Summer Reading Celebrations

Congratulations to all of the students who participated in summer reading this year! We had so many students participate that we had to have two days of celebration this week. On Monday, Anna Cromwell from the Durham County Library Main Branch was our featured storyteller for the 1st-3rd grade celebration. She also gave students prizes for being such good listeners and readers.

On Wednesday, students in 4th and 5th grades came to the Media Center and participated in 3 interactive literacy stations. Students created and filmed book commercials for their favorite books using Flip cameras, shared book recommendations with friends on Destiny MyQuest, and learned more about the Media Center through a scavenger hunt.



All students received a certificate, a bookmark, and a new book for their summer reading accomplishments. Special thanks to our 3 parent volunteers: Scottie Hunsberger, Lisa Rakouskas, and Liz Clark. These events would not have been successful without their help!

The following dedicated readers filled out their entire READO boards this summer. I am so impressed with their efforts to read a wide variety of genres and styles!! Congratulations :)

What's the Buzz in 1st grade?

1st graders in Ms. Noble and Mrs. Roach's classes have been learning what it means to do "research" in the media center. Students enriched their study of insects by using the database PebbleGo to learn more about 1 particular insect. Working in partners, students read and listened to information about their insect's body, habitat, food, and life cycle. Habitat maps, photos, and video clips helped us understand how our insect survives in the world. We also learned that it is important to take good notes while conducting research. Writing down details will help us remember what we learned and we can share this knowledge with our classmates.
We were able to cover two of the Information and Technology Essential Standards for 1st grade during this research time:

• Use a variety of technology tools to gather data and information (e.g., Web-based resources, e-books, online communication tools, etc.)
• Use technology hardware and software responsibly

Curriculum Night

Last week we held Curriculum Night to inform parents about the new Common Core and Essential Standards. My media intern, Mrs. Lehotsky, created the Tagxedo above to illustrate the most important words from the Information and Technology Essential Standards (ITES). As library media specialist, I have the priveledge of collaborating with classroom teachers to integrate the ITES into core curricular areas. The 5 main essential standards we will cover in each grade level are: Sources of Information, Informational Text, Tecnology as a Tool, Research Process, and Safety and Ethical Issues. These standards were written using the Revised Bloom's Taxonomy. If you have questions about what this will look like for your child, please contact me or your child's classroom teacher.

Learning in the Library!

School is well underway and all classes have had their initial visit to the Media Center. We had fun reviewing our manatee manners, reading with friends, checking out books, and exploring this blog. Even teachers were a part of the action with an after school training on how to create and manage a classroom blog! Enjoy a slideshow below of pictures from a sampling of classes over the past few weeks. I created this slide show using my educator account on Animoto.

Little Free Libraries

Have you noticed the new structures in front of our school near the Club Blvd. sign? They are Club Blvd’s very own “Little Libraries.” These libraries are for everyone at Club (families, students, staff) and the Northgate Park community to use.

These Little Free Libraries offer a way to share good things to read. All of us can help by keeping the collection stocked with reading material. The taller library is for adults and the smaller one is for kids. We will stock both English and Spanish materials. If you see something you would like to read, take it. Return it or other books to our Little Free Libraries. We are still in need of artistic talent to add lettering to the libraries. Please contact Mrs. Husketh if you can help!

A special thank you goes to community member, Chris Quinn, who donated much of the material and constructed our libraries. Thank you to the Starr-Samuels family for overseeing the construction of the libraries and stocking them with reading material!

50 States with 5th grade!

Fifth graders in Mrs. Fava's and Ms. Lord's classes started a new project in the Media Center today. I taught students how to use the America the Beautiful database located on NCWiseOwl to find information on individual states. We compared the organization of information in this database to how information is organized in a book and found several similarities! We also learned how to cite our source and why it is important to do so. Students will use their information to write fictitious postcards from each place. Check back soon to see their finished products!

Summer Adventures

Welcome back, Club Families! I am excited to begin a new school year full of learning, growing, and of course, READING! :)

I had many adventures this summer but the most exciting was a trip to Tanzania. Ms. Lord and I were so lucky to get to work with teachers and students there-- we have much to share with you! Part of our journey also included a safari and we saw many interesting wild animals.

How did you spend your summer?