GCMS Winter Newsletter
See what wonderful things are happening in our schools!
Riverside Middle
Gaelyn Jenkins: Banned Books Week Scratch-Offs
Banned Books Week Scratch-Offs
After a brief discussion of the First Amendment (Freedom of Speech, Freedom of the Press), students were given books that have been banned or challenged. They were asked to quickly look through the book and make a guess as to why it was on the list, and then they got to scratch off the post-it note to get the facts about where, when, and why it was challenged/banned. This lead to some great discussions on the freedom to read what we want!
Makerspace Activities and 3D Printing in the Library!
We finally built the makerspace and actually got a Makerbot 5th Gen. Replicator! We have led maker events every month, including jewelry-making, duct tape wallets, the Cardboard Challenge, NaNoWriMo, Cards and Calligraphy, and Tech Tuesdays with Hour of Code and Arduinos. Students are also beginning to use the 3D printer, and they are coming up with all kinds of inventive things to make! Recently, a student doing a book report on The Hobbit wanted to print the Ring as an artifact, and it turned out great!
Riverside Middle received a $6000 grant from author James Patterson and 6000 bonus points from Scholastic Book Club as part of the Patterson Pledge! The grant was to bolster some sections of the newly-genrefied fiction, as well as biographies and student-interest books like drawing, cars, etc.
Gateway Elementary
Amanda Jackson:
JL Mann High
Karena Hill: Read 25
Augusta Circle Elementary
Eileen Conway:
Woodmont High
Sandra Brundage:
Everyone had a lot of fun. We also were able to take a group of students to YALLfest this year, which was a bunch of fun for the students and for us. Finally we hosted our 3rd and final Woodmont Hunger Games. It was a night full of fast paced activities, lots of laughter, and good old competition between teams. We had a blast.
We currently looking to forward to our YABA fieldtrip on January 27th. This year we are taking 60 of our YABA participants to Camelot Theaters to see The 5th Wave, one of our YABA titles for the year. This is our largest group yet and we are excited about the turn out. If you want to see what we are doing, you can follow us on Instagram @WoodmontHighMC and #WhsWildAboutReading.
Buena Vista Elementary
Natalie Hester:
Mauldin High
Diane Morris: "Make the Grade" with New Books
Media Ed students create displays
Oakview Elementary
Gwendolyn Brown:
The Media Center at Oakview Elementary is celebrating poetry this month. We are excited to host Robyn Hood Black, children's author and poet, on January 22nd. She will be visiting with third and fourth grades. We also have a DIY poetry Makerspace, a poetry contest, and poetry book display in the Media Center.
Oakview has also received new furniture! We now have a huge circulation desk, new computer tables, student tables, and chairs.