Did You Know?
May, 2016
"Summer Slide" in Reading Skills
To succeed in school and life, children and young adults need ongoing opportunities to learn and practice essential skills. This is especially true during the summer months.
Many Americans have a wonderful image of summer as a carefree, happy time when "kids can be kids,” and take for granted the prospect of enriching experiences such as summer camps, time with family, and trips to museums, parks, and libraries.
Unfortunately, some youth face anything but idyllic summer months. When the school doors close, many children struggle to access educational opportunities, as well as basic needs such as healthy meals and adequate adult supervision.
Did You Know?
All young people experience learning losses when they do not engage in educational activities during the summer. Research spanning 100 years shows that students typically score lower on standardized tests at the end of summer vacation than they do on the same tests at the beginning of the summer (White, 1906; Heyns, 1978; Entwisle & Alexander 1992; Cooper, 1996; Downey et al, 2004).
Most students lose about two months of grade level equivalency in mathematical computation skills over the summer months. Low-income students also lose more than two months in reading achievement, despite the fact that their middle-class peers make slight gains (Cooper, 1996).
More than half of the achievement gap between lower- and higher-income youth can be explained by unequal access to summer learning opportunities. As a result, low-income youth are less likely to graduate from high school or enter college (Alexander et al, 2007).
Children lose more than academic knowledge over the summer. Most children—particularly children at high risk of obesity—gain weight more rapidly when they are out of school during summer break (Von Hippel et al, 2007).
Parents consistently cite summer as the most difficult time to ensure that their children have productive things to do (Duffett et al, 2004).
http://www.summerlearning.org/?page=know_the_facts
Read2Reach Program
The Vidalia-Toombs branch will work with Sean Sasser, Principal of Sally D Meadows Elementary, staff and volunteer mentors to work with at risk students for "summer slide". The Library will provide a safe place with a wealth of books to choose from in practicing and improving reading skills. This will take place before the Library opens on Thursday mornings in June and July. Our Library Director , Staff and Board Members are committed to outreach and partnership in our community to serve the needs of families!
Summer Food Service Program
The Vidalia-Toombs branch will be participating on Mondays after the Summer Reading Program and on Thursdays after the Read2Reach reading mentor program. We are working with the Summer food Service Program Coordinator and the Boys and Girls Club to serve as a delivery site for a meal for selected children on those days. Our conference room will be utilized to provide a meal to those children who may not otherwise have adequate nutrition during the summer months when they are not attending school.
Vidalia-Toombs Library
For the month of April:
Total Adult Circulation: 1397
Total Young Adult Circulation: 47
Total Juvenile Circulation: 1069
Audio Visual Materials including DVD/VHS/CD: 501
EBooks/AudioBook downloads: 264 (an increase of over 100!)
Total Computer/Wireless Users: 871!!!!!
Patron Count: 3488!!!!
Reference Questions: 222
Childrens Programs: 5 programs with 71 attendees
Adult Programs: 2 programs with 18 attendees
2016 Yumion Writing Contest Winners! We had over 500 entries! All were read and evaluated by volunteer judges.
K-2
1st Place - Evan Hardeman- 2nd grade – Montgomery County Elementary
2nd Place - Jackson Wilder – 2nd grade – Lyons Primary
3rd Place - Journi Lucas – 1st grade – Jeff Davis Primary School
Honorable Mention – Patricia Horne – Montgomery County Elementary
3-5
1st Place – Addie Thompson – 5th grade – Robert Toombs Christian Academy
2nd Place – Georgia Meredith – 3rd grade – Vidalia Heritage Academy
3rd Place – A’mun Fields – 5th grade – Montgomery County Elementary
Honorable Mention – Britton Botelho – Robert Toombs Christian Academy
6-8
1st Place – Ella Stanley – 8th grade – Robert Toombs Christian Academy
2nd Place – Thomas Reid Cabe – 8th grade – Robert Toombs Christian Academy
3rd Place – Riley Corner – 8th grade – Robert Toombs Christian Academy
Honorable Mention – Rileigh Robinson – 6th grade – Robert Toombs Christian Academy
StoryTime in April had some surprise guests! Lassiter Equipment brought a Big Green Tractor for our children to explore and they got to meet a Forestry Ranger another week!
Our Staff and Patrons!
Welcome to our Library!
Winners!
Patricia Horne, Honorable Mention, Mont. Co. Elem. 2nd grade
Evan Hardeman, 1st Place, Mont. Co Elem. 2nd grade
The Big Green Tractor!
Forestry Ranger!
Nelle Brown Memorial Library, Lyons
In April, the Nelle Brown Branch:
Total Adult Circulation: 92
Total Youth Circulation (includeing YA/Juvenile/Easy Materials): 15
EBooks/AudioBooks downloaded: 11
Total Computer/Wireless Usage: 153!
Patron Count: 254
Reference Questions: 67
The Ladson Genealogical Library
Total Computers/Wireless usage: 27
Patron Count: 63
Reference Questions: 67
What's Happening in May?
Friends of the Library Book Sale May 2-13.
Staff will visit ALL of our primary, elementary and middle schools to pass out the Summer Reading Program information. Summer Reading sign up begins on May 23rd.
Mommy and Me Read & Refreshments, Monday, May 17th @ 1 - 2:30 pm.
Upcoming Teen Programs, Sweet Onion Readers Book Club and Story Times each week!
The Daughters of the American Colonists will hold a meeting and program at The Ladson on May 12th featuring the DAC 2016 ROTC medal recipient, Grace Ashlee Draughn from Vidalia High School ROTC and a program on Find-A-Grave presented by Billy and Loree Beacham from Dublin GA.