BNS/BCS Library Newsletter #4
BITS & BYTES FOR BROOKLYNITES
See Our Big Spread in New York Teacher!
Thanks to all the BNS and BCS staff and students who took part in our press event with UFT newspaper, New York Teacher. BNS and BCS were featured as schools that are creatively participating in the MyLibraryNYC partnership program between NYC school libraries, the Brooklyn Public Library, and the New York Public Library.
BNS Mock Newbery Club Gets Up-Close and Personal with Jacqueline Woodson
It was such a thrill for our 5th graders to meet one of their literary heroes face to face when BNS parent Jacqueline Woodson visited to library to meet with the Mock Newbery Club. The bestselling, and multi-award winning author recently won the National Book Award for Children's Literature, and we all felt honored to have her at the library. Charming, open-hearted, and brilliant, she read selections from her new book, and took questions (which were wonderfully intelligent and informed) from the students. She also autographed a number of copies of Brown Girl Dreaming. Readers were flying high. A big thank you goes out to Gayle Foreman, another bestselling YA author and BNS parent, for facilitating the visit.
6th Graders Loving the Library
We are excited some of the BCS lower grades are visiting the library on a regular basis! What better way to get in the habit of regularly checking out books, and reading books of one's own choosing? We welcome all of our students everyday, all day, with the exception of lunch time. Even librarians need to recharge!
After School Library Kick-Off
Every Tuesday, students are invited to After School Library, where they and their caregivers and families are welcome to play games, read, snack, listen to music, and more. A big shout-out to BNS parent and library teacher Karen Klein for making this very special library bonus time happen every week.
Librarians at next Tuesday's BCS PTA Meeting
Attention BCS Families! Learn more about how your child uses the BNS/BCS Library, and how it can be of service to you. Librarians Susan and Amanda will be attending the February 3, 2015 PTA meeting and will be available to answer all your questions about the reading, research, events, and activities that happen in the library. We'll also highlight our virtual library and the resources we offer that are accessible from home via an Internet connection.
Sheryl's Classes Booktalk in the Library
10th graders pitched their recent reads to their peers and special guests, who included Scill, Amanda, Imani, Tracey, and several 11th and 12th grade classmates, at a Book Talking event in the library. Students have been honing their book talking skills this semester, in their quest to help each other finish 25 books by the end of the school year. Some amazing and insightful work was done as students discussed their books and the connections they made between their reading, their lives, and our society.
Author Skype Visit in Library
Lisa Graff, author of Absolutely Almost, visited the 5th grade Mock Newbery Club via Skype last week! Students asked her questions about her book and the choices she made while developing her characters and story. Will she be the big winner at next week's awards ceremony? Or will it be one of the other notable authors who visited the library this year? Jacqueline Woodson, perhaps? Kate Milford?
Brian Invites Library to Financial Planning Class
Brian didn't invite Susan and Amanda to his math class for their financial saavy, but for their expertise in kicking off a research paper -- this time on a financial planning topic. The library's work with the BCS math department has been rewarding for all, and has challenged us to explore topics ranging from Islamic art to identity theft. Check out the library's Financial Planning Libguide if you'd like to do some practical research of your own.
BNS/BCS Librarians Invited to present at NYCDOE Library Services Recruitment Event
The NYCDOE is working toward placing a certified librarian in every city school, but qualified candidates are hard to find. To be a school librarian, candidates must hold a degree in both library science and education. To encourage teachers to consider a career change, DOE Library Services held a recruitment event and invited Susan and Amanda to talk about the best job in the world -- school librarianship.
Congratulations to Tatianna Davis for Completing her BCS Library Internship
The library has been very fortunate have had a stellar 11th grade intern work with us this semester. A voracious, thoughtful reader who is always eager to share her literary opinions, Tatianna has conducted readers' advisory, created resource lists and displays, written weekly reviews for administration's student newsletter, and much more during her tenure. Tatianna recently participated in the Intern Appreciation Ceremony, then held interviews for prospective library interns during the amazing BCS Model Job Fair. Tatianna will continue to write her weekly reviews for the BCS Student Newsletter, and you can also follow her on Goodreads.