GCS School Library News
October 2015
Last Month's Numbers
Connecting and Making an Impact
NCCAT: How Media Specialist Can Impact Literacy
This wonderful program is happening again in late January (1/26-1/29) in Cullowhee across from the WCU campus. I just attended this program in Cullowhee from 9/22-9/25. If you've never been to NCCAT, you are missing out. The opportunity to be in a room of other media specialists is so rare, as we well know. The opportunity to be in a room full of media specialists for days (for free!) is practically unheard of. We learned about increasing literacy across the curriculum (yes, even in MATH!!), our personal leadership style, new web 2.0 tools, and how to build a program that reaches your community. It was an awesome experience and I encourage everyone to go to NCCAT at least once.
Submitted by: Catelyn Franklin, Brookside Elementary
SLMC appointed to AASL Award Committee
Edie Crook from Woodhill Elementary recently accepted an appointment as a member of the AASL awards subcommitee for the Frances Henne Award. The term is for one year.
The charge of the subcommittee is: To select the recipient of the Frances Henne Award, an annual grant to enable a school librarian with five or fewer years in the profession to attend an AASL national conference or ALA Annual conference.
Media Center Happenings
Cherryville Elmentary Raises Money for New Books
Cherryville Elementary Media Center has over $3000 in new books purchased by money raised at last year's Library fundraisers. Books include a wide assortment of both fiction and nonfiction materials. First, I used a portion of my budget to fill in gaps in my fiction collection. Next, I decided last year that in order to meet the demands of my youngest readers a leveled library was needed. My goal was to create a Leveled Library that levels books based on mClass levels. With my current collection and the new additions, I have a good beginning leveled library for my Kindergarten and First Graders. I will continue to add to this collection as the year goes on. Now ,my earliest readers can choose books that are on their reading levels.
Submitted by Melanie Sherrill, Cherryville Elementary
New Hope Elementary Has Most Successful Book Fair Ever!
Submitted by Kara Grimes, New Hope Elementary
SLMC / Teacher Collaborations
- Alyssa Dodd at Bessemer City Middle is collaborating with her art teacher and Spanish teacher on a lesson about the Day of the Dead. She is giving them a little background information and reviewing how to use OPAC to find information on this and then a subject of their choice. The art teacher is having a Sugar Skull Coloring Competition, and the Spanish teacher is teaching Spanish vocabulary associated with the holiday. It should be a fun time! Submitted by Alyssa Dodd, Bessemer City Middle
- Audra Pressley at Mount Holly Middle did a collaborative lesson with a 6th grade class studying the paleolithic era. They read The Secret Cave: Disovering Lascaux, by Emily Arnold McCully, and afterwards, the students recreated cave art from the walls of the cave of Lascaux. Submitted by: Audra Pressley, Mount Holly Middle
Observing Patriot Day
The tragedies of 9/11 are an integral part of the 21st century American narrative, but it is not always an easy topic to discuss with elementary age students. At New Hope Elementary, we took a historical approach. All third grade classes read the nonfiction narrative, The Man Who Walked Between the Towers by Mordicai Gerstein. This Caldecott Award winning book tells the story of Philippe Petit, and young Frenchman who illegally performed a tightrope walk between the twin towers in 1974. The perspective of many of the illustrations serve to highlight how majestic these buildings were before their collapse.
After reading the story, we measured 28 feet to see the length of his balancing pole. We saw just how far Philippe walked on his tightrope - 140 feet. Finally, using some makeshift balancing poles, we walked the same distance (trying not to veer from the 5/8” wide line on the floor denoting the width of Philippe’s wire).
Even without the extreme elevation, these students were able to imagine just how daring Philippe was and how epic the story of the twin towers has always been.
Submitted by: Kara Grimes, New Hope Elementary
Media Centers Going Social
- Holbrook Middle School, @HolbrookLMC: Mrs. Morgan plans to post upcoming events, BOB info quotes, interesting links, etc. about the library/books and reading.
York Chester Middle School, @ycmsmedia
Sadler Elementary, @SadlerESMC
- Hunter Huss High School, @husky_media_centers
School Participate in Banned Book Week
Submitted by Denise Gould, York Chester Middle
In order to defend their right to choose what books they read, Hunter Huss students were given the opportunity to record Virtual Read-Out videos. Virtual Read-Outs call attention to books that have been challenged or banned. Students talked about why the book they chose was important to them, they discussed reasons it was challenged or banned, and they read an excerpt from the book. In preparation, the library science classes learned about censorship and the ways it can violate First Amendment rights.
Students had the choice of recording in front of the book shelves or using the green screen in the broadcasting room to put themselves “on location” to talk about their books. The videos were uploaded to YouTube and were submitted to the American Library Association to be included in their Banned Books Week channel. Banned books week was September 27 - October 3.
Link for our Virtual Read outs
Link to the ALA Banned Books Week Channel
Submitted by: Kelly Walker, Hunter Huss High
Reading Interest Gallery Walk
Fourth grade classes at New Hope Elementary started the year with a reading interest gallery walk in the library. The goal was to get students thinking about not only what types of books they read, but also where, why, and how often they read in their daily lives.
Submitted by: Kara Grimes, New Home Elementary
Dot Day - September 15, 2015
Sadler Elementary: In celebration of Dot Day September 15th, Kindergarten and 1st Grade listened to Mrs. Pollard read aloud The Dot by Peter Reynolds. Then they watched Peter Reynolds on YouTube talk about why he wrote the book and read aloud The Dot. First graders had the opportunity to “make their mark” by creating their own dot. These dots were displayed on the 1st grade hall.
Woodhill Elementary & Highland School of Technology Collaboration: Check-out how these neighboring schools celebrated in this slideshow.
Bessemer City Central: Third grade students at Bessemer City Central celebrated Dot Day by reading Peter Reynolds' story and discussing the many different lessons we can learn for this story before creating dots of our own. As a special treat, Mrs. Putnam made the students' dots come alive on the smartboard using the Quiver app on her iPad.
Readbox
Submitted by Shay Whitlow, East Gaston High
Woodhill Elementary Participates in Pizza Hut's Book-it Program
Door Decorating Contest
Book Display
Book Graveyard
Pleasant Ridge Elementary
Stanly Middle
W.A. Bess Elementary
Technology Tips
Zaption
Have you heard of Zaption? It is a video based learning tool that can help you deepen understanding and increase engagement with your students. You can also use Zaption to get feedback on how your students are doing on a particular concept.
Things you need to know:
- No, students do not need their own accounts.
- Yes, the materials are protected by copyright.
- Yes, IT IS FREE!!!
- Yes, it works with basically any technology that has an internet connection, although it recommends not using Internet Explorer.
- Yes, students can create their own, but they would have to create their own account for that.
Submitted by Catelyn Franklin, Brookside Elementary
GooseChase!: Not your ordinary library scavenger hunt
Third through fifth grade students at Sadler Elementary used the GooseChase app on the iPads to practice teamwork, listening skills, reading for directions, library orientation, and library procedures. Examples of some of the missions:
GoNoodle.com
Our school moved away from using ClassDojo school-wide, which was a big bummer in the Media Center because I gave points away like a mad woman to students who were making good behavior choices. So now, with a combination of stickers and other rewards, a class reward for time-on-task and not wasting time (i.e. not talking while I’m talking) includes doing a GoNoodle activity at the end of class. And if they waste too much time? We run out of time and don’t get to do it. Boooooo!