The Golden Man Booker Prize

To celebrate the 50th anniversary of the Man Booker Prize, a special one off award will be given to the best book overall from the all the winners over the past five decades, as selected by judges and then decided by a public vote.

The shortlist of the 'golden five' will be announced tomorrow at the Hay Literary Festival.  There will be a month long voting opportunity for the public via the Man Book Prize website and the overall winner will then be announced at the Man Booker 50 Festival on 8th July 2018.

Keep Calm and Carry on Revising in the War Memorial Library

We have a good selection of revision resources available in the War Memorial Library, including some new study guides for the 9-1 GCSE courses.  Come and have a browse or ask one of the Librarians.  There are some useful GCSE revision websites listed on the blog, as well as Post 16 resources, which provide A-level revision websites and advice on referencing.

The following revision tips are taken from the S-Cool Revision website:

Use Mind-maps:

Map out your revision topics using a mind-map diagram.  This enables you to present or analyse a large amount of information in a visual way.  For help with mind mapping try Tony Buzan’s Use Your Head book, which we have in the War Memorial Library or visit www.goconqr.com to create mind maps online.

Use your Super Brain:

Fill your living space with key revision notes: posters, diagrams, keywords so when your mind wanders you will see key information and this will sink in subconsciously. You will be revising without even knowing it!

Get into a Flow State:

The best way to get into a flow-state before you start revising or begin an exam is to start with an easy task or question and complete it quickly and confidently before moving onto the harder items. 

Breaking up your Revision:

Break up your revision time into small chunks of 20-minute work sessions, with ten minutes break. That way your brain has the space to absorb the information, keeping you interested and preventing boredom.

Avoid Distractions:

Ideally, switch off computers and smartphones so that you can focus on your work.  Take ten minute breaks if you need time on social media and build up your work session from 10 to 20 minutes or more without distractions.

Do remember that it is important to look after yourself when you are revising.  Make sure you take regular breaks, eat well, exercise, sleep and try to avoid the post exam post mortem with your friends.  If you feel stressed, try deep breathing and mindfulness techniques.  Nicola Morgan's Teenage Guide to Stress offers great advice - you will find a copy of this and other books on managing stress in the War Memorial Library.

Mental Health Awareness Week 2018

To mark Mental Health Awareness week 2018, 14th to 20th May, we have created a useful display of fiction and non-fiction books in the War Memorial and Discovery Libraries. This year's awareness focus is stress.

As a school, TRS are also running the Peer Education Project with the Mental Health Foundation in school, to promote awareness of positive mental health and wellbeing through our bunting project.  Staff and students have been asked to complete a bunting template with a positive mental health affirmation.  This has been hung up across the school.  Tea and Talk sessions, together with other fun activities, will also be taking place this week for staff and students.

And there are some useful websites too.  Click here and here and here  and here  and here . 

Copyright Knights and Plagiarism Pirates competition

If you enjoy creative writing and are aged 5 and 14 years, why not consider entering the Copyright Knights and Plagiarism Pirates competition run by The National Literacy Trust (NTL)?  The idea behind the competition is to help you understand about 'copyright' and 'plagiarism' and the rules around not copying someone else's work and passing it off as your own.

You can choose to be a copyright knight and write a code of conduct teaching people about copyright and why it's important to protect people's creativity or become a plagiarism pirate and write a song describing what plagiarism is and the consequences for people who plagiarise other people's work.

Prizes include £300 of books for your school, book vouchers worth £50 for the winner and £25 for ten runners up.  Also, the winning pupil will represent their school at a celebratory evening in the House of Commons on National Writing Day (27th June), where they will meet inspiring authors.

The competition closes at 5pm on 31st May.

Meet the Young People's Laureate at Bromley Central Library

Come and meet the Young People's Laureate at Bromley Central Library, Momtaza Mehri, for an informal
evening of poetry and chat at Bromley Central Library.  You'll be able to hear some of her poetry and have the opportunity to talk about the issues that matter to you. The discussion will form the basis of a poem by Momtaza which will later be filmed.

Momtaza is a Somali-British poet, whose mission during her year as Laureate is to convince young people “to see poetry as part of their every day, rather than in some dusty tome, or academic niche interest”.

The event is for young people aged 13 to 25 and takes place between 5.00 to 7.00 pm on Thursday 31st May.  Refreshments will be provided.

To book your ticket now go to meetmomtazamehri.eventbrite.co.uk.