October in the Library
2017
Spotlight On: Horror
For the month of October the spotlight was of course on horror for Halloween! Horror is always a popular genre at DMS, and the display table of horror books was picked clean!
October Makerspace: Lego WeDo
For our October Makerspace activity, students used a Lego WeDo kit to build a robot named Milo. They worked together to build him, and then used the Lego WeDo online software to program Milo to move!
Classes in the Library
October was a big month for the 6th grade! 6th grade Spanish students had their first middle school research project as they investigated the Day of the Dead. Students learned how to use a LibGuide, EasyBib, and subscription databases, and refreshed their skills with print sources. We even reviewed how to take organized notes and how to avoid plagiarism! The 6th graders spent four days in the library doing their research and practicing their new research skills.
Trick-or-Treat for UNICEF
This is DMS's third year participating in Trick-or-Treat for UNICEF. UNICEF works to give children healthier lives and brighter futures. Kids can make a difference on Halloween by Trick-or-Treating for UNICEF. Donations collected using the Trick-or-Treat for UNICEF box will buy lifesaving supplies for children in need. This year, Trick-or-Treat for UNICEF funds will be used for disaster relief from recent recent hurricanes. Our goal is raise $1,000. We'll see if we get there!
Book Reviews
The Hate U Give by Angie Thomas
Sixteen-year-old Starr Carter moves between two worlds: the poor neighborhood where she lives and the fancy suburban prep school she attends. The uneasy balance between these worlds is shattered when Starr witnesses the fatal shooting of her childhood best friend Khalil at the hands of a police officer. Khalil was unarmed.
Soon afterward, his death is a national headline. Some are calling him a thug, maybe even a drug dealer and a gangbanger. Protesters are taking to the streets in Khalil's name. Some cops and the local drug lord try to intimidate Starr and her family. What everyone wants to know is: what really went down that night? And the only person alive who can answer that is Starr.
But what Starr does or does not say could upend her community. It could also endanger her life. --From Goodreads.com
Soon afterward, his death is a national headline. Some are calling him a thug, maybe even a drug dealer and a gangbanger. Protesters are taking to the streets in Khalil's name. Some cops and the local drug lord try to intimidate Starr and her family. What everyone wants to know is: what really went down that night? And the only person alive who can answer that is Starr.
But what Starr does or does not say could upend her community. It could also endanger her life. --From Goodreads.com
How Dare the Sun Rise: Memoirs of a War Child by Sandra Uwiringiyimana, Abigail Pesta
This profoundly moving memoir is the remarkable and inspiring true story of Sandra Uwiringyimana, a girl from the Democratic Republic of the Congo who tells the tale of how she survived a massacre, immigrated to America, and overcame her trauma through art and activism.
Sandra was just ten years old when she found herself with a gun pointed at her head. She had watched as rebels gunned down her mother and six-year-old sister in a refugee camp. Remarkably, the rebel didn’t pull the trigger, and Sandra escaped.
Thus began a new life for her and her surviving family members. With no home and no money, they struggled to stay alive. Eventually, through a United Nations refugee program, they moved to America, only to face yet another ethnic disconnect. Sandra may have crossed an ocean, but there was now a much wider divide she had to overcome. And it started with middle school in New York.
In this memoir, Sandra tells the story of her survival, of finding her place in a new country, of her hope for the future, and how she found a way to give voice to her people. --From Goodreads.com
Sandra was just ten years old when she found herself with a gun pointed at her head. She had watched as rebels gunned down her mother and six-year-old sister in a refugee camp. Remarkably, the rebel didn’t pull the trigger, and Sandra escaped.
Thus began a new life for her and her surviving family members. With no home and no money, they struggled to stay alive. Eventually, through a United Nations refugee program, they moved to America, only to face yet another ethnic disconnect. Sandra may have crossed an ocean, but there was now a much wider divide she had to overcome. And it started with middle school in New York.
In this memoir, Sandra tells the story of her survival, of finding her place in a new country, of her hope for the future, and how she found a way to give voice to her people. --From Goodreads.com
Look Out For
- National Novel Writing Month! Join us as we try to write a novel in just one month!
- November's Makerspace will be jewelry making. Join us on November 9th.
For Teachers
Let me take some weight off your shoulders! Please let me know what I can do to support your curriculum.