This week, we sadly say goodbye to Amanda Simpson, our Library Manager. During her time at Merrin, Amanda has taken our library from very ordinary to outstanding!

Amanda should be justifiably proud of her achievements. She has spent many hours marketing and promoting the library and has ensured it plays an important part in supporting teaching and learning.  Amanda has built  a collection  for our school community to enrich reading and learning programmes. She has bought and borrowed texts to support literacy across the curriculum. 

Amanda welcomes children in — the library is a safe place, that values and includes students from different cultures and backgrounds.  In providing this safe haven, Amanda has helped close the education gap for many students who might otherwise be challenged with their learning, by providing access to the stories, information, and technology they need. Children love going to the library, particularly spending time in the Makerspace (a makerspace is a place where students can gather to create, invent, tinker, explore and discover using a variety of tools and materials).  Amanda saw that the library was an ideal location for a small Makerspace.  Amanda could see  a shift in how libraries were viewed, instead of being seen as a place of only reading and research, libraries were now viewed as a place where thinking and invention happened.

Amanda had wonderful approaches to engaging children in reading; one method used her dog, Zola, in her "Paws for Reading" programme, another involved children meeting adult writers.  The school year was punctuated by events such as Book Week, Hell's Pizza Reading Challenge, Merrin Story Writers' Competition and author visits. Amanda has been well supported during these events by her student librarians.

Amanda loved her Library Leader role, but serious back problems, exacerbated by the demands of bending and lifting in the library, has meant she has been unable to continue. We will miss you, Mrs Simpson.