Oakdale

Sorry for posting three in a row.  I just want to share a little known but fabulous website.  Please visit wegivebooks.org to read children's books online.  If you are lucky enough to have a projector hooked up to a computer in your media center, you can read stories to students with the book projected on the screen.  They have some great books.  And even better, they give away books every time one is read online.

I have used some of the following with my classes:

Miss Rumphius
The Snowy Day
Little Dog Lost
Hope for Haiti
Big Red Lollipop
Snowmen at Night

Call me and I will tell you how to get past the firewall that you will encounter as you login.


Tami
ext. 68959
(I work Monday, Wednesday and Friday)

Oakdale Elementary

At Oakdale, our students enjoy comfy, little reading nooks.  Previously in this area, we had a 'beach', with wooden adirondak chairs, and 'ocean' and a 'palm tree'.  The chairs were dying a slow death.  So, out with the old, in with the new.  We created a 'READERS' CAFE'.  We were going for a hip 'Starbucks' type of vibe.  A parent made and donated the window cling. The rug came from funds from our book fair.  Our students LOVE hanging our and reading here.  This is in addition to our 'castle' area (see previous post) and a little area with a rug and three bean bag chairs.

Creating these nooks is a challenge given the restrictions from the Fire Marshall, but we think we have accomplished it!

Oakdale Elementary

Media Module 7 is all about making the library attractive, inviting and user friendly.  Lesson 1, Assignment 2 requires posting a photo to the blog of a current bulletin board or display in your library.  We are posting this photo of the wall just outside of the main entrance to our media center.  We were asked to hang the Ken Garff banner and thought we would make it more attractive to the students by adding something fun and colorful.  We chose to use cars (duh!) that looked like they were racing.  We used GIANT letters (available at the ISC) and bright colors.  It is much more attention grabbing than the plain old banner, if we do say so ourselves!

Oakdale

Bella Vista Book Reviews: The Year of Goodbyes & Press Here

The Year of Goodbyes: A True Story of Friendship, Family and Farewells
by Debbie Levy
Mrs. Allison's Rating:  5 out of 5 stars
This week  in the library, we are kicking off the Beehive Book Club for the year. This non-fiction Beehive Nominee in Poetry for 2012-13 caught my interest and is a quick read.  I am very glad I read it. The content is age appropriate for older elementary school students (4th-6th grade and older) and educates them on what it would be like to be a child with family and friends all experiencing the changes from a wonderful, prosperous life in Germany to becoming despised, rejected and harmed...just for being Jewish.  At one point in the book, Jutta's family has a chance to leave Germany and come to America to live with relatives, but will they be able to leave before the Nazis capture them? I was on the edge of my seat as I read this book, wondering who would be saying good bye to whom, not wanting dear Jutta (Yu-tah) or her family and friends to be affected by the Nazis, yet all of them were, to one degree or another.

This book is a compilation of the entries in Jutta's poesiealbum (po-eh-Zee ALbum), a poetry album. From the late 1800s to the 1930s children enjoyed their poesiealbums and would let their friends write and draw in them. The book also includes Jutta's feelings and experiences as a 12 year old Jewish girl living in Germany in 1938 under the Nazi occupation. Debbie Levy, author of the book, is Jutta's daughter. She capably shares her mother's experiences from a time in history that, hopefully will never be forgotten or repeated.

With the Thanksgiving holiday just around the corner, reading this book will bring reason to reflect on our lives as Americans living in the 21st century.  We have much to be thankful for.


Something else to be thankful for are books like Press Here by Herve Tullet. This book has already been targeted by students as the most popular Beehive Nominee for 2012-13.  More copies have been ordered to keep up with demand at the Bella Vista Library.  This book is what I call, "out of the box."  An unexpected, unpredictable surprise of a book that educates through its pages yet it seems more like a toy than a book. Students will have fun following directions, including left and right, counting and seeing what pressing their finger "here" will lead to next. Another 5 out of 5 stars book, in my opinion.                        

Press Here is a book for Kindergarten - Third, though older grades enjoy reading this picture book too.

Halloween at Butler

We had a Literary Pumpkin Decorating Contest and invited students and their families to enter a pumpkin decorated after a book they had read.
Here are some of the amazing entries. Can you guess which books these characters are from?

Oakdale 6th graders are awesome!

QUACK OPEN A GOOD BOOK is our logo this year.

Draper Elementary

In April we celebrated National Library Month. This year the theme was Experiment With a Book, so we talked about scientists. We read Meet Einstein by Mariela the K- 2^nd grade made their own light-catcher. We had flash cards on the wall of pictures of things that scientists would use. We had the students see if they knew what a scientist would use them for and then turn it over to find out if the students were right.  The next book that we talked about was Now & Ben by Gene Barretta. What he had invented and what they are like today.  Each student received a book mark and a reading chart. As soon as the students had finished the chart and brought it back, they received a free paperback book. We were able to gave away 457 books this year. The students had a lot of fun with this theme this year.

Library After School Programs at Butler

Before we sign off for the 2011-2012 school year, we thought we'd share the slide show from our year of after school library programs.  Our goal for these programs was to provide literature based activities that promote a love of reading and the adventure of learning in the library.  We did one per month plus a couple extra and registered anywhere from 25-65 students per program depending on the activity.  Our SCC generously helped fund the programs so they could be free to all students.  These were a ton of fun and a huge hit.  

We've enjoyed everyone's blog posts and got lots of great ideas for next year.  We are always looking for something new to try out.  

Have a great summer!

Ali and Debbie
Butler Elementary

This free slideshow design made with Smilebox

Sprucewood Golden Shelf Elf Award

Golden Shelf Elf Award

Each week we present a class with the Golden Shelf Elf Award for demonstrating the best observance of our library rules.   The award consists of a “Shelf Elf” to display in their classroom for a week and a brand new book for their classroom library.  (Books are donated from local companies.) Each child is also given a small individual reward of a bookmark or pencil. In the library the teacher’s name and class is posted on the Shelf Elf Award Poster so all can see.

Titanic Sinks at Butler Elementary

Butler Elementary had a lot of fun with the Titanic. That is a paradox!

 To celebrate the 100th Anniversary, we made a huge Titanic bulletin board and asked the students to draw what they could see looking inside a Titanic porthole.

We gathered many Titanic books and left them on tables so the whole school could read them. During library story time, we read a simple version of the Titanic Sinking and then had the children don some props and read the history of six of the people on the Titanic including Captain Smith, Molly Brown, a member of the band, etc.

 There is a great interest in the Titanic which even includes Kindergartners.

OAKDALE ELEMENTARY

We put together one of our Media Modules.A display of books with "ABC" books,

"Counting " books, and "Wordless" books.

Oakdale Elementary

At Oakdale, we asked teachers to share a favorite word along with any comments on that word. We posted these on the wall. (On the back of the card, we have the definition and the comments.) At the beginning of each class library time, we spotlight a couple of the words. The kids have loved it and have even voluneteered their own favorite words. This has been a fun to enhance the vocabulary of the students (and us)!

Draper Elementary Media Center

In March we did space experiments that went along with theme for the year. We used the book
A True Book Space Experiments by Salvatore Tocci. The first experiment was hitting the target. The students sat on a spinning chair and tried to hit a small bucket with a paper ball. The second experiment was testing reaction time. The students used a yard stick and tried to catch it before it hit the floor. If you could grab the yard stick at six inches you would be a good astronaut.


The third experiment measuring body changes. Students measure there calf with a string and then they lay on the floor with there legs on the wall and stay that way for three minutes and then they remeasure there calf to see if there calf was the same size.

The students had alot of fun with the experiments.

100th Anniversary of the sinking of the RMS TITANIC

April 15, 2012 is the 100th anniversary of the sinking of the Titanic. We want the children at Bell View to remember the 1500 people who died on the Titanic so many years ago. We have set up a display of our Titanic books and used pictures cut from the most recent National Geographic magazine for visuals. We will be reading the book T is for Titanic by Debbie and Michael Shoulders to the children throughout the week.

This is an important piece of history that we feel should never be forgotten.

Bell View Elementary

Dr. Seuss Event Butler Elementary

Serious Seuss Silliness

In honor of Dr. Seuss' birthday this month (and the new movie The Lorax), we had a Dr. Seuss celebration after school. We read a book, had birthday cake, and played games such as Hop on Pop balloon relay and Happy Birthday to You Cake Walk. We also had a funny Cat in the Hat photo booth and a You Can Read rhyming and art station. It was great fun.

During the school days we've spent time talking about Dr. Seuss' writing style and the life lessons he teaches us through his wacky words and illustrations. The Lorax (though hard to read to many classes in a day!) has really been a favorite with the new movie. There are lots of great "color your own" bookmarks, word finds, games, and other free printables on-line.

We are LUCKY to Have Favorite Books to Read at Bella Vista

Sometimes the best way to find a good book to read is finding out what peers enjoy reading. Adults ask their friends, so do teens, and children too! Mrs Allison and Mrs Wilson just want to help make it a little easier to find out what peers are reading. Class lists of students favorite books are posted on the windows of the library. Maybe students will get lucky and find a book or two or MORE on the lists that they want to read!

How the favorite books lists were compiled:

First, we used two holidays, Valentine's Day and St. Patrick's Day, which makes it more fun for everyone involved. We collected the students favorite book titles the week of Valentine's Day with a large Valentine box in the library with hearts decorated on it with the saying, "Bella Vista Students Love to Read Books!" Each student wrote down his/her favorite book and put it in the Valentine's box. Since then, Mrs Allison and Mrs Wilson have compiled lists of the favorite books in order of classes and put them on the front windows of the library with the saying,"We are LUCKY to have favorite books to read!" Shamrocks are taped up on the windows and green paper is placed behind the class lists of books to add a festive touch. It is fun to use two holidays to create a new way to help students gain more interest in reading. The students favorite books class lists are also in a Book Lists binder in the library with Teachers Favorites, Newberys, Caldecott lists, etc. for students to access as well.

Graphic Novels, The Trend

The Most Requested Book at Bella Vista Elementary!

A Graphic Novel is a story depicted in comic strip form. Graphic novels are very popular with elementary school ages children, especially 3rd through 6th graders.

One day a 5th grader was checking a book in to the LMC. I hadn't read the book yet so I asked her about it. She enjoyed reading the book so much she spent her entire recess explaining the storyline to me. She has read the book numerous times. Come to find out, other students are "obsessed" with this book as well.

Smile by Raina Telgemeier is a graphic novel based on a true story that happened to the author when she was a girl. She had an accident that caused one of her front teeth to fall out. The other front tooth went up inside her gum. She went through visit after visit to the dentist, endodontist and orthodontist. In the mean time, she was also experiencing the growing pains and social struggles common to students in middle school and high school.

This book was introduced in Bella Vista's LMC the week in January that we had only 2 1/2 days of school. By the end of this short week, 15 students had requested this book! Almost daily, we have at least one or two more students request this book. We have purchased several more copies to keep up with demand. We have also suggested our teachers purchase copies for their classrooms. We are thrilled to have a book that captures the interest of so many students.

Draper Elementary Media Center

In February we did the Power Point on Biography and talk about scientist to go a long with it.

Were Early Computers Really the Size of a School Bus? And other questions about Invention. By Kops , Deborah.  To go along with the theme for the year. The students really enjoy seeing if they know the answer.

For Kindergarten we did a lot of fun books and activates.

(1)    If you give a mouse a cookie by Numeroff, Laura Joffe. Then ask the students what they would do if we gave them a cookie and gave them one.

(2)    Diary of a spider by Cronin, Doreen. Then talked about the days of the weeks and gave them a diary for a week.

(3)    Rainbow Fish by Pfister, Marcus. Talk about friendship and gave them a coloring picture. You can find a lot of coloring pages for rainbow fish on line.