Effective immediately, parent access to Accelerated Reader has changed. Now parents may request an individual login to Accelerated Reader, which will allow one-stop access to all your children's AR records. Parents may also request automatic email updates when their children take quizzes.
The deadline for earning points for the first bowling trip is December 15. The point requirements are as follows:
Kindergarten - 5 points
1st grade - 10 points
2nd grade - 15 points
3rd grade - 20 points
4th grade - 25 points
5th grade - 25 points
Points for the second trip may be earned beginning December 16. Any points earned before December 16 will not count toward the second bowling trip. The point requirements will be the same.
If you have any questions, email me!
Thursday, November 18, 2010
Monday, November 8, 2010
Fourth Grade Book Club in Progress
I am having a lot of fun with the Fourth Grade book club. Its members are Peyton V., Emily F., Tyler M., Destiney W., Maya C., and Meagan G. We are reading Debbie Dadey's Cherokee Sister, a historical fiction novel about two girls who are forced to walk the Trail of Tears.
To provide background information about the Trail of Tears, I showed the children a video clip from United Streaming called The Trail of Tears: The Cherokees Leave Their Homeland. After viewing the video, the children decided that they did not want to read this book, because it was sad. I presevered, because I think this is an important book. Now that we are at the point where the girls have embarked on their forced journey, I think the children have become personally invested in the story.
Each meeting of the club begins with a snack and a recap of the previous session. The sessions conclude with some free time to allow the children to log on to the Destiny Quest accounts and send book reviews to friends.
To provide background information about the Trail of Tears, I showed the children a video clip from United Streaming called The Trail of Tears: The Cherokees Leave Their Homeland. After viewing the video, the children decided that they did not want to read this book, because it was sad. I presevered, because I think this is an important book. Now that we are at the point where the girls have embarked on their forced journey, I think the children have become personally invested in the story.
Each meeting of the club begins with a snack and a recap of the previous session. The sessions conclude with some free time to allow the children to log on to the Destiny Quest accounts and send book reviews to friends.
The Trail of Tears: The Cherokee Leave Their Homeland.
Discovery Education, 1996. Video Segment.
8 November 2010..
Discovery Education, 1996. Video Segment.
8 November 2010.
Saturday, October 30, 2010
The Book Fair Report
Preliminary reports show that our fall book fair was quite successful. It appears that this was our most successful book fair ever. I will not have a final account until all the paperwork is complete, but it looks like more than $2000.00 cash was earned for our school library program. Scholastic, our fair vendor, also provides "Scholastic Dollars" to be used to purchase library books directly from the fair. Again, I will have more information about this once the final paperwork is done, but I have already selected more than $300 of books from the fair.
Once again I am completely indebted to the wonderful people who have helped make this fair the success it was. Preschool and kindergarten aides Shawnee Murphy, Dreama Hewitt, Debbie Burns, Doretta Malone, Charlotte Hawkins and Bonnie Homchenko take on extra responsibility with each fair, as our littlest shoppers need the most help finding appropriate items. I appreciate their extra efforts as well as those of all our teachers who make extra time for their children to shop.
Josh Salisbury, our music teacher, helped with all the class previews. I know the children are particularly thankful for his technical expertise in getting our most popular item, the Top Secret UV Pens, to work. He also set the ground rules for behavior which made the preview days much more orderly.
I have always been very grateful for my parent and grandparent volunteers who have helped with the before-school shopping and class previews. This year I was blessed with a wealth of volunteers. They are, in order of appearance, Melissa Burns, Tracy Uphold, Angela Hanlin, Lauri Martin, Valerie Blosser, Eileen McCusker, Sherry Scarbro, Janna Lowery, Kathy Barr, Greg Rice, Devon Boyles, Beth Proctor, Shonet McClung, Christi Lyons, Tanya Bartley and Jessica Criser. Brian Henderson and Lisa Nair helped with evening shopping. Art teacher Charity Bolyard helped with sales after the Halloween parties.
I am particularly indebted to student volunteers Rylie Hollar and Katy Pasquarelli who helped set up displays before the fair. Tiffany Shannon, Taylor Keeling, and Shylar Hanlin helped with sales.
Finally, Christi Lyons and her daughters Taylor, Haleigh and Maddie, and third grade teacher Rhonda Hatfield helped break down the fair and rebox unsold merchandise.
I want to say thanks to all the parents for their support of our school library. It means a lot to me.
I'll have more details about the fair and plans for the revenue at a later date. Thanks again for everything!
Once again I am completely indebted to the wonderful people who have helped make this fair the success it was. Preschool and kindergarten aides Shawnee Murphy, Dreama Hewitt, Debbie Burns, Doretta Malone, Charlotte Hawkins and Bonnie Homchenko take on extra responsibility with each fair, as our littlest shoppers need the most help finding appropriate items. I appreciate their extra efforts as well as those of all our teachers who make extra time for their children to shop.
Josh Salisbury, our music teacher, helped with all the class previews. I know the children are particularly thankful for his technical expertise in getting our most popular item, the Top Secret UV Pens, to work. He also set the ground rules for behavior which made the preview days much more orderly.
I have always been very grateful for my parent and grandparent volunteers who have helped with the before-school shopping and class previews. This year I was blessed with a wealth of volunteers. They are, in order of appearance, Melissa Burns, Tracy Uphold, Angela Hanlin, Lauri Martin, Valerie Blosser, Eileen McCusker, Sherry Scarbro, Janna Lowery, Kathy Barr, Greg Rice, Devon Boyles, Beth Proctor, Shonet McClung, Christi Lyons, Tanya Bartley and Jessica Criser. Brian Henderson and Lisa Nair helped with evening shopping. Art teacher Charity Bolyard helped with sales after the Halloween parties.
I am particularly indebted to student volunteers Rylie Hollar and Katy Pasquarelli who helped set up displays before the fair. Tiffany Shannon, Taylor Keeling, and Shylar Hanlin helped with sales.
Finally, Christi Lyons and her daughters Taylor, Haleigh and Maddie, and third grade teacher Rhonda Hatfield helped break down the fair and rebox unsold merchandise.
I want to say thanks to all the parents for their support of our school library. It means a lot to me.
I'll have more details about the fair and plans for the revenue at a later date. Thanks again for everything!
Monday, October 25, 2010
The Book Fair Starts Today
Well, folks, I have a long week ahead of me, but it is very much worth it! Our fall Scholastic Book Fair begins this morning at 8:30 AM. The fair will be open from 8:30 AM to 7:00 PM Monday through Thursday, and from 8:30 AM to 4:00 PM on Friday. Veteran book fair attendees will notice that I have shortened the evening hours by one; because I am at school at 6:15 every morning for Morning Adventures, I felt I shouldn't press my luck and stay open until 8:00 each evening! I hope these times are convenient for parents. If not, please let me know!
I am pleased with the content of this year's fair. There are many, many great titles that I think the kids will be very excited about. I think the parents will be pleased with the reduction on "non-book" items. The selection, to me, seems like the best we have ever had. I hope you all agree.
One of my goals for money raised at this fair is to purchase sets of books to use with book clubs. For example, in January, I would like to start a fifth grade book club reading either Rules by Cynthia Lord or Schooled by Gordon Korman. I would like to have multiple copies of these titles available so the kids will not have to buy the books to participate. Currently, our fourth grade book club is reading Cherokee Sister, by Debbie Dadey.
A student asked me Friday as we were setting up the fair whether I liked having book fairs. I told her I liked having the fairs, and I liked it when it was over! The real answer is a little more complex. I enjoy having the fairs, because I get to see lots of parents that otherwise I might not come in contact with. I think it is essential to my job to have a strong rapport with parents, teachers and students, and the book fair is an avenue to reach out to a group I might not see.
What I really like about the book fair is that it is essential to funding so many of the other things we do in the library. For example, last year's fairs paid our renewal for Accelerated Reader. Proceeds of the fairs have expanded our collection well beyond what our annual allotment from Monongalia County Schools can provide. With these proceeds I am able to target materials that I think will be interesting to the kids, not necessarily the most literary or curriculum-oriented. With these funds I have also enhanced what Mon County has provided in library software: Brookhaven is the only school in the county that has reading program (Accelerated Reader) points for each book listed in the catalog; we are also the only school in the county that has TitlePeek, an Amazon-like feature that displays the covers of books in our collection.
I hope you all enjoy the fair!
I am pleased with the content of this year's fair. There are many, many great titles that I think the kids will be very excited about. I think the parents will be pleased with the reduction on "non-book" items. The selection, to me, seems like the best we have ever had. I hope you all agree.
One of my goals for money raised at this fair is to purchase sets of books to use with book clubs. For example, in January, I would like to start a fifth grade book club reading either Rules by Cynthia Lord or Schooled by Gordon Korman. I would like to have multiple copies of these titles available so the kids will not have to buy the books to participate. Currently, our fourth grade book club is reading Cherokee Sister, by Debbie Dadey.
A student asked me Friday as we were setting up the fair whether I liked having book fairs. I told her I liked having the fairs, and I liked it when it was over! The real answer is a little more complex. I enjoy having the fairs, because I get to see lots of parents that otherwise I might not come in contact with. I think it is essential to my job to have a strong rapport with parents, teachers and students, and the book fair is an avenue to reach out to a group I might not see.
What I really like about the book fair is that it is essential to funding so many of the other things we do in the library. For example, last year's fairs paid our renewal for Accelerated Reader. Proceeds of the fairs have expanded our collection well beyond what our annual allotment from Monongalia County Schools can provide. With these proceeds I am able to target materials that I think will be interesting to the kids, not necessarily the most literary or curriculum-oriented. With these funds I have also enhanced what Mon County has provided in library software: Brookhaven is the only school in the county that has reading program (Accelerated Reader) points for each book listed in the catalog; we are also the only school in the county that has TitlePeek, an Amazon-like feature that displays the covers of books in our collection.
I hope you all enjoy the fair!
Wednesday, October 20, 2010
Explorer Research at the End of Day Two
Mrs. Henderson and I began her Explorers project with the fourth grade on Monday. I joined their classroom to teach each of the three classes how to use and why they should use online encyclopedias to start their research. My rationale was that students need background information they can trust before they can evaluate whether or not information found using a search engine is trustworthy.
I began the discussion by explaining that in days of old writers researched their material thoroughly. Then they submitted their manuscripts to publishers who evaluated their worth. They in turn had editors double-check the writer's facts for accuracy. As a result, the users could trust that the information in the published book was factual.
Today, of course, anyone can be an author, either on the web or of a published book. The safeties for verifying accuracy of information may not be in place. For one class I created a wiki on DaSean Butler just to demonstrate how easy it is to create a web resource on a subject one knows little about.
After I showed the classes the features on World Book Online and Grolier Online, we looked at articles on the explorer Amerigo Vespucci. Next, we looked at the bogus explorer site All About Explorers. The kids at first thought that the information was obviously false. Then I asked them if they would think the information was false if they had not read the other reputable articles about Vespucci. They agreed that they would probably think the information was true.
I was very impressed with the children's reasoning skills. This is the first out of four years' students that have been able to accurately express what is wrong with information in the site. While working with me in the library yesterday, several students told me that they found certain pieces of information on other websites, but that they needed to verify the information on other sites. One boy found a book the biography section that's preface said the facts presented in the book were not true but based on the life of Marco Polo. Guess what book is being removed from the biography section?
I began the discussion by explaining that in days of old writers researched their material thoroughly. Then they submitted their manuscripts to publishers who evaluated their worth. They in turn had editors double-check the writer's facts for accuracy. As a result, the users could trust that the information in the published book was factual.
Today, of course, anyone can be an author, either on the web or of a published book. The safeties for verifying accuracy of information may not be in place. For one class I created a wiki on DaSean Butler just to demonstrate how easy it is to create a web resource on a subject one knows little about.
After I showed the classes the features on World Book Online and Grolier Online, we looked at articles on the explorer Amerigo Vespucci. Next, we looked at the bogus explorer site All About Explorers. The kids at first thought that the information was obviously false. Then I asked them if they would think the information was false if they had not read the other reputable articles about Vespucci. They agreed that they would probably think the information was true.
I was very impressed with the children's reasoning skills. This is the first out of four years' students that have been able to accurately express what is wrong with information in the site. While working with me in the library yesterday, several students told me that they found certain pieces of information on other websites, but that they needed to verify the information on other sites. One boy found a book the biography section that's preface said the facts presented in the book were not true but based on the life of Marco Polo. Guess what book is being removed from the biography section?
Monday, October 11, 2010
How Can You Tell If You Have Received "Good" Information? Part II
The world of publishing has changed greatly, to say the least. Back in the day only the very affluent could publish his own work. Everyone else would have had to go through a rigorous editorial process to determine if the work was worthy of publishing. Once the work was accepted, editors would meticulously check and double-check facts, trying to eliminate misinformation, and in many cases, bias. With the advent of the Internet and specifically Web 2.0, everyone (even me!) can be a published author. Unfortunately, the editorial process is not there to censor and correct unintentional and malicious misinformation. It falls to the user to be able determine what is worthy of their time.
The easiest thing a user can do to judge the content of a webpage in to have enough knowledge about the subject that you can spot the obviously false content. This can be accomplished by using a reputable, traditionally published source as a first choice for background information. Such sources include paid encyclopedia subscriptions such as World Book Online and Grolier Online, as mentioned previously in this blog. When this isn't possible, web evaluations get a little tricky.
One of the first things web users might try is doing a Google search on the person or organization responsible for the website. Are they easily found using search engines? Does what you find via the search indicate that this person or organization is qualified to write about their chosen topic? If not, is there some indication on the page that indicates why the person writing the article is qualified?
Aside from the qualifications of the author, one should look for bias in the article. Is the article providing balanced treatment, pros and cons, of the topic or is it only presenting one side of the issue? (Can we say this applies to political campaign ads as well?) How important this consideration is depends on your needs. Let's say you are looking for information about global warming. If you already have lots of information supporting the idea that global warming is real, you may only be looking for a book that presents evidence that global warming is not real. Again, check the credentials of the author or organization.
The date when a website was written can also affect the usefulness of information. This is especially important in fields where information is continually updated. For example, solar system information is especially vulnerable to being obsolete. Just for fun do a search on Pluto. Is it still a planet (major planet? minor planet?) on the sites you have found? Do a similar search on Jupiter's moon. How many different answers to the number of moons can you find?
If you desire more detailed information about website evaluation, many sources are available to you. One of my favorites is Alan November's resource page and a similar page on Sweet Search. Both sites will give you useful information.
Good searching!
Thursday, September 30, 2010
Brookhaven Open Library Night Mentioned in National Blog
| Julia Benincosa of the West Virginia Department of Education briefly referenced our Open Library Nights in the FCC's Blogband blog. Thanks, Julia! |
Monday, September 13, 2010
How Can You Tell If You Have Received "Good" Information?
What do you do when you need to find information about a particular topic? If you are anything like me - and I would bet most of you are - you probably "Google it" or look it up on Wikipedia. These tools are easy to use, free, and most times offer fast, hassle-free answers to our questions. The problem with relying on these resources is that the quality of information they provide varies greatly from being too scholarly for the general reader (too much information) to being absolutely false. How do we know what we can trust?
As adults we most likely will begin a search with some prior knowledge of the topic we are searching. This prior knowledge helps us determine whether or not we think the information we receive on a website is valid. Children, on the other hand, need to be given background information that is reliable before they can make valid judgements about information they find online. Where can they get reliable, accurate background information?
Enter the online encyclopedia. Monongalia County School students have access to two wonderful subscription publications that have evolved from the print counterparts of older generations.
The first, Grolier Multimedia Online, is available to all residents of West Virginia free of charge. It is provided to us by a grant from the West Virginia Legislature to the West Virginia Library Commission. Its print edition predecessors include Encyclopedia Americana, Academic American Encyclopedia, and the New Book of Knowledge. All three are respected encyclopedias recommended by the American Library Association. Their combination into one multimedia package makes Grolier Online a very comprehensive source for background information.
The second encyclopedia, World Book Online, is provided by Monongalia County Schools using part of the technology funds designated by our special levy. World Book is my absolute favorite reference resource, dating from the days of my childhood when my parents bought a print set for my brother and me. Fortunately, parents today don't have to shell out the $800 for a set and worry about keeping them up-to-date with annual supplements. A huge advantage of online resources over the print version is that articles are being continuously updated. Because the articles in World Book are written by experts in the fields of each article, we can reasonably trust the information in these articles are accurate. Because World Book has for many years geared its content to curriculum needs of students, we can be assured that articles written on a particular topic are at a comfortable reading level for your student.
If children or adults feel the need for additional information beyond what is provided in encyclopedia entries, the user might want to investigate websites and periodicals on the topic. Both World Book and Grolier provide links to recommended, preiselected magazine articles and websites. Again, because of the authority of the authors, we can reasonably expect these additional sources to provide valid, current information.
If there is a drawback to using these sources, it is that a username and password is required for access. Becuase this blog is a public forum, I cannot post them here. However, the logins and usernames for each source are available on our Edline webpage. If you have any problem accessing these logins and passwords, email me at lsmartin@access.k12.wv.us, and I will be happy to provide them for you!
Parents, I hope you will encourage your child to use these resources as a first choice for finding information. I know it is not easy not to use Google as a first choice, but I believe that using these online encyclopedias will lead to a more productive online experience. Once your student is armed with solid background information on his topic, it may be appropriate to "Google" additional information. Next week in this blog I will discuss additional strategies to evaluate information found on the web.
Wednesday, September 8, 2010
Oh, the Things You Can Do on Our Library Catalog
Did you know that when using the Brookhaven Library online catalog:
- Students can create their own login?
- Students can send friend requests to other students and teachers?
- Students can search for books they want to read and place hold requests?
- Students can request materials from other Monongalia County school libraries?
- Students can keep online lists of books they have read, books they want to read and books they are reading now?
- Students can renew their books online?
- Students can write reviews of books they have read and recommend books to people on their friends list?
Want to get started using our online catalog? Here are the steps:
- Point your web browser to http://lib.mono.k12.wv.us.
- Select Brookhaven Elementary from the list of school libraries.
In the upper right hand corner, click. 'Create an Account.'. The children will need to know their nine digit lunch number in order to create an account.
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| On this screen enter your last name and lunch number. |
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| On this screen enter your birthday information. On this screen enter you birthdate. Don't worry; this information is secure and already on the server. Students enter this information as a way of confirming their identity. |
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| On this screen, enter your user name and password. |
Enjoy! If you have any questions, call me at 3042919236 or email me at lsmartin@access.k12.wv.us.
Saturday, August 28, 2010
Open for the Season
The library's first week of school was a busy one. On our very first day three classrooms - Mrs. DeLawder's, Mrs. Robinson's, and Mrs. Forbes' - visited the library. By the end of the week, every class with the exception of first grade and kindergarten visited the library. The total circulation for the week was 567, which is pretty respectable for the first week of school.
Students are also getting into the Accelerated Reader program. So far six students qualified for our first bowling trip. These readers are Ben P., Noah Y., Natalie D., Makayla B., Alexandra L. and Michael W. Great work, guys! Thanks for keeping me on my toes!All the new books have been processed and displayed for children to check out. Our third graders seem to really like the transitional chapter books. These books are written on a more challenging reading level than the books the students read in second grade, but they are not as long as the average chapter books. This is helpful to the students because even as their reading abilities improve, their attention spans may not be ready for the longer books.
This weekend I hope to make plans for beginning this year's library helpers program. Because only nine 5th graders volunteered, the opportunity to be a library helper will be offered to 4th graders as well. Soon after the library helpers schedules are arranged, the Writers Club will resume. There will be more posts about these clubs soon.
Looking forward to week two! Hope to see you at our first Open Library Night on Monday, August 30!
Sunday, August 22, 2010
New Book: Closed for the Season, by Mary Downing Hahn
When Logan Forbes moves to tiny Bealesville from Richmond, he is dismayed to be readily friended by the weirdest kid in town, Arthur, a poor boy who lives in the dilapidated house next door. Arthur tells Logan that the previous owner of his new house had been found murdered at the bottom of the basement stairs.
As the two investigate the murder of Mrs. Donaldson and her links to an old amusement park that is soon to be demolished, they face many obstacles, including bullies and worse yet, the popular kids Logan's mom wants Logan to befriend. Sidestepping interfering adults, Logan and Arthur must find a missing briefcase before the murderer does!
Recommended for fourth and fifth graders.
Saturday, August 21, 2010
Ready for Monday Morning?
As we all know, Monday starts a new school year. Am I ready? Well, there are always more tasks to complete, more items to perfect, but I am pleased to report that the library will be ready for business first thing Monday morning.
My focus for collection development this year was finding chapter books that are appropriate for students making the transition between easy readers and more sophisticated children's novels. Looking through the cartons of books that arrived Thursday, I believe these students will have a wide variety of materials to choose among. While all these new books won't be available on Monday, most should be ready by the end of our first week of school.
I hope parents will have a chance to visit the library during open library nights or during our open house on September 9. Lots a hours went into the decorating for this year's theme. Lots of credit for the decorations go to kindergarten paraprofessional Doretta Malone and grandparent volunteer Nancy Conners.
I also hope to find parents (or grandparents) who would be interested in volunteering an hour or so one morning or afternoon each week. Volunteers can run the circulation desk, shelve and repair books, update the AR points display and a number of other tasks. Those who would like to help but are unable to be at school during the day can help in other ways, such as writing book review or preparing date due cards. Email me and let me know how you would like to help!
I am looking forward to seeing all our students on Monday. I think we are going to have a great year!
Wednesday, August 11, 2010
One Week to Go and A Look Ahead
Well, this is it. By this time next week I will be at Brookhaven, feverishly putting last minute touches on the library in order to have everything ready for kids on Day 1, August 23. It has been a wonderful summer. Even though I had ample time to relax and enjoy being, I accomplished a good deal in preparation for our new school year.
Our reading theme for this school year is Reading Rainforest. Each child will have a marker that will be used to track his Accelerated Reader points throughout the school year. I really need to thank my daughter, Christina Smith, for her help in getting the markers cut. Each grade level will have a different rainforest animal as its marker. As points accumulate, the markers will be moved around the exterior of the library to indicate how many points each child has earned. Like last year we will have monthly incentives that hopefully will keep the children on track for earning their bowling trips. Trips are tenatively scheduled for December and April, meaning children will have to be very dedicated to earning their points in a timely manner.
Our open library nights will begin on Monday, August 30. Hours will be 4:00 p.m. to 7:00 p.m. The dates for open library are:
Two book fairs will be held this year. The first one will be October 25 through 29, and the second will be April 26 through 29 ( four days only because April 25th is an out of calendar day for Easter Monday). Proceeds from the book fairs will buy processing supplies, magazines, books and other materials for students. A large portion of the proceeds will go to renewing our Accelerated Reader subscription. It costs about $2000.00 each year to renew our web-based service.
Volunteers are vital to the success of our library programs. I'll write more on this next week, but in the meantime, please consider being a library volunteer. You would make a difference in library services to the entire school.
Brookhaven Library Media Center Calendar
Our reading theme for this school year is Reading Rainforest. Each child will have a marker that will be used to track his Accelerated Reader points throughout the school year. I really need to thank my daughter, Christina Smith, for her help in getting the markers cut. Each grade level will have a different rainforest animal as its marker. As points accumulate, the markers will be moved around the exterior of the library to indicate how many points each child has earned. Like last year we will have monthly incentives that hopefully will keep the children on track for earning their bowling trips. Trips are tenatively scheduled for December and April, meaning children will have to be very dedicated to earning their points in a timely manner.
Our open library nights will begin on Monday, August 30. Hours will be 4:00 p.m. to 7:00 p.m. The dates for open library are:
- August 30
- September 13 September 27
- October 11
- November 1 November 15 November 29
- December 13
- January 10 January 24
- February 7
- March 7
- April 4 April 18
In addition to these dates , I am hoping to reinstate after school book clubs. As of now no plans are set, but I am thinking about having these on Thursday afternoons from 4:00 to 5:00. Any suggestions from parents and students are very welcome.
Two book fairs will be held this year. The first one will be October 25 through 29, and the second will be April 26 through 29 ( four days only because April 25th is an out of calendar day for Easter Monday). Proceeds from the book fairs will buy processing supplies, magazines, books and other materials for students. A large portion of the proceeds will go to renewing our Accelerated Reader subscription. It costs about $2000.00 each year to renew our web-based service.
Volunteers are vital to the success of our library programs. I'll write more on this next week, but in the meantime, please consider being a library volunteer. You would make a difference in library services to the entire school.
Brookhaven Library Media Center Calendar
Monday, August 2, 2010
Summer Library Wrap-Up
The Brookhaven Library Media Center was open on Thursday evenings from 4:00 p.m. to 7:00 p.m. for seven weeks beginning June 17 and ending July 29. Thirty three children visited the library during these evenings, resulting an a total of 92 visits by children and 68 visits by adults.
Third grader Michael W. was our most devoted attendee, visiting six of the seven weeks. Drew, L. Declan K., Makayla B. and Julia L. each attended five evenings.
Ben P. is the summer's Accelerated Reader point leader with 33.5 points. Makayla B. is in second place with 27.6 points, and Isaiah H. is in third place with 20 points. Overall 191.8 points were earned during summer library hours.
A very big thank you and expression of appreciation is due to Mrs. Doretta Malone. Mrs. Malone volunteered alongside me, shelved books and created countless decorations, It would not have been the same without you, Doretta!
Also, I thank Mr. Jack Hicks for securing the facility for me on Open Library Nights!
If your child was unable to come to the library this summer, he will still be eligible for recognition of summer reading. Make sure he completes and returns his summer reading log by August 31.
Third grader Michael W. was our most devoted attendee, visiting six of the seven weeks. Drew, L. Declan K., Makayla B. and Julia L. each attended five evenings.
Ben P. is the summer's Accelerated Reader point leader with 33.5 points. Makayla B. is in second place with 27.6 points, and Isaiah H. is in third place with 20 points. Overall 191.8 points were earned during summer library hours.
A very big thank you and expression of appreciation is due to Mrs. Doretta Malone. Mrs. Malone volunteered alongside me, shelved books and created countless decorations, It would not have been the same without you, Doretta!
Also, I thank Mr. Jack Hicks for securing the facility for me on Open Library Nights!
If your child was unable to come to the library this summer, he will still be eligible for recognition of summer reading. Make sure he completes and returns his summer reading log by August 31.
Monday, July 26, 2010
The Heat Brings Recollection of Favorite Literature
An article detailing the toll that the heat takes on temper is written on page 3A of today's local newspaper. It seems that hot weather causes an increase in violence, both domestic and battery, in our area. The article reports that magistrates write increasingly more protective orders, RDVIC sees an increase in clientele, and the sheriff's department reports a growing number of battery cases as the temperature rises.
For me, the rise in the heat index brings fond memories of two of my favorite pieces of literature. The first, which I think clearly defines the manic tendencies oppressive heat might bring, is the short story August Heat, written by William Fryer Harvey in 1910. It is the story of an artist who on one insufferably hot August day draws the best sketch of his life: a picture of a man who has just been sentenced for an unknown crime. Later the artist goes for a long walk, lost in reverie, and happens to meet for the first time the subject of his sketch, a stonemason who is working on a gravestone. The gravestone has the artist's name and date of birth carved in the marble stone.
When the heat of a summer day gets to me, I revisit the last two lines in the story:
"But the heat is stifling. It is enough to send a man mad."
The other piece of literature is Natalie Babbitt's beautifully written Tuck Everlasting. The prologue is long and windy, much like the slow days of summer. Here I find my favorite quote:
Babbitt continues that all the days and weeks leading up to the first week of August are a slow steady climb to the peak of Summer and that all the days after the first week of August are a rapid descent into Fall. I believe this is true.
I hope you enjoy reading August Heat. I highly recommend that every parent read Tuck Everlasting to his child. Personally, I would have to say that sharing the book with both my children at the appropriate age (10 and up) was one of my most rewarding parenting experiences.
I hope we all can keep our cool during the next few weeks and enjoy the fleeting days of summer. That rapid descent into Fall will come very soon.
Harvey, William Fryer. "August Heat." Donald Tyson's Supernatural World. Donald Tyson, 2007. Web. 26 Jul 2010..
Lombardi, Esther. "'Tuck Everlasting' Quotes." About.com:Classic Literature. New York Times, 2010. Web. 26 Jul 2010.
For me, the rise in the heat index brings fond memories of two of my favorite pieces of literature. The first, which I think clearly defines the manic tendencies oppressive heat might bring, is the short story August Heat, written by William Fryer Harvey in 1910. It is the story of an artist who on one insufferably hot August day draws the best sketch of his life: a picture of a man who has just been sentenced for an unknown crime. Later the artist goes for a long walk, lost in reverie, and happens to meet for the first time the subject of his sketch, a stonemason who is working on a gravestone. The gravestone has the artist's name and date of birth carved in the marble stone.
When the heat of a summer day gets to me, I revisit the last two lines in the story:
"But the heat is stifling. It is enough to send a man mad."
The other piece of literature is Natalie Babbitt's beautifully written Tuck Everlasting. The prologue is long and windy, much like the slow days of summer. Here I find my favorite quote:
The first week of August hangs at the very top of summer, the top of the live-long year, like the highest seat on a Ferris wheel when it pauses it turning.
Babbitt continues that all the days and weeks leading up to the first week of August are a slow steady climb to the peak of Summer and that all the days after the first week of August are a rapid descent into Fall. I believe this is true.
I hope you enjoy reading August Heat. I highly recommend that every parent read Tuck Everlasting to his child. Personally, I would have to say that sharing the book with both my children at the appropriate age (10 and up) was one of my most rewarding parenting experiences.
I hope we all can keep our cool during the next few weeks and enjoy the fleeting days of summer. That rapid descent into Fall will come very soon.
Harvey, William Fryer. "August Heat." Donald Tyson's Supernatural World. Donald Tyson, 2007. Web. 26 Jul 2010.
Lombardi, Esther. "'Tuck Everlasting' Quotes." About.com:Classic Literature. New York Times, 2010. Web. 26 Jul 2010.
Friday, July 23, 2010
Welcome to Our New Library Media Center Blog
Hi, everyone! Welcome!
The purpose of this blog is to inform parents and students of activities happening in our school library media center. I have several aims I hope this blog will accomplish.
First of all, I want as many people as possible to be aware of and involved in the library media program at Brookhaven. After all, this school belongs to our community. I want to make sure that the library media center is meeting our collective needs. Input from parents and students is essential for me to know how well the program is meeting our needs.
Second, I want the parents and the community to have "insider" knowledge of the activities of the media center. I want you to know about whatever contributions the library media program makes toward furthering your and your child's education. It's about more than recommending good reads and checking out books!
Next, I want to tell you about features of our library system that will make using the library better for you. Did you know each student can create his own login and write book reviews online? A personal login also allows students to request books and to keep track of materials checked out.
Finally, I want to give back. This fall I will begin my 15th year at Brookhaven Elementary. I am well aware of and grateful for the support I have received from students and parents, as well as from teachers and the administration. The very least I can do is communicate with you the goals and dreams I have for our library.
The purpose of this blog is to inform parents and students of activities happening in our school library media center. I have several aims I hope this blog will accomplish.
First of all, I want as many people as possible to be aware of and involved in the library media program at Brookhaven. After all, this school belongs to our community. I want to make sure that the library media center is meeting our collective needs. Input from parents and students is essential for me to know how well the program is meeting our needs.
Second, I want the parents and the community to have "insider" knowledge of the activities of the media center. I want you to know about whatever contributions the library media program makes toward furthering your and your child's education. It's about more than recommending good reads and checking out books!
Next, I want to tell you about features of our library system that will make using the library better for you. Did you know each student can create his own login and write book reviews online? A personal login also allows students to request books and to keep track of materials checked out.
Finally, I want to give back. This fall I will begin my 15th year at Brookhaven Elementary. I am well aware of and grateful for the support I have received from students and parents, as well as from teachers and the administration. The very least I can do is communicate with you the goals and dreams I have for our library.
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