Fork Shoals Library Ledger
News for the week of January 26, 2015
Family Reading Night
Preordered Chick-Fil-A dinners will be served at 6pm, and the Reading Night Authors' Showcase will be 6:30-8:00.
Some of the authors joining us for this event are Frederick Baus, Paul Hohmann, Jeffrey J. Lefko, Beth Templeton, Jonathan Miller, and Kate Salley Palmer. (Jonathan Miller will also be joining us during the school day on the 26th, and students can purchase his books that day. Click here for an order form.)
Come join us for a fun-filled night of celebrating reading!
2nd Quarter Reading Challenge results
Thanks to all who participated in the 2nd Quarter Reading Challenge. As a school, we read nearly 300,000 pages! Let's read even more in the 3rd quarter!
Congratulations to the following grade level winners of our 2nd Quarter Reading Challenge:
- Kindergarten - Jack Seaton
- 1st grade - Peyton Curesky
- 2nd grade - Madelyn Warrington
- 3rd grade - Matthew Manning
- 4th grade - Kinsley Nicholson
- 5th grade - Rachel Marquis
These hard-working students earned a dinner with our Family Reading Night authors as well as a prize pack from Ms. Knight!
3rd Quarter Reading Challenge: Be a Reading Superhero!
It's time to begin our 3rd Quarter Reading Challenge! Your goal is to read as much as possible between now and March 24th. Reading logs will be sent home this week, and extras will be available in the library or here.
All reading logs will be due no later than Friday, March 27th (our last day before Spring Break)! After Spring Break, prizes will be awarded to the top readers in each grade level, and every participant will receive recognition.
Remember to list books completed with page numbers. An adult must sign by each book completed, and all pages must be totaled at the end.
Book of the Week: Finding Zasha
The year is 1941, and twelve-year-old Ivan Savichev lives with his mother in an apartment in Leningrad, Russia. The entire world is at war, and the German forces are bent on destroying Ivan’s home city. Bombs drop from the sky, food and water are scarce, and no one knows if this day will be their last.
Ivan’s mother decides there’s only one course of action. She will join the other factory workers in the Ural Mountains, and Ivan will cross the frozen Lake Ladoga and go to live with his Uncle Boris (a man Ivan has not seen since he was five). Ivan makes this treacherous journey with Auntie Vera, who is going to stay with her sister-in-law in the village of Vilnov. Ivan cannot fathom leaving Auntie, so he stays with her…and it is here that his life will change forever.
Almost immediately upon arriving in Vilnov, Ivan joins a group of partisans, or an underground movement charged with disrupting the work of the German army. He’s surprised to learn that many of those around him are also partisans, and all of them are eager to do their part for the good of Russia.
After the Germans destroyed his beloved home city, Ivan is looking for a way to help his country win this horrible war, and he’s about to get his chance. The Germans have arrived in Vilnov, and Ivan has caught the interest of their leader, the terrifying Major Axel Recht, a cruel Nazi commander. Major Recht is charmed by Ivan’s musical talent, and he needs someone to help care for and train his precious German shepherd puppies, Thor and Zasha. Ivan steps in and seizes an opportunity to feed information to his fellow partisans.
Ivan soon realizes, though, that his mission is not an easy one. Major Recht is suspicious of everyone and quick to anger. He doesn’t fully trust Ivan, and he seems to resent Ivan’s connection with Thor and Zasha, dogs who are being trained to hunt Russians. Ivan knows he must get away from Recht soon, but he cannot fathom leaving Thor and Zasha behind to face Recht’s wrath alone. Ivan plots to escape with the two puppies, an action that is sure to enrage Major Recht. One night, Ivan makes his move, takes the dogs with him, and leaves Recht behind. He can’t know, though, just how far Recht will go to seek revenge…
In the midst of war, Ivan eventually finds a measure of peace as he finally makes his way to his Uncle Boris’ cabin. He trains Thor and Zasha to be faithful companions, he learns about farming, he visits with friends…and he grows perhaps too comfortable. When his worst enemy returns, Ivan must flee once again, but this latest escape puts Zasha in danger. The dog has gone missing, and Ivan must make some difficult decisions that could impact the safety of his friends and his own future.
What will Ivan do? Will the evil Major Axel Recht catch up with him? What will become of Thor and Zasha? Read Finding Zasha by Randi Barrow to find out!
Battle of the Books has begun!
Practices are held each Tuesday afternoon, 2:30-3:00, and each Wednesday morning, 7:30-7:55. Team members can choose to attend one or both of our weekly practices. We'll practice each Tuesday and Wednesday until our regional competition on March 10th.
For more information on Battle of the Books, click here.
Are you reading the SC Book Award nominees?
Click here for a handy checkoff sheet to keep track of your Book Award reading!
Fork Shoals School Library
Mrs. Allison Meredith, Library Clerk
Email: klknight@greenville.k12.sc.us
Website: http://www.greenville.k12.sc.us/forksh/
Location: 916 McKelvey Road, Pelzer, SC
Phone: (864) 355-5005
Dates to Remember:
- January 26 - Family Reading Night, 6:30pm
- January 27 - Spirit Night @ Bellacino's
- January 30 - Spirit Day; Fresh Fruit Friday
- February 3 - Skate Night @ Golden Skate, 6-8pm
- February 5 - Moe's Night
Narrative Report Cards
As part of our IB program, we want to give feedback on how students are progressing with the Learner Profile. A letter of explanation along with the report will be sent home on Monday, January 26. Please review and complete the goal setting piece on the back with your child and return to school. These will be added to their student portfolios that will be shared at Student Led Conferences at the end of the year. Imagine the thoughts year after year seeing the progression of their goals! Thank you for your support and participation in this important part of student development.