Six Nations Rugby 2008

Six Nations Rugby fever was starting to hit Pembroke School -
so to tie in, we thought we'd run a competition to create a set of Top Trumps cards based on your favourite Six Nations team and offer the winner a special prize...

Thanks to former pupil and Welsh international Jonathan Thomas, we can now offer a very special first prize - a rugby ball signed by him and the rest of the victorious Welsh team!
Thanks too to the Mr Truman and the P.E. Department for donating the rugby ball!

The Top Trumps set doesn't have to be a full one, but has to include a minimum of 15 cards. The cards can be created by hand or on a computer and should be handed in or e-mailed to the Library (library@pembrokeschool.org) by Friday 18th April. We'll then laminate the winning set and use it in the Library alongside our other Top Trumps games.

Check out the display of rugby books, DVDs and magazines in the Library for some help. The Six Nations website and BBC Sports News are also worth a visit, as are the websites of your chosen team: Wales, England, Ireland, Scotland, France, Italy

World Book Day 2008 - Thursday 6 March

INSET Day on Thursday gives you the perfect opportunity to get down to Pembroke Bookshop and spend your £1 book tokens!! You can exchange your token for one of the special £1 books or use it to get £1 off any book or audio book costing £2.99 or more.
You can also use your tokens to buy anything from the current Cover to Cover magazines - out in your tutor groups this week; spare copies are in the Library.

Just some of the great reads available to exchange for your token...

World Book Day 2008 - Thursday 6 March

- only owing to our INSET Day on Thursday, we'll be celebrating the day on Friday instead.

First of all a series of quizzes and teasers will be coming to you in registration throughout the week. Do them just for fun or return or email yours to the Library for the chance to win something from a cornucopia of fantastic prizes!

Don't forget the 'Story Starter' Competition too in registration! Why not enter as a whole tutor group? Or have a go on your own or with a group of friends!

Assembly for Year 11 on Friday will be an assembly with a difference - watch out for the webisode and an introduction to a 'red hot read' by Melvin Burgess. Year 7 & 8 assemblies the following week are guaranteed to be full of action, gadgets and plenty of humour - which book(s)? which author? all will be revealed...

Join the WBD Team Treasure Hunt in the Library and around the school on Friday lunchtime. Call in sometime in the week to sign up your team (maximum of 5 people). Think of a witty, relevant name for yourselves too.

Spot the Book Title Competition: Keep your eyes open on Friday as lots of staff will be wearing badges with pics of books related to their subject - only the author's name has been deleted from the book jacket. Write down as many titles as you can on your entry form - and for extra points add - or find out - the author's name. (Thanks to Fiona Crawford, I think, for the original idea for this). All the titles used can of course be borrowed from the Library. Check out the display!

Red House Children's Book Award 2008

'The period of waiting is over - now is the time...'
The shortlist of the Red House Children's Book Award for books published in 2007 has now been announced. The 'Fully Booked Club', along with many readers across the country, are raring to read - and re-read - the titles ready to champion their favourites.

Older Readers category:
The London Eye Mystery - Siobhan Dowd
Teacher's Dead - Benjamin Zephaniah
Skulduggery Pleasant - Derek Landy

Check out their website for more details, for the Younger Readers shortlist and the shortlist of books for younger children.

Welcome to 2008!

Welcome to 2008 - the National Year of Reading! The national celebrations don't really get underway until April, but there'll still be lots going on over the coming months to warm up for the start. Look out for posters around school, listings on the school network and check out the blog.

In the meantime, have a look at the following links:

• Youtube video of the launch at 10 Downing Street: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AtX7ICkSlqc
  
  
• NYR website:
  http://www.yearofreading.org.uk/
  
  
• Article on the BBC News website about the year: http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/education/7177421.stm

School magazine...

Fancy gathering news and views from around the school and beyond? Being an on-the-spot reporter at a sporting event, charity event, or concert in school? Maybe your talents lie in creating cartoons or graphics? Or maybe interviewing someone? Perhaps you'd prefer to cast a critical eye over films, books, music and games?

Then now's your chance! There's a role for everyone who's interested. The school is starting its own magazine, written by students for students.

Just turn up at the Library on Mondays at lunchtime, and let your creative skills and talents shine!

Andy Stanton visit

With his amazing energy and wacky sense of humour, Andy Stanton entertained all Year 7 and some lucky Year 8 pupils in the school hall on Tuesday 20 November, before tirelesssly signing books and copies of the Lamonical Chronicle in the Library at lunchtime.
Pupils learned where the first Mr Gum story came from and how Andy developed his ideas, as well as an insight into the creation of characters such as Polly, the Biscuit Billionaire, Jake the dog and Mr Gum himself.
Fancy a giggle? - borrow a Mr Gum story for yourself. Reserve your copy today - they're flying off the shelves faster than you can say 'the truth is a lemon meringue'!
There's still chance to win a signed book too... Congratulations to Connor K in Year 8, the first of our winners.
Thanks Andy for a great day! I've already taken requests for Mr Gum and the Power Crystals!