Welcome back to the start of the new academic year. It’s great to see our year 7 students already visiting our library and settling into school life at Sutton Grammar School. Over the summer break we have been creating plenty of room on our shelves for new books together with updating some of our familiar old favourite novels!
As a school community we are deeply saddened to hear the announcement of The Queen’s death on 8th September 2022. Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II reigned for an incredible 70 years and dedicated her life to service her country, the realms and the Commonwealth. She came to the throne on 6th February 1952 aged 25 following the death of her beloved father, King George VI. Queen Elizabeth II was a cherished monarch and we will remember her life as one of devotion, grace and strength.
Following the Queen’s death, the throne immediately passed to her first born son and heir, Charles, formally the Prince of Wales. On Saturday 10th September 2022 at St. James Palace, London, Charles was proclaimed King in front of a ceremonial body known as the accession council. Our new Sovereign King Charles III will be supported by his wife, now known as Camilla Queen Consort.
We are now entering a new age called the ‘Carolean era,’ this is the period of time during the reign of King Charles. ‘Carolean’ derives from the Latin name for Charles.
We are currently ordering some new books about The Queen’s legacy which will be in the library soon. Check out Sora for ebooks documenting the historical lives of the monarchy by typing in ‘Royalty’ in the search box.
Last term we launched a Reading Cloud competition to write a review of a book that you read over the summer holidays that you enjoyed. Mrs Taylor has received some amazing entries. However, due to temporary glitches in the system some students have not be able to sign into the Reading Cloud, therefore we are extending the competition deadline to 3rd October 2022.
If you would like to submit your book review entry and are unable to login to the Reading Cloud, please either write it down on a piece of paper and bring it into library or email it to: library@suttongrammar.sutton.sch.uk
Library prizes to be won. Good luck!
We have lots of new books ready and waiting for you to delve into. Take a look at these titles: I am Minotaur by Anthony McGowan; Rapunzella by Ella McLeod; 21% Monster by PJ Canning
For fans of author Tom Palmer, his new book Resist is in our library together with these other great new reads: Life Between the Tides by Adam Nicolson and the incredible true story of The Boy who Harnessed the Wind by William Kamkwamba and Bryan Mealer.
Rather than merely describing the chronology of how a "thing" came about or what it actually does (all information readily available on the internet) Harford, one chapter per thing, uses short stories and anecdotes to explain the significance of items as diverse as artificial intelligence; TV dinners; and, the Haber-Bosch process. Consequently, the short chapters often prove as entertaining as they are informative. For me, the most-thought provoking passages were where Harford described some of the the things' unintended consequences, such as how the introduction of the gramophone caused radically unequal pay in the music industry, or how the fridge shaped the politics of developing countries across the globe.
Whilst it may be difficult to discern any systematic criteria for Harford's selection of things, and one or two chapters are frustratingly brief, reading this book is a great way to better appreciate how we live, work and play. It is not necessary to read the book cover to cover and the chapters can be read in any order. Finally, the sequel "The Next Fifty Things that Made the Modern Economy" is recommended equally strongly."
Take a look at these books to spark your interest in Art, Economics, Mathematics and Biology: 500 Figures in Clay volume 2 by Nan Smith (738); Captalism without Captital by Jonathan Haskel and Stian Westlake (330); Alex Through the Looking-Glass by Alex Bellos (510); The World Before Us by Tom Higham (575).
When YA author and novelist Leigh Bardugo wrote her debut novel Shadow and Bone, the first in the Grisha trilogy, she had audiences captivated by with her teenage orphan heroine Alina Starkov. Alina grows up in the Russia-inspired land of Ravka when, unexpectedly she harnesses a power she never knew she had in order to save her childhood best friend. Since then Bardugo has gone on to write two successful duologies: Six Crows, Crooked Kingdom and King of Scars, Rule of Wolves. All of these books are available in the library and perfect companion for KS3 fantasy literature fans.
National Poetry day it is a day for all poetry lovers far and wide to come together to share their experience of poetry. This year’s national poetry day’s theme is the Environment and we particularly liked this poem by Tony Walsh:
Just look at all that lousy litter! What a massive mess! The litterbugs have dropped it there, it's like they don't care less Just chucking mucky yucky stuff from trucks and cars and vans And flicking icky sticky stuff and kicking cola cans It's here, it's there, it's everywhere; there's rubbish all around It's swirling, whirling in the wind and groaning on the ground It's gushing in the gutters and the bushes and the trees It's time to make it stop because it's nearly near our knees! So please don't drop it, if we stop it everybody wins Just put your flipping litter in the flipping litter bins!
There's pieces on the pavement and the paths beneath our feet There's bits to trip and slip on simply slung across the street There's sweet wrappers and treat wrappers and loads of mouldy food There's nasty stuff like pasty crusts and half the food's half-chewed There's burger boxes, bakers' bags and smokers' cigarettes There's grimy, slimy piles for miles, all soggy sopping wet There's germs and junk and gloopy gunk and grotty, greasy grub There's often shocking shedloads close to shops and schools and pubs So please don't drop it, if we stop it everybody wins Just put your flipping litter in the flipping litter bins!
There's chip packets and crisp packets and broken glass and tins There's lazy people, crazy people, walking past the bins And putting parts of pizzas on a stack of stuff that stinks But why do people leave it there? And why don't people think? There's lumps and clumps of chewing gum, stuck everywhere like glue I dread it when I tread in it and get it on my shoe There's wasps and flies and, no surprise, there's even rats and mice That trash attracts and that's a fact and that's not very nice So please don't drop it, if we stop it everybody wins Just put your flipping litter in the flipping litter bins!
It's piled up in the playground, in the park and at the beach When, easy peezy lemon squeezy, bins are near to reach! Just be aware and take some care. This place could be so nice Just take away your takeaway and hear this clear advice It isn't hard! It doesn't cost! There's often bins close by And if there's not then, hey, guess what, there IS no reason why Just keep a hold and take it home, re-cycle if you can It's so much cleaner, so much greener, such a simple plan So please don't drop it, if we stop it everybody wins Just put your flipping litter in the flipping litter bins!
I said, please don't drop it, if we stop it, everybody wins Just put your flipping litter in the flipping litter bins!
© Tony Walsh
Click this link below to read more poems like this one and learn about National Poetry Day:
www.nationalpoetryday.co.uk
Starting on Wednesdays after school in our library we have launched a new book club just for Year 7 & Year 8 Students. We will be talking about books you have been reading and sharing ideas. Pop along and see what it’s all about.
Year 8 Comic Club is back this term and runs every Monday afternoon term time, period 7 (year 8 early release day) from 14.35 – 15.35. If you enjoy reading comics/graphic novels and want to find out what makes a good comic strip, learn about different comic styles and enjoy our great selection of biscuits, then Comic Club is waiting for you! Just turn up, no previous experience required and everyone is welcome to join in the fun.…
We have two new graphic novels to add to our increasing collection: Attack on Titan book 1 by Hajime Isayama and Heartstopper by Alice Oseman.