in the graphic novel section

The great hammer Mjolnir lies on the moon, unable to be lifted by anyone, even THOR! Something dark has befallen the God of Thunder, leaving him weakened and for the first time...unworthy! But when Frost Giants invade the Earth, the hammer will be lifted and an all-new Thor will arise. Who is this new Goddess Of Thunder?

The Butterfly Club by Jacqueline Wilson

Thor: Vol 1: The Goddess of Thunderby Jason Aaron

Lots of dictionaries tell you what an ‘alligator’ is, or how to spell ‘balloon’ but they won’t explain the difference between a ‘ringbeller’ and a ‘trogglehumper’, or say why witches need ‘gruntles’ eggs’. This dictionary explains all of Roald Dahl’s looney language, whilst supporting literacy in many other exciting ways.

Find it on the Languages shelf in bay 4

Oxford Roald Dahl Dictionaryby Roald Dahl, Susan Rennie and Quentin Blake

This special teen edition tells the remarkable story of a girl who knew from a young age that she wanted to change the world - and did. Her journey will open your eyes to another world and will make you believe in hope, truth, miracles, and the determination of one person to inspire change.

Find it on the PSHEE shelf in bay 4

I am Malalaby Malala Yousafzai

Y6 transitionIt’s never too early to familiarise yourself with your new secondary school Library. Therefore we were keen to get involved with the AMCS induction schedule for the first time this year. We acquainted six groups of soon-to-be secondary pupils with the LRC over three days via a series of games, activities and discussions. Pupils first got their bearings by noting the similarities and differences between their current and future Libraries, then put their existing knowledge to the test by pairing together resource and description jigsaw pieces. READ OUT LOUD bingo followed, using a specially written story detailing all you need to know about the LRC. Once the bingo cards were full and the prizes had been issued, pupils tested their memory and listening skills with a recap of the rules. Once they’d decorated the back of their new Library Passports with portraits, some pupils opted to take part in their first LRC challenge, to complete a Reading Journey over the summer holidays. Great to meet you Y6, see you in September!

Our heartfelt thanks goes to Carl and Adam for all their help throughout the week they spent on work experience with us in the LRC. Both young men were hardworking, dependable, punctual, cheerful and good company. We wish they could have stayed longer!

Here is Carl’s summary of his week:

And finally... a literacy tip

Year 7 Year 8 Year 9 Year 10 Year 11Number of books loaned

Non-Fic Fiction Total Non-Fic Fiction Total Non-Fic Fiction Total Non-Fic Fiction Total Non-Fic Fiction Total

25 188 213 21 102 123 27 139 166 16 22 38 2 3 5Number of lunchtime Library Passes redeemed

400 216 703 207 4Book loans by gender

Male: 39% Female: 61%

Stat Attack!

Synonyms are words or phrases that have the same, or nearly the same, meaning as another word or phrase in the same language.

For example, other ways of saying ‘then’ are:

consequently, later, afterward, nonetheless, suddenly, therefore, later on, thereupon, at that moment, thus, subsequently, accordingly, after that, before long etc.

Spice up your writing, choose the best synonym you can!

Work Experience Alice

Library staff were thrilled at the announcement that this year’s school production was to be based on a book. And the performance of Lewis Carroll’s extraordinary story did not disappoint. Pupils delivered the poetry, word play and, at times, nonsensical dialogue with confidence, flair and skill whilst our musicians provided a soundtrack so captivating it was hard to believe it was live. Re-live the adventure by reading the original, found under C in the fiction section.

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From my time working at the Library I would say I really enoyed it. It was fun and yet there were a lot of tasks. We were set many jobs to do for the staff of the Library and others. I enjoyed working with the camera man, Mike, in using the camera and editing scenes. I found this very fun and interesting.

From Library WEX I have achieved skills which will help myself in later life, for instance with jobs.

The main question in my head before the WEX was what it is like to work in a Library. I have always wanted to know. From the WEX I did I understand that it isn’t as easy as it sounds. That is another reason why I chose it because I knew they would need an extra helping hand.

There wouldn’t have been any other place I would choose for WEX. I would rate my WEX 10/10 as it reached my expectations.