Hedgcoxe Library
December 2017/ January 2018
Makerspace In Action!
In January, we will email an updated donation list for Maker supplies we could use for the coming semester.
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REMINDER about Online Catalog and Academic Resources
DATABASES AND ENCYCLOPEDIAS:
To access any of the databases and encyclopedias on the Elementary Resources tab from a non-network device, you will need the following username and password:
username- planoisd
password- connect
INDIVIDUAL STUDENT ACCOUNTS:
If you'd like to access your child's account at home to see what he/she has checked out or to place a hold on books, you can access that log-in screen at catalog.pisd.edu:
username- your student's six-digit ID number
password- your student's last name with just the first letter capitalized (ex: Berry)
If you have any questions, please contact Mrs. Berry at karen.berry @pisd.edu.
CODE.ORG
In honor of the annual Hour of Code learning initiative, your students participated in online and/or manual coding activities during library class this week. Because computer coding affects our lives in so many ways, we use this initiative each December to give our students an awareness of the importance (and fun!) of computer coding/programming. If you and your student(s) would like to continue this learning at home, then a good resource for that is www.code.org.
From the code.org home page, there are two great options for coding fun:
1. GAMES AND ACITVITIES- Click on the orange “start” button, and scroll down to explore all the many games and activities on the resulting screen. Younger students (especially pre-readers and early readers) will have fun following simple direction commands with Kodable. Star Wars, Minecraft, Angry Birds, and Make Music with Scratch are more options that allow your students to use coding blocks and simple directions to “code” their way through games. And older students may want to try their hand at Create Your Own Google Logo or Animate Your Name With Scratch. There are many choices here, and the possibilities are endless!
2. FREE CODING COURSES- Click on the “learn” tab at the top left of the code.org home page, and then click on the “learn more” button for Grades K-5. The resulting screen will have options for different coding courses your students can access. Courses A, B, and C are recommended for beginning coders. Courses D, E, and F allow students to expand their basic coding knowledge.
We hope these ideas offer many hours of fun and learning in the coming weeks.
Book Hounds Book Club
In December, several 5th graders participated in a book club for Hatchet, a classic adventure and survival tale written by Gary Paulsen. More book club opportunities for our upper grade students will be forthcoming in the new year!
Hedgcoxe Students SOAR with Reading!
Award-winning Book Lists
The 2017-2018 2x2 Reading List is a list of picture books recommended by librarians across the state of Texas for 2 year olds through 2nd graders (thus the name 2x2). We have one copy of each of these titles in our library, and each K-2 student has received a "blue boot" sheet on which to record when they read each one. If your student reads all twenty titles, send his/her sheet in to be added to my 2x2 display so we can recognize that significant reading accomplished. The 2x2 books can also be acquired through any of the Plano Public Libraries.
For 3rd, 4th, and 5th graders:
Many of our older students are hard at work reading titles from the 2017-2018 Bluebonnet Reading List, which is a varied list of fiction, non-fiction, chapter, and picture books ideal for 3rd through 6th graders. In January, students who have read at least FIVE of these titles will be eligible to vote in the statewide election for their favorite Bluebonnet book during library classes. Students who have read at least TEN of these titles by February 1st will be invited to attend the Bluebonnet Celebration, which will be a pizza luncheon held in the library during lunch times on February 14th.
If your student needs an extra Blue Boot sheet or Bluebonnet log, please let Mrs. Berry know.
Odds and (Book)Ends...
- If your child has a book checked out that is more than a month overdue, his/her library checkout privileges will be suspended until the book is turned in or paid for. Mrs. Berry can send home payment information for lost books at any time, and remember: If a book is paid for but then found and returned in good condition within this school year, a full refund will be issued.
- Mrs. Berry is looking forward to implementing more technology into our library lessons. During the spring semester, your student will have opportunities to learn about the importance of being a good digital citizenship, connect with authors online, and enjoy several fun Chromebook apps in the library.
- MARK YOUR CALENDARS for our (almost) Spring Scholastic Book Fair! This fun event will take place January 29th through February 2nd. Students of all ages LOVE book fair, and it would never possible to do this even once a year (much less three times!) without our awesome volunteers. Opportunities to volunteer for set-up, class rotations, and take-down will be posted on the PTA website in January.
Thanks for helping us teach our students that READING IS PAWSOME!