Beecher Feature
Volume 23: September 2022
- National Banned Book Week
- Update: BreakoutEDU
- MC highlights
- Campus Passes
- Book & Bake Club
National Banned Book Week
Books Unite Us!
Books have been banned or challenged for decades. It is nothing new. Reasons reading material has been banned or challenged vary depending upon the person reading and their intent. It is interesting to note that the content some find objectionable in reading material is not as harmful when viewed on television, social media platforms, or the box office.
When exploring pleasure reading options for oneself, consider the following advice:
- Seek guidance from someone in the know - Do you know someone who loves to read? Ask! Need ideas? How about your friendly neighborhood school or public librarian? (see what I did there?)
- Read reviews when available - Yep, older readers (high school and up) can take on that responsibility, too.
- Have an open mind - Assume good intentions. Writers are not out to harm but instead they aim for some combination of entertainment, education/enlightenment, and self expression. Not all reading material will be to your liking or align with your moral code. If that is the case....
- Close the book - When reading something that makes you uncomfortable or that you find offensive, close the book and find something else to read.
- Partner read - Read books with friends and family. When families read together, it opens doors for great conversation, connection, and can potentially affirm family value systems already in place.

RESOURCE UPDATES: Breakout Boxes from Breakout EDU
We've Kicked Things Up a Notch!
Plus....(yep, it gets better!) instead of 5 BreakoutEDU platform licenses, we now have 30! Now more teachers may take a deeper dive to explore ways to engage students, support critical thinking, and collaboration as content standards are addressed.
Keep reading to learn the What, Why, and How!
Are You New to BreakoutEDU?
New or Not.....

Engaging Lessons Mrs. Seibert supports her students in the library as they work through clues. | DCHS Media Center Breakout Boxes Each box comes with a variety of locks, invisible ink pen, black light, and other gizmos to use in problem solving and critical thinking. | Problem Solving and Critical Thinking Learning about ancient civilizations is much more engaging when Mr. Wise is facilitating a BreakoutEDU activity! |
DCHS Media Center Breakout Boxes
Breakout Box Games in Action
And now....Something a bit more tasty!

Session #2 was a hit!
Historical Fiction and Throw Back Pie
Attendees who were comfortable in sharing talked about a favorite historical fiction novel they have read and how it impacted them. Time periods and settings were also discussed. Students received book recommendations from fellow readers and took some time to explore historical fiction titles to read in the future. After our book shares, we talked about old fashioned recipes and how to make magic with simple, easy to find ingredients. Instead of following a recipe, we used a ratio to make our pie dough. Yes, this involves math. Math!! Reading, baking, and math....how about that?? The common ratio for the perfect pie dough is 3:2:1 (flour, fat, water). Our members always receive notes and pictures a few days following our sessions so that they can try their new skills at home!
Bonding Over Books Our members discover something new about each other every time we meet. It is great to see kids building relationships with each other as they discover new books. | Browsing the Books Historical fiction was the theme and students had opportunity to explore titles to add to their reading list. | Yep - Guys Read, Too! Mr. Weisbach and Mr. Mitchell always make great contributions to the club. Mr. Mitchell is a fabulous sous chef and Mr. Weisbach is introducing our readers to audiobooks. He also sponsored our baking connection by supplying us with butter for our pastry lesson. We are so thankful! |
Bonding Over Books
Browsing the Books
Yep - Guys Read, Too!
The Process Eventually, that mass of flour, water, and butter will become a tender, flakey dough that holds tasty fillings....in other words: pie dough! | Rubbing Buttuh Students experience the feel of rubbing butter into flour before water is added. Each student was able to take home a minimum of four ounces of dough to make their own hand pie at home. | Ms. Krell and Pie Two very sweet things here....pie, made by Mrs. Beecher using her grandmother's recipe, and the amazing Book & Bake co-sponsor, Mr. Krell. Everyone had a sample of three versions of the recipe from days gone by. |
The Process
Rubbing Buttuh
Experience is a great teacher! Our readers/bakers are learning how to combine the butter with the flour. | Super Slicers! Ms. Burks, one of our new teachers at DCHS has also been such a great help. She and Ms. Krell prep our pie for tasting. We love having staff members join us. | Members learned that once water is introduced to the flour and butter, the mixing method must change. A light touch is the key, otherwise we will end up with a tough crust. |
Super Slicers!
DCHS Library Media Center in Action
iPad Art The school library is a great place to find a quiet spot and get creative. Students need a place to be comfortable (to an extent *wink*) and get creative! | Busy Busy Busy! Collaborative work, independent work, reading, games, and more....how can your school library support your needs? Let us know! | Lunch and Learn Need to have your sandwich as you work? Sure! The library team is delighted when students and staff use their school library to work during their break times. It is wonderful to see everyone pitch in to keep the space clean and tidy! |
iPad Art
Busy Busy Busy!
Class Time! Ms. Musick visits the library often with her students and when she needs a quiet place to think and plan. We love it! | Group Discussion Mr. Locker and his senior Econ students use our makerspace area for class when the project room is needed by another class. Mr. Locker's flexibility is deeply appreciated and we are in awe of his ability to shift on the fly. Thankfully, there are plenty of options in the library! | Midday Reading Break Caught this lovely learner reading during the last part of her lunch period. Read on! |
Class Time!
Group Discussion
Yep, your favorite topic!
(ahem....nope, I doubt that.)
"I really did check in with my teacher this morning!"
(That's great, but it is now 2:00pm and you need a pass from your current teacher, not the one you had this morning."
"There is a sub and the sub told me to just go."
(I'll have a chat with the sub. You can go with me. Shall we?......Hey, where are you going?)
"My WIFI is down and so I can't check in on the barcode at my table but really, my teacher knows I am here."
(Huh....interesting. I literally just watched you make a video and upload it to TikTok. It's a WIFI miracle.)
Does any of the above sound familiar? We are sure you get your fair share of this, too! Let's take a moment to clarify a few things shall we?
- Students need a pass from their current block teacher to go anywhere in the building, for any reason.
- No student should have a "free" period. Student assistants, students in Learning Center, and students in Credit Recovery are not "free" - they are on a roster and need to obtain a written pass from that adult to go somewhere in the building no matte the reason.
- As of Thursday September 15, students from Learning Center need a pass to leave Learning Center. So, if they wish to visit the library during their Learning Center block, they must stop by the library during passing period to pick up a library pass to deliver to Mr. Maynard.
- Who are you sending? We need to know, so please include the name of the student on the pass.
- Want to know if your student arrived and when? You can check the sign in sheet found here.
