Thank-you!

If you look back to my blog posting of October 15th, it may bring back memories of the visit by Kazu Kibuishi when he did an assembly for our 3rd and 4th graders. He did not have time to do autographs for students but we got something even better!

Kazu sent bookplate stickers with his autograph and the image of either Miskit or Leon to our school recently; enough for each student to have one bookplate. Two of those stickers are shown on the top line of the photo.

Imagine my surprise when I realized he did not simply make copies, but that each sticker was an original sketch! When these stickers were distributed during the last two weeks, the students were quite appreciative. We wanted to do some something special to show our gratitude and Mark, in Mrs. Beaudry's 4th grade class, had the idea that each student could make a sticker for Kazu.

Today we began making them in Mrs. Rathbone's 3rd grade class. I loved seeing the students' original thoughts and drawings and four of them are included in the photo. Mrs. Rathbone's class has many Amulet fans; however, not everyone is crazy about this graphic novel series. One student included a drawing with "I'm not a fan, but thanks!" The rest of the 3rd and 4th grade classes will work on their stickers next week and then I'll be sending them to Kazu Kibuishi in California. I'm sure he will enjoy the students' work as much as we enjoyed his visit.

Finally, a big thank you to everyone who bought one or more Gingerbread Books at PTO's recent Holiday Fair. Today I was able to hand $227 to our social worker who will make sure the cash goes to help a family in need. What a great school community!

More Tech!

There will soon be more tech equipment coming since the PTO has generously offered to buy six Ipevo document cameras for the school. These cameras, or visual presenters, offer basic functions similar to the better known Elmo cameras. We've had an Elmo for a year or so and it's great. The Ipevo does not do as much and isn't the same level of quality but they're smaller, much cheaper, and they do the job. Thanks, PTO!

In addition, we now have a total of five SMART Boards in our school. The district budget funded these purchases and we're glad to have them get into more classrooms.

Regarding this week's photos:

• The first photo shows an Ipevo (on loan from CMS; ours are being ordered) connected to the laptop which is connected to the LCD projector. The Ipevo is focused on a penny.
  
• The second photo shows the projection of the penny when viewed by the document camera and projected onto the SMART Board.
  
• The third photo was taken by the Ipevo and easily stored into my picture file. Can you believe it's so big that the image fills the SMART Board? Wow!

Gingerbread Books

Perhaps I'll see you tomorrow, Saturday, December 4th, at our PTO's holiday fair. I'll be the one selling nearly-new books for one dollar - yes, that's right - $1.00. These books are donated or are ones I've collected for this annual event. The Gingerbread Books include some great ones for both children and adults and you might get a real bargain.

Most importantly, the cash raised goes to our district Gingerbread Express program to give a little boost to families in our community that may need help. At our school, the program is coordinated by Mrs. Cafaro and Mrs. Connell who make sure the money goes where it can help the most.

Our school community has been very generous in supporting the program. Some people just throw in some money and don't worry about buying a book! In any case, it's a good cause and I hope to see you there.

Collaboration

It's somewhat fitting that working together in collaboration has been a key element during this holiday week. The photo above shows an assessment project for the Grade 4 science unit on
Soil and Water. Students worked within groups (collaborated) to construct a dam with surrounding materials to utilize what they had learned about water flow, erosion, and much more. It was amazing to hear them use sophisticated terms and concepts as they described their projects. The "final test" of the dam was to pour water and see if it held and whether the surrounding landscape and materials protected the homes. Their assessments included oral and written presentations. Impressive!

I was fortunate to take part in some of the assessments when we decided to show the presentations on the SMART Board in the Library. Ms. Miceli had the idea of using a document camera to capture what was going on so everyone could easily view it. I was able to collaborate in setting up the camera and helping in other ways. Our school has an ELMO document camera/visual presenter so this was a good way to use it. When my library class schedule permits, I really enjoy these opportunities to co-teach with classroom teachers.

As an example of even more collaboration, I borrowed a smaller document camera from Mrs. Steever, librarian at Chariho Middle School, and we used this newer, less expensive camera. Not only did it show the action, but taking photos was easy. What a great little tool! Thanks to Mrs. Steever for bringing this new equipment, Impevo, to my attention and for letting us try it.

You may well be doing plenty of collaboration tomorrow when you enjoy your Thanksgiving dinner - or at least I hope you don't have to do it all yourself. Happy Thanksgiving!

Back to Normal

Our annual Book Fair ended last Saturday with a "bang" and nearly $1,600 sales for the three hours we were open. So, if you waited in line to checkout at 11:30, now you know it was all for a good cause!

Thank you to everyone who visited, shopped and otherwise supported our Book Fair. The biggest thanks of all go to the wonderful parents and PTO members who helped out during the week's activities. We couldn't do it without you.

All the work and high energy paid off with gross sales of $5,300+ and a profit of over $1,300. This money helps me buy books all year and add other resources for students and staff.

The photo of the week was taken not long ago and shows that our library is "back to normal" after Book Fair. I have often said that I love having the Book Fair come - and I love seeing it go!

Busy, Busy Book Fair

As we near the end of the week, it's so busy, there's no time to post a good photo! Our Family Event on Election Day, Nov. 2nd, went great with many families coming in to shop with their children. Students have been coming in all week and now we're seeing lots of coins and change to buy "just one more thing". I always wonder if they're searching under their beds to find some more money!

I'll be here Friday, 8 a.m.-4 p.m. and then we have another
Family Event -- Saturday, Nov. 6th from 9 a.m. until 12 noon. Maybe I'll see you!

Book Fair is Next Week!

Mrs. Louzon's 1st graders were very helpful in helping me get the message out about our annual Book Fair next week. The cases of books have arrived and we'll be setting up Friday afternoon so we're ready to go Monday morning. You should have received the Book Fair flyer, a coral-colored sheet with information, plus the earlier PTO Newsletter which featured us prominantly on the back. As usual, if you still have questions, feel free to email me at cerei@chariho.k12.ri.us

Except for Kindergarten, students shop during their usual library class. Remember that if you want to be with your child to help them shop, you have many options. We are open each school day from 8-4 p.m. Also, there are two Family Events this year - one on election day, Tuesday, November 2nd from 3-7 p.m. The other Family Event is Saturday, November 6th from 9-12 in the morning.

Another way to be with your child as they shop is to volunteer during the library class. At this point, we are still short on volunteers to help staff the Book Fair. I would love to get more of the Volunteer Sign-up forms returned ASAP; it would help me sleep better at night!

Our school runs one Scholastic Book Fair per year and it is a major fundraiser for library resources. Many families appreciate the Classroom Wish Lists which help them choose a useful and much desired book for their child's teacher. We accept cash, credit, and checks (made to Charlestown SAF). This year Scholastic sent the EZ Scanner which promises to make for shorter lines, itemized receipts, and easier sales tracking. I'm looking forward to seeing lots of excited kids at our Book Fair and maybe you, too!

Kazu Kibuishi Visits Charlestown School

Today was a big day for 3rd & 4th grades. To "reward" everyone for completing the NECAP tests, we enjoyed an assembly by favorite author/illustrator of the Amulet series, Kazu Kibuishi. Beth Desrosier was kind enough to take this photo where I proudly share the drawing Mr. Kibuishi created for our Library.

In order to make this visit happen, there are so many people to thank that I hope I don't forget anyone. The Chariho Middle School librarians Mrs. Steever and Mrs. Caparco graciously helped plan his visit to Charlestown after they hosted him at the CMS ceremony for his Rhode Island Children's Book Award 2010. Cheryl Space from the state, Meagan Lenihan from Lincoln School, and his agent Nancy Caffoe were instrumental in getting plans done with a week's notice. Principal Mrs. Poore was enthusiastic from the start (just two weeks ago!). Teachers adjusted their schedules and many staff members got the room ready and helped with set-up of equipment. Lisa Huzyk and Beth Desrosiers even drove to meet him at CMS to make sure he could fit us into the tight timetable. Finally, PTO generously funded an honorarium so we could enjoy Kazu Kibuishi. Thanks to all!

FYI: We were all so proud of our 3rd and 4th grade students as they listened attentively, asked thoughtful questions, and thoroughly appreciated his appearance. When he demonstrated on his tablet computer how he "paints" using PhotoShop, we were all entranced as the images took form. Then, there was a rising groundswell of polite applause from the kids as they marvelled at the incredible picture that was appearing before their eyes. It was such a moving demonstration of their appreciation that I found myself almost tearing up as the teachers joined in the applause. Wow - our kids are the best!

NECAP Practice Sessions

Here's a great-looking group of Grade 4 students taking advantage of a special NECAP "ramp-up" session this week. Today's group worked on Math, led by Math Specialist, Mrs. Nedwidek. Another session focused on Reading. Teachers included in the sessions have been Mrs. Wright, Ms. Peduzzi, Mrs. Owren, Ms. Miceli, and myself.

These sessions are a new initiative we're trying this year. As we know, not only do students get tested on content, but they also need to learn test-taking strategies. These students were enthusiastic and engaged as they plotted out answers on the SMART Board. In fact, the other photo shows one student taking a real "hands-on" approach, using the Touch Screen of the SMART Board. Good luck, kids!

Open House Visitors

Here are two sets of older brother - younger sister kids at our Library during Open House. I appreciate the students' willingness to be photographed and the parents' approval so I could post this great picture. Of course, these four students (two 3rd grade boys, plus girls in K and 1st grade) are only a few of the many, many visitors who came over the two nights of Open House.

I love seeing the Library full of students and their families and having the chance to chat a little. This year I saw many returning parents and some new to our school. Thanks for coming!

Hope to See You at Open House!

Here's one of the fine looking classes that will have their photograph included in the PowerPoint that will be looping in the Library during Open House. Mrs. Rathbone's 3rd graders were all smiles when they had their first book checkout a couple of weeks ago.

So, if you're new to our school or we've met many times, I'll be happy to see you if you have time to stop in during Open House. If not, I hope to meet you another time. Keep reading!

Good Times in the Library

These guys look very happy to be taking turns on the beanbag chairs and reading their books during "booklook" time in Library Class. Considering that they are 4th grade boys, I'm thrilled to see them still enjoying these times - they've been coming since Kindergarten!

During Library Class, I feel that students deserve to find a "free-choice" book that they are happy to read. Studies have shown that reading what you want to read is a great incentive to do more reading - and that's so important to all of us. If a child is reading, then it does not have to be a chapter book or other challenging reading each time. I do want to see rigor that encourages them to challenge and grow their reading skills. Also, perhaps they may just discover a new chapter book that really gets them hooked on reading. But my feeling is that we all want some lighter reading sometimes and I hope the library helps our students find their interests.

Confession time - Although I love a good, challenging chapter book, I still love to pick up a magazine and enjoy some less-taxing reading. And . . . as an elementary student many years ago, my favorite reading was comic books. Who would have guessed I would become a librarian?!!!

The Green (or white) Sheet

Most students, except Kindergarten, began borrowing books this week. Our happy 1st grader in the picture is holding the "green sheet" that should have gone home with every student. Actually, a few of these were printed in white, but we didn't want to waste paper so you might get a white sheet.

Anyway, these Library Information sheets have important information about our library program. It contains a list of the many ways you can contact me - phone, notes, or email (best). Please read it and let me know if you have any questions.

The paper also states "Please stop in during Open House" - I'd love to see you in the Library!

Back in the Library!

It's September and we're back into the swing of things. The library is staying almost-cool because of the air conditioner to that keeps our "mini-computer lab" in good running order.

Students Grade 1-4 will begin borrowing books next week. Later, in October, our Kindergarten students will bring home a library book. Everyone will have a paper with library facts; please read it so you know important information.

I hope to have weekly blog posts and will be mentioning this blog every chance I get. Since the Internet is part of our lives, this is the best way to get out information and news.

Here's one bit of important news. We have a new
Library Clerk, Nancy Ferri, who will be working at Charlestown on Wednesdays and Fridays. She is at Richmond School Library the other three days. Welcome, Mrs. Ferri!

Almost Summer!

We're just 23 hours from our official summer vacation and "miles to go before I sleep." So, I want to get this one more blog done for school year 2009-10. The last few weeks have had our heads spinning and it's hard to imagine that tomorrow will give me any more time to do a quick blog.

This year found me writing a blog entry nearly every week and it's been fun. Next year I hope to expand on using this digital communication to broadcast news from our library. Right now Twitter isn't in my future and this will serve me well. I hope readers have enjoyed it.

On Monday the librarians from Cross Mills and Clark Memorial Library spoke to students during lunch about the fantastic Summer Reading Programs they offer. This year the theme is
"Make a Splash - Read!" and I hope the summer finds lots of Charlestown children splashing away. Even if you can't make it to the libraries, be sure to provide your family with a "print-rich" environment so they can keep working on those reading skills. Comics, magazines, whatever ---
Be a SMARTIE - Keep Reading!

Have a wonderful summer!

Learning About Bees

Bees

Bees

Bees

Bees

Bees


Bees


Today we had a special event in the library with the 2nd grade classrooms who have been learning about insects. Some of the students did extra research on "BEES" and presented their work this morning. After they showed their PowerPoint slides to their classmates and guests, we had the pleasure of meeting Mr. Tom Meade, local beekeeper. Mr. Meade brought some of his protective garb and a display hive with bees. There were plenty of questions for the Grade 2 researchers and for Mr. Meade. We had plenty to learn - did you know that when honeybees are angry they smell like old bananas?

This afternoon Mrs. Pearce made a special delivery of letters written by her students to thank Tom Meade for coming. More letters from Mrs. Rhodes class joined them and I'll be delivering the letters to Mr. Meade at the Richmond Farmers' Market next Saturday. If you're interested in knowing more, check out his website by searching for Daughters of the Queen. I want to thank Mr. Meade, Mrs. Pearce, Mrs. Rhodes, Mrs. Manchester and all the 2nd graders for making this a great day!

Active Families

wwwCharlestownFit

Yesterday morning, Dr. Cathy Moffitt and I were looking at the forms returned from students who did our new program, wwwCharlestownFit. At that time we had 34 returns and I know that more came back today. We were happy to see the level of involvement that families had in trying alternate activities. Personally I was pleasantly surprised that so many families kept up with the month-long recording.

I wondered if a month was too long since our previous May program had just run for one week. However, it's obvious that many of you enjoyed the chance to log the times when you engaged in activities to promote Wellness, Wholeness, and Wisdom. After seeing the results, we discussed how real change doesn't come in just a week. We hope the month-long program might lead some of us to making changes in some of our "couch potato" habits. As results are compiled we will know more how to revise the program for next May to make it even more engaging.

It was announced today that students will be recognized "at a later date". Obviously, that later date will be in the next two weeks! If your child brought in their form by today (the last day for returns) they'll be hearing from us shortly. Only 10 days left!

The Library - Central to the School

Hi, this photo shows how our library - at a pivotal corner - is a physical hub of Charlestown School. The corner makes it a central spot, especially for Grades 3 & 4, but for the entire school.

On Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday of this week our 4th graders spent their mornings doing NECAP Science testing. Testing is a prominent focus of education and the entire school gets involved, not just 4th Grade (or 3 & 4th in the Fall). Classroom teachers assume the primary role, but Reading Teachers, Math teachers, Resource and many others contribute to helping our students do well on the required assessments. My small part on those days is to put out the easel at the corner to remind everyone to help maintain a quiet testing environment.

The big picture is that all of the staff here contribute to teaching and learning at Charlestown School. Specials areas (Library, PE/Health, Art, Music) have their own learner standards. In addition, we try to reinforce good learner qualities and many times can integrate our work with classroom work. Paraprofessionals, custodians, Office Staff, and everyone else strive to help our students become lifelong learners. And, not just on test days!

May!

Somehow the last few weeks slipped by and I missed doing my weekly blog. We're already well into May which makes me think of our newest program:

wwwCharlestownFit

Many of you may remember Exercise Your Body/Exercise Your Mind. This program was created 7 years ago when I worked with Pat Fiske who was our Health&PE teacher. It was actually made to replace the old "TV Turn-Off" that had been done for several years. Well, now it's time to find a new program to promote healthy children and healthy families. Dr. Cathy Moffitt and I have planned and collaborated together to create wwwCharlestownFit. We wanted to try a month-long program that encourages wellness (healthy foods and activities), wholeness (well-rounded & creative) and wisdom (making good choices). This is the first year and we see it as a pilot to be developed and revised in the future.

The yellow papers that went home last week gave most of the information so I won't repeat it. If you have any questions, please feel free to contact us via email, phone, or notes. Also, if you have ideas about tweaking this program for next year, they are most welcome.We value the input from families as we work to promote healthier habits for all of us. Have fun!

Scenes from Reading Week - Enjoy!

Reading Week 2010

We're heading into Charlestown School's annual Reading Week. The theme for this year is "Catch the Reading Wave" which is also the theme for Summer Reading Programs at the public libraries.

Once again, there are plenty of special activities and events planned for our school. A committee decides on the basic format for the week and offers a few suggestions so teachers can do what works best for their class. Many teachers schedule their own Guest Readers to visit their classroom. Each morning will feature a brief announcement about the Featured Author for that day. Each afternoon will finish with 15 minutes of SSR - Sustained Silent Reading - in the classrooms.

Here is the general schedule for each day:

Monday - performances by storyteller Keith Munslow; K-Gr. 2 at 9 a.m.; Gr. 3 & 4 at 10 a.m.
Featured Author = Gail Gibbons

Tuesday - a wave (parade) of books in the hall - bring a favorite or choose one in class
Featured Author = Leo Lionni

Wednesday - special Guest Readers
Featured Author = William Steig

Thursday - Book Swap in the Art Room and Make a Bookmark
Featured Author = Mark Pfister

Friday - Vocabulary Hats or Ocean Creature/Fish Hats +
All school Readathon in the hallways at 2:45
Featured Genre = Biographies with water & ocean connections

The library has a big display of books featuring the author or genre of the day. I've also arranged for our own special Guest Reader to come to library classes on Monday and Thursday afternoons. If you know Mrs. Patterson, retired children's librarian from Cross Mills, you can say a big hello to her!

Day to Day in the Library

To begin with, here are some photos taken during Mrs. Owren's students' time in the library. Mrs. Owren, like many teachers, has reserved blocks to use the computers for writing projects. It's great to see the students so busy, on task, and using the library resources.

The photo below is another "day-to-day" photo of many of the activities our students enjoy. It's evident that those routines mean a lot to students. They know what to expect - from our library lessons, to "booklook" time, to my quiet announcement of "Show me you're ready" when it's time to line up. Even the 4th graders (from Mrs. Fee's class) enjoy one of the cherished routines - taking turns at the beanbag chairs. I just had to snap this candid picture when I saw the "big kids" reading quietly at our beanbags!

GettingTech-SMART!

Learning is fun! Today two Library Helpers from Ms. Miceli's class came near the end of the day. After they finished stacking chairs, making deliveries, organizing the magazine rack, and shutting down extra computers, they had a few minutes. They respectfully asked if they could write on the SMART Board before I turned it off. When I okayed their careful experimenting, they enjoyed exploring the fun writing features it offers. After showing them how to turn off the SMART Board, we were all ready for the end of the day.

When we got our first building SMART Board in September we all began exploring more and more ways to use it. Since last fall, Ms. Miceli has blocked out an hour each week for class instruction featuring the SMART Board and student use of the computers in our "mini-lab" of library computers. So many other teachers now have blocks reserved that I recently began posting the Library Schedule in the hallway so teachers can see which times are open in the Library. We also began "Get SMART Thursday" lunches every few weeks when faculty members can exchange ideas and activities and have time to practice on the SMART Board.

Last week our school received a new SMART Board; the first in a classroom. Mrs. Rathbone, Grade 3 teacher, has already created many interactive lessons using the SMART Notebook software. She is scheduled to do a brief sharing at next week's Get SMART Thursday for the first lunch. Mrs. Manchester will share activities at the second lunch and I expect there will be plenty of practicing and "playing" with the SMART Board. Our students instinctively know the best way to get familiar with technology is to "play" with it, and we're finding out the same thing!

With a Library Card . . .

Of course I'm a great fan of public libraries and hope that every family takes advantage of these wonderful community resources. Not only can you borrow books, DVDs, music, and loads of other items, but they offer free programs for children and adults. Rhode Island is lucky with our great statewide database, Ocean State Libraries of Rhode Island. This network makes it easy to quickly get books, etc. from any library in the state. Do you know you can reserve books, make renewals, or just search the oslri catalog from home? Try it with ths oslri link - http://www.oslri.org/ .

Today I want to tell you about another important resource offered through a state network. With your library card you can get free access to specialty databases that are usually quite expensive. They include EBSCO, World Book Online and others that are useful for adults and children. I know many teachers, professionals, and other adults who have benefited through these databases at AskRi http://www.askri.org/ You'll also see HomeWork Help and Career Center which can be especially useful.

I especially recommend World Book Online for students' research. Sure, we all like Wikipedia but the reading level is generally high for elementary students. Plus, the information can possibly be wrong since anyone can contribute. If your child wants to learn more, a trusted source like World Book is great. It comes in three different levels, World Book Kids, World Book Student, and World Book Advanced. It even includes how to cite where they got their information.
Here's the link: http://www.worldbookonline.com/wb/Login?ed=wb&subacct=00M7105

So, grab your library card and have a look at our tremendous state public libraries!

Find the Cat!

There was much excitement for the four days of "Find the Cat", a part of our Dr. Seuss celebration. Mrs. St. Clair was the mastermind behind the hiding and hunting. Her students made announcements each afternoon of where the Cat in the Hat had been hiding for that day.

The photos included here came from the final day, March 2nd, Dr. Seuss' birthday. That tricky Cat had several imposters including Horton (in the Office window) and a black Webkins (up near the ceiling). In fact, it was easy to walk right past the display case outside Ms. Pizone's Kindergarten room (3rd photo above). However, if you look closely, you might spot a suspicious Hat in back of those imposter hats on the stuffed animals.

A closer look at the display case showed who was hiding behind those other animals - it's none other than The Cat in the Hat!

Birthday Wishes for Dr. Seuss

Next Tuesday, March 2nd, is the birthday of Dr. Seuss and, once again, our school will be celebrating this favorite author/illustrator. We've already begun the fun with Mrs. St. Clair's class project of "Find the Cat in the Hat". Fortunately, a helpful 4th grader showed me the Cat's hiding place this afternoon since I had walked passed the hiding place several times!

Mrs. Wright, our Reading Teacher, made the Seuss resource binder available to teachers and we expect to see other fun projects next week. The pencils above will be part of the classroom activities and we hope to see every student earn a Horton Hears a Who pencil. Today our Seuss committee met, planned and counted out the pencils for each classroom (see photo). Let's hear an early Happy Birthday wish for Dr. Seuss!

Playaways Arrive!

Back in the fall, I used this blog to announce receiving a CCEP Grant to purchase 20 Playaway Digital Audiobooks. Well, they have arrived and will be ready for circulation after February vacation. These digital devices will begin replacing the old audiocassettes. The grant was written for Grade 3 and Grade 4 so those students and teachers will be able to check out these new resources from our library.

This week I've been telling those students about the upcoming Playaways and told them I would be posting the list of titles online through this blog. I expect the Playaways to be quite popular and will start lists and Hold lists when students ask for a particular title. Students can come to the library after vacation or a parent can help them request by sending an email to me at cerei@chariho.k12.ri.us. As I said, they will be ready for checkout after vacation.

Since Playaways are relatively new, the list of available titles is still limited (e.g. Harry Potter is not on a Playaway) Vendors and the manufacturer are continually getting copyright clearance to add more books into this format. I hope to add more titles in the future; for now, here's what we have added to our school library:

The Best Christmas Pageant Ever ( Barbara Robinson)
The Capture (Kathryn Lasky, 1st book of Guardians of Ga'Hoole series)
Charlie and the Chocolate Factory + Charlie and the Great Glass Elevator (Roald Dahl)
Charlotte's Web (E.B. White)
Ella Enchanted (Gail Carson Levine)
Escape: the Story of the Great Houdini (Sid Fleishchman; nonfiction)
Holes (Louis Sachar)
Island of the Blue Dolphins (Scott O'Dell)
The Journey (Kathryn Lasky, 2nd in series mentioned above)
The Lightning Thief (Rick Riordan)
Lost and Found (Andrew Clements)
Love That Dog (Sharon Creech)
My Side of the Mountain (Jean Craighead George)
The Penderwicks (Jeanne Birdsall)
Ruby Holler (Sharon Creech)
Stuart Little (E.B. White)
The Tale of Despereaux (Kate DiCamil lo)
Tuck Everlasting (Natalie Babbitt)
Where the Red Fern Grows (Wilson Rawls)
A Wrinkle in Time (Madeleine L'Engle)

Hey, I just realized we got 21 titles since the Charlie Playaway has two books on it (narrated by Eric Idle!) After vacation we'll probably be seeing these "books on a lanyard" with lots of 3rd and 4th graders. BTW, the Playaways can also be connected to car or home speakers for family and class listening - enjoy!

Good-bye and Hello

Today is Miss Bouffard's last day and I wanted to share some photos of her working with students:

• The first photo was taken as Mrs. Manchester's 2nd grade class learned more about indexes. The SMART Board review was followed by hands-on lesson using books with indexes.
  
• The second photo shows Mrs. Krause's 1st grade class in the middle of an extension activity for the book, Jeremy Draws a Monster. Miss Bouffard brought this book from North Kingstown Public Library (yes, she works part-time, too!) It was a real hit so I'll be buying it for our library.
  
• The third photo shows two students working on special projects with Miss Bouffard's help and guidance.

It has been a wonderful experience to be the mentoring teacher for Miss Bouffard. Her new ideas for lessons and quick take on technology have created learning opportunities for all of us. In her third week here she presented two workshops for teaching staff about extra features on the SMART Board. We will all miss her as she goes on to her secondary school practicum. Good bye and good luck, Rachael!

This has been a busy week. Mrs. Wright, Reading Coordinator, and I were invited to the Tuesday PTO meeting to plan April's Reading Week. What energy and ideas come from those PTO members! Later in the week, the Reading Teachers and I discussed Dr. Seuss Day on March 2nd. You'll be hearing more about these upcoming programs.

This was also the week that the Playaway Digital Audiobooks arrived so we can say "Hello" to these "books on a lanyard." The 20 Playaways were purchased with CCEP Grant money and will soon be introduced into the library collection. The titles were selected for Grades 3 and 4 and I'm sure they will be quite popular. For more information about the Playaways, come back next week!

New Books!

With Miss Bouffard's help, I think I managed to convert my MSWord document into a viewable image so you can read the list of new books. Since it is so small, try clicking on the list and it should become larger for you to read. If you still have trouble, email me and I'll send the list to you as an attachment. If I hear that it was simply not a good way to read this list, next time I'll try a different tech trick to put in an existing document.

In any case, this list contains titles to give a midwinter boost to our collection. Since budget money must be spent in the fall, later purchases usually come from SAF (Student Activities Fund) money which is administered through the district. The library SAF is funded mostly through Book Fair profits. The flexibility of using SAF allows me to add books when we need them. It's so rewarding to be able to bring in more books requested by students or valuable for our teachers. So, you can look at the latest list and see your Book Fair purchases at work!

The Winners!

On Monday the 2010 winners of the Caldecott Award and the Newbery Award were announced at the midwinter conference of the American Library Association. Here are photos of the book covers along with information quoted from the ALA website:

"The 2010 Caldecott Medal winner is The Lion & the Mouse, illustrated and written by Jerry Pinkney (Little, Brown and Company Books for Young Readers). The screech of an owl, the squeak of a mouse and the roar of a lion transport readers to the Serengeti plains for this virtually wordless retelling of Aesop’s classic fable. In glowing colors, Pinkney’s textured watercolor illustrations masterfully portray the relationship between two very unlikely friends."



"The 2010 Newbery Medal winner is When You Reach Me by Rebecca Stead, published by Wendy Lamb Books, an imprint of Random House Children's Books. Twelve-year-old Miranda encounters shifting friendships, a sudden punch, a strange homeless man and mysterious notes that hint at knowledge of the future. These and other seemingly random events converge in a brilliantly constructed plot."

Our library already has a copy of The Lion and the Mouse which I bought because of a tip from a local bookseller. When I saw it, I really admired the way "the pictures tell the story" (ask your child!) and had a hunch it might win. I hope to share it with Grade 1 students when I figure out the best way to "read" a nearly wordless book!

The Newbery Award is given for writing and a chapter book usually wins. Many times these books are better suited for middle school students, but I decide about adding a title to our collection based on reading it. This book will be challenging to most students but I hope it finds some appreciative readers at Charlestown when it is added to our library (soon!). If you want to read our school's "personal" connection to author Rebecca Stead, make sure you read my newest entry below in the "Books I've Read Recently"section.

Congratulations to the winning illustrators and authors - we all benefit!

Everyone Comes to the Library!

Yes, that is Mrs. Fitts visiting the library in her blue-hair, silver outfit that she wore on Wednesday. As you probably know, it was part of her challenge to encourage donations to the local food bank and it was a great success.

As I said, everyone comes the library. We are so much more than just library classes. There are plenty of students, especially Grade 3 and 4, who come in independently for more books or to work on computer projects. In addition, this week saw:

• an incoming student with her mother as they toured the school with Mrs. Fitts
• two 2nd grade students from Mrs. Rhode's class who taught their classmates how to do AR tests on the computers
• classroom teachers bringing their students to use the SMART Board blocks we built into the library schedule
• Mrs. Mann, librarian from Ashaway School, who visited to discuss library programs and about developing new programs. BTW, I put her to work helping with a library lesson!
• two 4th grade Webelo boys who came to talk to me about one of their badge requirements
• a parent who dropped by to say hello
• lots of students to take AR tests, work on research projects, and more!

I've always thought a library should be the center of a school. I hope students, staff, and families see it that way - I know I do!

Welcome, Miss Bouffard!

If you are around the library and in our school, maybe you will see Miss Rachael Bouffard, a library practicum student from URI-GSLIS (URI - Graduate School of Library and Information Science). The students are getting to know her and she will be spending more and more time doing lessons with them during her 5-6 weeks in our school. Then she will be off to a practicum at the secondary level, but let's not go that far ahead right now!

Miss Bouffard began Monday and has already read to a kindergarten class, co-taught an online catalog lesson with me, and will be doing even more tomorrow. It's great to have someone with fresh ideas and a good approach to digital technology. As any teacher will tell you, being a mentoring teacher is a tremendous learning experience for both mentor and student teacher. I'm looking forward to the next several weeks.


This second photo shows Miss Bouffard sharing a book, Snow Lion, by David McPhail. Mrs. Terluk's afternoon kindergarten students are great listeners. It's obvious that everyone, teacher and students, was really enjoying the read-aloud!