Adventures in WONDERland
News of Inquiry, Reading & Collaboration @ the HMS LIBRARY
A school library with a sense of WONDER (curiosity and questioning) at its heart.....
February 2017
CONTENTS:
• Upcoming Events @ the HMS Library
• Winter Reading Festival (YES 2nd grade + HMS 6th grade)
• Project FeederWatch (THANK YOU, PTO!)
• Harry Potter Week + Harry Potter Book Night
• 5th Grade Makerspace
• To Be(lieve) or Not To Be(lieve) - That Is the Question....When Evaluating Web Sites
• The HMS Library and 4C Studio in Action
Winter Reading Festival
On Wednesday, January 25th, YES 2nd graders walked to HMS to join the 6th graders for a wonderful hour filled with reading. Students paired up to read to each other, make snowman bookmarks, and hear a story read aloud. Great buddies and great books......it doesn't get much better than that!
A special thanks to the parent volunteers who stepped forward to help during the very busy hour that the two grades spent together.
A special thanks to the parent volunteers who stepped forward to help during the very busy hour that the two grades spent together.
Project FeederWatch (with a HUGE THANKS to our PTO!!!)
Thanks to the Yarmouth PTO, the HMS Library is now an official participant in Project FeederWatch, a citizen science project through Cornell Lab of Ornithology! Students and staff can watch, identify and tally the birds seen on and around our brand new bird feeders. These sightings are submitted to Cornell, where scientists crunch the numbers to help keep track of the bird populations/trends across America. We are happy to report that quite a number of students at HMS have become active citizen scientists for Project FeederWatch. Thanks again, PTO, for making this possible!
Harry Potter Week + Harry Potter Book Night
Harry Potter fans, old and new, have had more than one occasion to celebrate the wonders of this amazing series of books by J.K. Rowling. In November, the HMS Library hosted its First Annual Harry Potter Week, with a variety of Harry Potter themed activities, including a trivia contest, a Prisoner of Azkaban photo op, House bookmarks, and much more!
New Potter devotees, as well as seasoned Potterheads, rose to the Triwizard Tournament challenge to secure a ticket (from the Goblet of Fire) for our local celebration of International Harry Potter Book Night on February 2nd. Students walked through the brick wall of Platform 9 3/4 to enter the magical world of Harry Potter with floating candles, Ministry of Magic ID cards, a gnome "toss" (de-gnoming the Weasley's garden) and an assortment of other offerings. It was a wondrous night from start to finish! (The Polyjuice Potion served at the end of the evening might have made it difficult for parents to recognize their childen afterward, though. Our most sincere apology!)
A special thanks to HMS Library volunteer and Potter fan extraordinaire, Nancy Castonia. These events wouldn't have had happened without her passion and creativity!
New Potter devotees, as well as seasoned Potterheads, rose to the Triwizard Tournament challenge to secure a ticket (from the Goblet of Fire) for our local celebration of International Harry Potter Book Night on February 2nd. Students walked through the brick wall of Platform 9 3/4 to enter the magical world of Harry Potter with floating candles, Ministry of Magic ID cards, a gnome "toss" (de-gnoming the Weasley's garden) and an assortment of other offerings. It was a wondrous night from start to finish! (The Polyjuice Potion served at the end of the evening might have made it difficult for parents to recognize their childen afterward, though. Our most sincere apology!)
A special thanks to HMS Library volunteer and Potter fan extraordinaire, Nancy Castonia. These events wouldn't have had happened without her passion and creativity!
HMS Makerspace 2016-17
5th Graders were able to let their imaginations run wild during the annual Makerspace event, held at the end of November. We invite you to view the complete slide show of this year's experience! Want to read more about Makerspace @ HMS? Click here.
(Makerspace is brought to you by the HMS Library and the GT Program, with thanks to the many volunteers who make this experience possible!)
(Makerspace is brought to you by the HMS Library and the GT Program, with thanks to the many volunteers who make this experience possible!)
To Be(lieve) or Not To Be(lieve) - That Is the Question....When Evaluating Web Sites
It can be difficult to determine whether a web site is trustworthy, so here at HMS we are utilizing something called the CRAAP Test to lend a helping hand. This evaluation tool was developed by the librarians at California State University, Chico, and is an acronym for:
Currency • Relevance • Authority • Accuracy • Purpose
The HMS Library and 4C Studio in Action
About the Harrison Middle School Library
School Librarian: Merry Stuhr, MLS
Library Ed. Tech.: Tracy Weinrich
Library Ed. Tech.: Tracy Weinrich
Hours in 2016-17: 7:50 - 3:15
(follow HMS Announcements or the HMS Calendar for occasional after-school closures, as well as extended library times for special collaborative projects)
Email: merry_stuhr@yarmouthschools.org
Website: hmslibrary.yarmouthschools.org
Location: 220 Mccartney Street, Yarmouth, ME, United States
Phone: 207.846.2499