This half term we are running the following after school clubs:

KS1 - LEGO - Mrs Dallow - Monday 3:15-4:15

KS2 - Coding - Monday 3:15-4:15

KS2 - Rugby - Mr Cullerne - Tuesday 3:15-4:15

Book Club Autumn 1 2025

Our chosen books this half term are Wonder by RJ. Palacio and Simon Sock by Sue Hendra and Paul Linnet, each exploring themes of friendship and kindness. Something new for this year is that St James’ book club now has a Worcestershire Libraries account, whereby we can borrow multiple copies of our titles for the entire half term. This means that more children can discover and enjoy the books at the same time, without having long waits for copies, and it takes pressure off families to buy books. However it does mean that we will need to collect in and return the copies after half term when we’ve had our book club meet (first week of November) so we’re trying to keep track of the books – parents, if you find any stray library copies behind your sofa please do send them back in to school! Happy reading.

Wonder by RJ. Palacio

Auggie wants to be an ordinary ten-year-old. He does ordinary things - eating ice cream, playing on his Xbox. He feels ordinary - inside. But ordinary kids don't make other ordinary kids run away screaming in playgrounds. Ordinary kids aren't stared at wherever they go.

Born with facial differences, Auggie has been home-schooled by his parents his whole life. Now, for the first time, he's being sent to a real school - and he's dreading it. All he wants is to be accepted - but can he convince his new classmates that he's just like them, underneath it all?

Questions to consider…

- In what ways, if any, does August change throughout the course of his first year at school?

- What do you think August’s old astronaut helmet (described on p73) represents for the different characters of August, Miranda and Dad?

- What different perspectives do the 6 different narrators (August, Jack, Summer, Via, Justin, Miranda) bring to the book?

- What might be one of your favourite precepts (words or rules to live by)? This can be from Wonder or elsewhere.

Simon is an odd, stripey sock. He lives in the drawers with all the other socks. Every day two socks get picked to go on an adventure. The sparklies go to parties. The woolies go the park. The smarts go to school. Everyone has a pair... except Simon. Will he ever find his perfect match?

Questions to consider…

- What are some of the differences between Simon’s pairing with Simone and his pairing with Betty? What do these differences say about friendship?

- Does Simon ever actually get picked from the sock drawer? Does this matter?