We've made it to the end of the school year. The library space has been tied up with testing, but that doesn't mean we haven't been busy during other times. It's been my pleasure to organize a few Breakout Box activities, work with Senior Lit classes on podcasting, attend librarian conferences (and meet authors!), and host Mrs. Hayes' AP Book Museum day. We also enjoyed supporting FZEiAm initiatives like Arab Heritage Month, Day of Silence, and Yellow Ribbon Week. As the year comes to a close, I want to thank students and staff for supporting the library and all of our programs. I look forward to the 2023-2024 school year!

Have a great summer!

Mrs. Jamieson

It's time to register for the St. Charles County Public Library Summer Challenge. This year's theme is All Together Now. The challenge runs from June 1st- August 8th. I will have the game boards available for pick up in our library. You can also participate online. Visit the public library summer challenge page here. Some things to note:

• You must complete 20 badges to complete the challenge. Badges include not only reading but trying a new recipe or going for a walk.
• You earn prizes like books, vouchers to fun places throughout St. Charles County, and an entry into the grand prize drawing. The grand prize winners will receive a $100 gift card to Target. There will be 50 winners this year!

See the promo video for more information!

All library books are due to the library by Friday, May 19th. Did you know you can check out books from the FZE library for the summer months? Yep! You sure can! Come to the library anytime May 22 - May 26 and check out books for the summer. Keep reading all summer long!

Our lunch meeting for Truly, Devious will take place during lunches on Tuesday, May 16th. If you plan to attend, please RSVP below so I know how much pizza to order. Your RSVP is private and will only be visible to me.

The votes are in for the state winners from this year's Gateway Nominees. The Inheritance Games took the number one spot . . . it was also the winner for FZE!

The 2023-2024 Gateway Nominees have been announced. See the list below.

Blade of Secrets by Tricia Levenseller

Concrete Rose by Angie Thomas

Donuts and Other Proclamations of Love by Jared Reck

Eat Your Heart Out by Kelly Devos

Fadeaway by E. B. Vickers

In the Wild Light by Jeff Zentner

Lore by Alexandra Bracken

The Hollow Inside by Brooke Lauren Davis

The Initial Insult by Mindy McGinnis

The Passing Playbook by Issac Fitzsimons

The Right Side of Reckless by Whitney D. Grandison

This Poison Heart by Kalynn Bayron

We Can Be Heroes by Kyrie McCauley

What Beauty There Is by Cory Anderson

You'd Be Home Now by Kathleen Glasgow

In May, we recognize Asian Pacific American Heritage Month. We have a display in the library of books celebrating Asian voices. You can check out a comprehensive list in the Destiny Collection. Also check out the digital book collection in Sora.

Smithsonian Asian Pacific American Center: learning lab connections about inspiring Asian Americans and different aspects of history

Smithsonian Brave Space: a compilation of original songs, sounds, and meditations created by Asian American women and non-binary artists and musicians

Google Arts and Culture: Celebrate AAPI histories, communities, arts, and cultures in the U.S.

For School Library Month and National Library Week, I put out a Padlet for staff and students to respond with positives about our library. Check out the video for a few highlights. Thanks for the library love! ❤️

In April, I attended a library conference in Austin, Texas. I was able to meet several authors and bring several autographed books back to school to add to our library collection. In the first picture is Scythe and Dry author Neal Shusterman. In the second picture are authors Kwame Alexander (The Crossover ) and Jerry Craft (New Kid). Also pictured is children's book author, Don Tate. It was a great experience!

Take a look at a snapshot of library statistics from August 2022 through April 2023.