Creative Writing Competitions

Do you enjoy writing stories? Would you like to win some great prizes?  If the answer is yes, you may be interested in entering two national creative writing competitions for secondary school students. You need to be quick though, as the competitions close very soon!  If you are in Year 7 or Year 8 you may want to use some of the great tips and techniques that Joe Craig introduced you to when he visited our school.

The National Young Writers’ Awards are open to students aged 14 and under.  The theme is ‘The Mash-up’ and you are encouraged to write a 500 word story that is a ‘mash-up’ of two genres.  For example, a spaceman travelling back to Roman times or your favourite super hero taking on zombies.  The prize is a trip to Disneyland Paris for you and your family and £500 worth of books for the school.  The closing date is Tuesday 7^th June.  For more information and to submit your entry go to http://www.explorelearning.co.uk/youngwriters.

#Just Write has been launched by BIC, the pen people.  Open to Years 8, 9 and 10, you have to imagine living in a world without words and write about what that would be like in no more than 500 words. The competition closes on Monday 6^th June.  The winning entry will be published and receive a gift bag and ten other shortlisted finalists will win an individual gift pack.  For more information visit http://ministryofstories.org/bic-creative-writing-competition/.

TRS Students interview best-selling author, Joe Craig

The amazing Joe Craig visited The Ravensbourne School on 29 April to perform for our Year 7 and Year 8 students.

A specially selected group of Year 8 students, Lewis, Darion and Macey, were given the fantastic opportunity to meet and interview Joe! This is what they asked him:

If you could be one of your characters who would you be?

Tricky, but although Jimmy has the special powers, I would want to be Miss Bennett.

If you were to choose an actor to play a character who would it be and why?

• Ian Richardson – Prime Minister
• Saffron Burrows – Miss Bennett
• Jason Statham- Jimmy’s Dad
• Vinnie Jones - Paduk

What would you be if you weren't a writer?

If I wasn't a writer, I would probably still be a musician or work in advertising.

What do you see in cricket that you like?

It being a bonkers sport, really fun to play but I like it because everyone else finds it boring.

If you could rewrite one of the books, which one would it be and why?

Probably the first one.  One point would be when Jimmy is shot at and catches the bullet—that was probably going over the top!

Word of the Week - Recent Winners including Author Joe Craig!

Below are some recent ‘words of the week’ submitted by students and staff in the Discovery and War Memorial Libraries.  The word can be a favourite or unusual one and the winner has their word displayed in the Libraries and receives a prize!

We were recently visited by acclaimed author, Joe Craig, best known for his Jimmy Coates series of books.  Whilst he was here, Joe entered our Word of the Week competition with the word chthonic, which means dark or hellish.  His winning entry was displayed in the frame in our War Memorial Library.

Discovery Library

Bemused

Verb: To be puzzled or confused.

chosen by Emma (7MB)

Azure

Noun: A bright blue colour

chosen by Melanie (7FH)

   

Anthropology

Noun: The study of human beings and their customs.

chosen by Rosanna (7MP)

Juxtaposition

Noun: To put things that are not similar next to each other.

chosen by George (7MB)

Zephyr

Noun: A soft, gentle wind. 

chosen by Joshua (8AM)

Derelict

Adjective: Deserted or abandoned; falling into ruins.

chosen by Isabelle (7CS)

Zoonanthella

Adjective: Any various yellow-brown algae that live with cells of other organisms, especially certain corals and other marine invertebrates.

chosen by Leah (7MP)

Lachrymose

Adjective: Tearful or given to weeping

chosen by Christopher (7MP)

Xenophobia

Noun: A dislike or prejudice against people from other countries.

chosen by Charlotte (7CH)

Misnomer

Noun: A wrong or unsuitable name for a person, place or thing.

chosen by Rosanna (7MP)

Incandescent

Noun: Glowing with heat; full of strong emotions.

chosen by Christopher (7MP)

Ambrosia

Verb: The food of the Greek and Roman gods; something extremely pleasant to taste or smell.

chosen by Ruth (7MB)

Exhumation

Noun: The action of digging up something buried, especially a corpse

chosen by William (7SH)

Absquatulate

Verb: To leave somewhere abruptly.

chosen by Comert (9ST)

War Memorial Library

Triskaidekaphobia

Adjective: Extreme fear of the number thirteen

chosen by  Christopher (10SF)

Synecdoche

Noun:Having simultaneous understanding, for example, in Geography when a landmark or building makes you think about a whole city. 

chosen by Ms O'Dell (Geography)

Gentrification 

Noun:  A process where middle class residents move to a traditionally working class area of a city, changing the character of the area. 

chosen by William (10OD)

Squally

Adjective: Stormy, threatening weather

chosen by Mr A Murphy (PE)

Encryption

Noun: A type of data protection that scrambles confidential data when an unauthorised user tries to intercept it.

chosen by Danny (12WB)

Sympathise

Verb: To feel or express sympathy or compassion for someone or something

chosen by Emre (12TD)

Yclept

Adjective: By the name of; called.

chosen by Hakeem (12CI)

Ephemeral

Adjective: Lasting a short amount of time.

chosen by Ms Payton (Drama)

Defenestration

Noun: The act of throwing someone out of a window.

chosen by Christopher (10SF)

Mondegreen

Noun: A misunderstood or misinterpreted phrase from a poem or song lyric, which results in the phrase acquiring a new, and usually humorous, meaning.

chosen by Mrs Nolan (Librarian)

Ostentatious 

Adjective: Characterised by pretentious or showy display; designed to impress.

chosen by James (12CP)

Pessimistic

Verb: PTending to the see the worst aspect of things.

chosen by Conor (13NA)

Chthonic 

Noun:  Dark, hellish; relating to the underworld.

chosen by Joe Craig (author)

Lawrencium

Noun: A chemical element artificially produced from californium. d.

chosen by Gabriella (10AT)

Champions Read!

http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/

This week football club Leicester City overcame odds of 5000-1 and possible relegation to win the Premier League title.  Their manager, Claudio Ranieri, enjoys unwinding with a good book, and is quoted as saying:

‘I do not have much time for relaxation but when I can, I like to read.’ 

We have a great selection of football fiction, biographies, facts and non-fiction in the Discovery and War Memorial Libraries.  Look out in particular for the Dan Freedman Jamie Johnson series of books.  These have been made into a CBBC series, which is due to be shown in June, to tie in with the Euro 2016 Championships taking place this summer.