@your school library
January 2019
Family Fun Library Contest
The library is holding a Bookmark Design Contest. Please encourage your students to enter. There will be a prize for the winning design in grades k-2nd and one for grades 3-5th. Staff is also encouraged to enter a design. These original bookmarks should have a Peters Colony theme. I can't wait to see what designs everyone comes up with!
Brainpop is Back!
We have renewed our Brainpop subscription. Please contact me if you need to know the Username / Password again. Also, we are adding on their new Coding program. You have to have registered for a "My Brainpop" account to start using the program. Let me know if you need any help at all. I will start using it with 4th grade during Library Specials Rotations.
Martin Luther King Jr. Day
In honor of MLK, Jr. Day, I would like to remind you that we have about 2 dozen books about Martin Luther King, Jr. . We even have an ebook that you can access through Destiny entitled, Martin Luther King, Jr. Day that describes why we celebrate his life and all of his important contributions to America. This is a great read aloud for all grade levels.
World Read Aloud Day
World Read Aloud Day will be celebrated here at Peters Colony and around the world on February 1st! We are very excited to be celebrating this very important literary event for the second year in a row. Community leaders including school board members and local government officials have been invited to come read to our students. We look forward to hosting local community members in our school and enjoying the activity of listening to a story being read aloud.
1 - 2 visitors will be sent to your room during the day and will spend approximately 30 minutes in your classroom. During this time, they will introduce themselves and then read a book. Afterwards, your students may ask them questions. Then, visitors can return to the library for a refreshment before leaving.
Creating Life Long Readers
I know that we all want to instill a love of reading in our students and ensure that they become life long readers. I have been doing a lot of research on this topic lately and, of course, best practices say, it's all about choice. Let the students choose what they want to read for pleasure and try not to limit them to their levels, weaknesses or even their own strengths. For example, some students might even choose books that might be on reading levels that are lower then their actual level - and that is okay. We need to let students fall in love with reading first. Then students will delve into heavier material when they are ready for it. But first, let them choose what interests them, what entertains them, what catches their attention. They will become better readers for it.
eBooks vs Print Material
We have eBooks and I'm not afraid to use them! I have been working with the students in the 4th grade Library Specials Rotations and showing them how to use the eBook app, Sora. This app is meant to be a supplement for our students. What I have found is that most students, like most of the adults I've talked to about this, seem to prefer print material to eBooks. So, I have explained to the students that eBooks are like plan B. When you are out and about with your mom and you need something to do and you have your ipad, read an eBook or if you are at home and your mom says to do something quietly, you can read an eBook. I also, told them when I was driving 10 hours on a road trip, I listened to an audiobook and I loved it. Everyone in the whole car loved that book. So, eBooks have a place in our lives but let's also remember that some children, like most adults, love to actually curl up with a good book vs. an ipad.
Fun & Free Library Events
The Knitting Lab at George W. Hawkes Library in Arlington is an event for beginners or anyone looking to learn a new stitch. It will be on January 16, from 6:30 - 8:00 pm. Find more information here.