SLS Weekly Update
September 7, 2021
Welcome Back!
Let the weekly newsletters begin!
This week, Thursday, September 9, I will begin to have office hours again from 8-9. If this time does not work for you, please let me know and we can set something else up, either for a 1:1 or for another group that can't make 8 am Thursdays. Please remember that you can schedule using the https://calendly.com/coslspsweeney link that is also in my email tag.
Speaking of schedules, I would like to visit each of you over the next few months. Using the Calendly link, you can schedule an hour for a site visit. I can't wait to see all of your spaces! The goal of these meetings is to check-in, find out what you need, and how I can help. I would also like to begin sharing out with others what is happening in your libraries. One of the goals in our Plan of Service is to increase communication among members. We can start to do that by sharing what you are doing.
Library contact info. Can you please check this page and make any changes that are needed?
Database update:
- We are now getting Black Life in America from Newsbank
- Factcite for all of the middle schools
- Discovery Ed is still pending- we are waiting on them to sign the EdLaw 2D compliance.
Always feel free to reach out!!!
I hope you all have a wonderful first week back!
Penny
Upcoming PD
Join Zoom Meeting
Meeting ID: 919 2989 1371
Passcode: 892544
NYLA Developing Leaders Program (link below)
Two Minute TeachingBooks
We have access to TeachingBooks, a collection of literacy resources that supports the books you are using with your students. It features resources for over 75,000 titles including book guides, activities, lessons, vocabulary lists, and author recordings. Everything you need to engage readers and plan instruction is all in one place. In addition, there are so many features and tools to support the use of books within your curriculum such as tools to analyze groups of titles for your consideration and reflection.
Here is a collection of short videos. Each is 2 minutes or less and is full of ideas that quickly demonstrate how to find resources that support different roles in our learning community. Please take time to watch one or more of these and share them with colleagues.
Learn 360
We are pleased to announce 159 new titles twere added to your Learn360 subscription over the past month.
- ✔ View your newly added titles: Click here to view a full list of the new titles just added to your collection.
NYSCATE Update
Welcome back to school! I hope you enjoyed your summer vacation and found the time to refresh, reconnect, and rejuvenate for the 2021-2022 school year. It has been a challenge like no other to be educators during these unprecedented times, but together we can provide the best education for our students. As a school librarian and the Long Island Director of NYSCATE, I've spent this past year learning about the operations behind the annual conference, grant selections, award recipients, and professional development. This year, I am focusing on helping librarians to become more connected with the NYSCATE family. Here are some exciting events and programs for you and your colleagues to be involved in during this year:
Each year NYSCATE offers a number of grants and awards. This year's grant recipients have already been selected and will be announced shortly. Be on the lookout next spring to apply. There is still time to nominate a deserving colleague for one of these prestigious NYSCATE awards: Lee Bryant Outstanding Classroom Teacher Award, Outstanding Leader Award, and Outstanding Superintendent Award. Winners will be selected and honored during the NYSCATE Annual Conference in November. A completed nomination form and all other supporting documents must be submitted no later than September 30, 2021, at 11:59 PM. A confirmation email will be sent to the nominator.Applications are available at: https://www.nyscate.org/page/grants-and-awards.
We are very excited at NYSCATE that this year's conference will take place face to face in Rochester from November 20 to 23. There will also be some opportunities for educators to participate virtually. Check out the informative sessions that are planned: https://www.nyscate.org/page/conference-schdule.
NYSCATE members are passionate about improving education through the innovative and effective use of technology. Access resources, share ideas and connect with like-minded educators. There is no charge to join the community, so recommend NYSCATE membership to a colleague or an administrator today: https://www.nyscate.org/page/membership
Dr. Amy S. DelCorvo, CEO/Executive Director of NYSCATE, is looking for a small group of volunteers to help her formulate the NYSCATE Influencer program that will start this fall. This commitment would involve 1 or 2 virtual meetings to discuss what the program would look like and what cool swag should be included. Ultimately, NYSCATE would like to identify one person per district in NYS to be part of this program. If you are interested in helping NYSCATE define this program over the next few weeks, please email Amy directly at adelcorvo@nyscate.org.
NYSCATE has partnered with NYSED to provide free learning opportunities to NYS educators and parents. Expanded professional learning opportunities to support remote and hybrid learning are now available for New York’s educators. The online courses and webinar series are available to all NYS educators and administrators at NO CHARGE. CTLE credits will be awarded for all courses and live webinars. You might be interested in the Digital Librarian courses (Part 1 and Part 2) that I designed especially for school librarians to integrate Flipgrid, Wakelet, Canva, Buncee, Padlet, and Book Creator into your library programs.
To Register for the first time To add additional courses to your existing course license: Click on this link Click here to add additional courses Locate your original order Select Manage Add-Ons You may select as many courses as you would like - check back monthly for new offerings. Online Asynchronous Courses Available Now:
NYSCATE Long Island Director 2015 SLJ School Librarian of the Year 2015 Lee Bryant Outstanding Classroom Teacher 2015 Fred Podolski - Most Innovative Use of Technology (Classroom Teacher)
Cayuga Onondaga BOCES SLS
Email: psweeney@cayboces.org
Website: https://www.cayboces.org/Page/95
Location: 1879 West Genesee Street Road, Auburn, NY, USA
Phone: (315) 255-7609
Twitter: @plsweeney1