Middle School Library Newsletter
November 2017
Events at Your Saint Paul Public Library
Do you know a middle or high school student who is looking for a safe, comfortable space to explore his/her/their creativity? Tell that student about Createch, a Saint Paul Public Library program designed with teen needs in mind. Under the guidance of mentors, teens can safely explore a wide range of creative activities, from sewing or drawing to working with circuits or creating music videos.
For locations and more information: http://sppl.org/teens/createch.
Did You Opt In?
An email will go out to parents who opted out. Parents will have two weeks to respond. If parents do not reply via the form linked on the email, they will need to contact student records with a written request to opt back in to Library Go.
Need Help with Homework?
Author Visits in the Twin Cities
Hey readers! Here are the author visits that are happening in the Twin Cities during November. Check it out! #Read #AuthorVisits
Jessica Cluess
A Poison Dark and Drowning
Thursday, November 2, 2017, 6:30pm
Red Balloon Bookshop
891 Grand Avenue // St. Paul, MN 55105
*This is a free event, but tickets are required.
Chris Grabenstein
Monday, November 6, 2017, 6:30pm
Red Balloon Bookshop
891 Grand Avenue // St. Paul, MN 55105
*This is a free event, but tickets are required.
Livia Blackburne, E.K. Johnston & Sara Shepard
Tuesday, November 7, 2017, 6:30pm
Red Balloon Bookshop
891 Grand Avenue // St. Paul, MN 55105
*This is a free event, but tickets are required.
Maggie Stiefvater
All the Crooked Saints
Sunday, November 19, 2017, 7:00pm
Red Balloon Bookshop
891 Grand Avenue // St. Paul, MN 55105
*This is a free event, but tickets are required.
Jay Asher & Jessica Freeburg
Thursday, November 2, 2017, 6-8pm
Addendum
478 S Cleveland Ave // St Paul, MN 55105
Drew Brockington
Tuesday, November 21, 2017, 6:30pm – 7:30pm
Red Balloon Bookshop
891 Grand Avenue // St. Paul, MN 55105
Encourage a Love of Reading at Home
- Read: When kids and teens see adults reading, whether for learning, pleasure, or both, it shows them reading is a natural and even fun way to spend time.
- Talk about your reading: Share ideas you discover through your own reading, and ask your student to tell you about their reading, too.
- Make reading a social activity: Partner up with your reader and enjoy the same book, or set up a book club with family or friends. Plan book club meetings (food or snacks can add to the fun) and encourage everyone to share their thoughts, questions, and reactions to the book.
- Go where the books are: Visit libraries and bookstores just for fun (checking out or buying books is always optional) and see what’s out there. Look for special events, like author’s visits, that will help your reader connect with other readers who share their interests.
- Listen to audio books: Especially on long car trips, this can be a fun way to pass time and share in a reading experience together. This is a good way to develop vocabulary and to strengthen readers’ understanding of how language works.
- Encourage variety: Reading can be done in so many different ways. Try out different formats, on paper or online. Read books, magazines, websites, blogs, and cookbooks—anything that captures your reader’s attention.
By providing opportunities for reading to happen and being positive about the value of reading, you will encourage your reader to continue to grow!
Adapted from: Aguilar, Elena. “Ten Ways to Cultivate a Love of Reading in Students.” Edutopioa. 26 October 2017, https://www.edutopia.org/blog/cultivating-love-reading-students-elena-aguilar.
MYRA Awards
MYRA is a statewide “Student Choice Book Award” contest in honor of Maud Hart Lovelace. Book selections are chosen by Teachers and Librarians. The number of books in the selection each year may vary. Students who read at least three books from the list are eligible to vote. Voting usually takes place in March and the winners are announced in April. The book that receives the most votes is the 1st place winner. The next highest vote is 2nd place followed by 3rd place.
For further information about the book list or how to participate, please see your school librarian or go to http://www.myrahome.org/mhl-nominees.html
DIY & Maker Ideas
Make your own quick and easy origami bookmarks: https://www.redtedart.com/origami-bookmark/
Research Process
Students: Start thinking about History Day topics (https://pickingatopic.weebly.com/) and science project ideas (https://www.googlesciencefair.com/make-better-generator/en/)
Teachers: Did you know that this SPPS Research process page is customizable? Or that it’s embeddable in Schoology? (http://libguides.spps.org/research)
Call your librarian today to customize or get embeddable content for Schoology.
Tech Corner
Students: iOS 11 has been approved for district iPads. New features include screen recording with narration and subtle design changes. Update at school or home, but it will take a little while, so don’t do it during class!
Teachers: Now that email is web-based only, did you know you can have two separate desktops open?
- Swipe up on the trackpad with four fingers, and drag your email window to the desktop bar at the top.
- Switch between them by swiping again with four fingers. Keep your email out of sight of students! Not working? Update your ios!