Little Stoke Primary School officially opened its new library area on Friday 19th February and celebrated the occasion with a day of literacy-related activities.
Performance poet Ian Bland spent the day at the school, leading writing workshops, showing pupils how to write poems and giving tips on performing.
During a short ceremony to mark the opening of the library, Year 6 boys shared their thoughts about the new facility through prepared speeches. Ian Bland also explained how he had loved to visit libraries as a child, both the one in his school and the one in his village. He then recited a specially written poem called ‘Our Library’.
Then, after a fanfare by the Little Stoke Sliders (the school’s trombone group), Ian cut the ribbon to declare the library area officially open.
The library area is a visible presence of a broader reading initiative that is under way at the school which has included a reading challenge (in which children produced models based on books they have read), a top 100 books initiative, a reading passport scheme (which gives pupils rewards on reaching milestones), and paired reading.
Photos (from top): 1 Ian Bland recites a poem prior to cutting the ribbon. 2 Year 6 boys explain what reading means to them. 3 Fanfare by the Little Stoke Sliders.
This article originally appeared in the March 2016 edition of the Bradley Stoke Journal news magazine, delivered FREE, EVERY MONTH, to 9,500 homes in Bradley Stoke, Little Stoke and Stoke Lodge. Phone 01454 300 400 to enquire about advertising or leaflet insertion.
