Library Services Newsletter
April, 2019 ParaLibrarian Edition
A celebration of school librarians and their programs!
Every April school librarians are encouraged to host activities to help their school and local community celebrate the essential role that strong school library programs play in transforming learning. Find out more here.
The 2019 theme is Everyone Belongs @ Your School Library.
The 2019 AASL ambassador for school libraries is author, Dav Pilkey. “Over the years I’ve had the privilege to have met many committed librarians whose passion and dedication to literacy is life changing. I’m honored to be this year’s AASL ambassador for school libraries and an advocate for everything they do to make the world a better place.” - Dav Pilkey
Reading Rockets did an in-depth interview with Dav PIlkey - it’s a real eye opener and you’re sure to appreciate it! You can find the video here which also has a link to the transcript.
Fun and simple ways to celebrate School Library Month:
A Jar of Kisses! Kids can guess the number of kisses and win the jar for their classroom
Heart Bulletin Board: Students can take a heart and write down what they love about their library
Also in April:
April 12th: D.E.A.R. - Drop Everything and Read April 12th - newsletter here.
April 30th: Children’s Day/Book Day - El dia de los ninos/El dia de los libros - newsletter here.
April is National Poetry Month.
How will you celebrate?
Reading Challenges Family Literacy Night Book Character Dress UpLibrary Spotlight
This month we are turning the spotlight on Mary Lodge, paralibrarian at Florida Pitt Waller K-8. Mary has managed the Waller library for the past 3 years. During this time she has passionately dedicated her time and energy to promoting and growing a strong reading culture within her school.
Mary maintains a beautiful library and enjoys the 2nd floor windows that offer a lovely view of the mountains. (She loves that early in the morning on cold, clear winter days the mountains have a lovely rosy glow.) It pleases Mary that the school community acknowledges that the library is a sanctuary and a place where everyone can feel welcome.
A very successful and fun library project that Mary sponsors for students is the Ocean and Coral Reef Exhibit. There are four centers that students can explore and enjoy: hula skirts and leis, shells, a giant poster of rainbow fish that all students can color – and just for fun a center with different items like silly glasses, moustaches, masks, mirrors, etc. – where students can “try on a funny face”. To go along with this project, Mary creates “ocean themed” books displays to inspire students to further research the subject. See photos below of the kelp forest, coral, and happy students! The students enjoy art activities so Mary helped them create a beautiful stained glass window where you use clear bags and different colors of tissue paper. The art project is the first thing you see when you enter the library.
Mary keeps her library interesting by rotating book displays to inspire student curiosity in a variety of subjects and genres. For February she created an eye-catching display for Black History Month. Mary also makes sure that her school community has access to books by providing two book fairs in the library every year.
Mary supports a Little Lending Library in the school lobby that is available to the school community. She also created a Littlest Library located in the office waiting area for parents with small children who benefit from something to read while they wait. For read-alouds Mary’s favorites are “The Book with No Pictures” by B. J. Novak – the kids giggle throughout the entire read, and students especially enjoy hearing about the mischievous little wolves in “The Big Bad Wolves at School” by Stephen Krensky. Another way that Mary promotes reading is by giving booktalks to 4th and 5th graders. So far this year, three books have been quite popular with students: The Warden’s Daughter and Milkweed both by Jerry Spinelli, and Whistling in the Dark by Lesley Kagen.
Mary enjoys planning fun activities for the students as an added bonus to their usual library routine. To help students become better acquainted with the library, Mary creates scavenger hunts where she hides animal shapes all around the library. Students can pick up a handout with pictures of the animals and start their hunt. She was a little surprised when she noticed that the older students really seemed to “get into it” and totally enjoy the scavenger hunt. She also has an activity called “What’s in the Bag?” Students take turns sticking their hand in a bag and feeling a “mystery” item. Then after everyone has had a turn, when prompted they all call out at the same time what they think the mystery item is – and they can’t wait for the big reveal. This activity brings lots of laughter and entertainment. She has had a conversation with students discussing how we all see things differently – and we should respect each other for our differences. She brings kaleidoscopes and different funny glasses for the students to look through. Also, Mary has created giant posters with butterflies, chameleons, etc. to decorate the library and all students can contribute by helping to color and complete the posters.
Special plans for this year include working with school leaders to make the library space more conducive to multi-use as many community groups utilize the library as a meeting place. Mary also plans to work on “year-round” weeding to keep her library organized and appealing for her patrons.
When Mary was a child she was not a great reader and because of this she is very conscientious in her support of struggling readers. She makes it a point to connect with kids who are not interested in reading and she works hard to help them find books that will get them excited about reading. Libraries have the capacity to build a community of readers so kudos to Mary for taking time to cultivate a love of books in reluctant readers and also for caring to match readers to books thereby inspiring a lifelong love of reading!
We celebrate Mary Lodge FOR PUTTING KIDS FIRST in the Florida Pitt Waller Library!
DPS Library Services' Digital Resource Flyers
Elementary Databases English/Spanish
Secondary Databases English/Spanish
Makerspace Hub...new kits!
Raspberry Pi 3 Complete Starter Kit
The Raspberry Pi is a mini computer, roughly the size of a credit card, that is designed to help children learn the basics of computing and programming.
This starter kit includes almost everything you need to get up and running including a micro SD card pre-loaded with the OS. Our set has 10 individual starter kits, so it would work nicely for a makerspace club or a classroom.
Recommended Ages: 10 years and up / 5th grade and up
Straws & Connectors Construction Set
Create amazing life-sized models using the flexible straws, connectors, and clips in this 800-piece set. Construct a fort, build a rocket, design a raft, or create a 3D animal. Students can work alone or in groups to easily snap together the pieces.
Recommended Ages: 4 years and up / Pre-K and up
MERGE Cube
The MERGE Cube is the hologram you hold in your hand. Whether it's a sculpture of Michelangelo's David, a NASA and NOAA Earth image, a holographic anatomy lesson, or an original work of 3D art that your student's created, MERGE makes it easy to turn models into holograms and view them from every angle.
Recommended Ages: 10 years and up / 5th grade and up
Highly Effective School Libraries Certificate
The certificate serves three key goals for the advancement of school librarians.
- Provides a foundation for school librarians who are not endorsed as a certified school librarian and are hired as a classified school library manager or paraprofessional.
- Increases demonstrated focus around the school library programs using data to impact student achievement.
- Updates current librarians’ skills based on the Colorado State Library’s competencies for highly effective school library programs.
Over the course of the certificate, participants will develop competencies in four key areas as identified by the Colorado State Libraries’ Highly Effective School Library Program: planning, instructional support, leadership, and library management. The 21st Century school library skills developed over the course of this certificate include:
- Goal setting
- Collaboration
- Instructional delivery strategies
- Assessment of student work
- Reading development
- Special programing and program marketing
- School leadership and administrative support
- Resource and collection development
- Technology integration
- Media literacy and learning-focused integration of technology
Library Services
Email: libraryhelpdesk@dpsk12.org
Website: http://etls.dpsk12.org/library_services
Location: 1617 S Acoma St, Denver, CO, United States
Phone: 720-423-1842