Happy National Library Month!

What better month to relaunch this blog than National Library Month!  We've had lots of activity going on in the library in the past month.

The Foot Bone is Connected to the Ankle Bone...

If an alien had just landed from outer space what would it want to know about the human body?  Third grade students brainstormed some questions to guide their research about human body parts.  In addition to learning science content about the human body, students practiced information literacy skills by taking notes using key words and phrases (rather than complete sentences); learned to organize their information using color coding; and cited their sources.  A big thank you goes out to the many parents who volunteered their time to come in and lend a helping hand to students who needed assistance.  Students used their research to write a report and create an accompanying project at home.   

Stormy Weather...

Three of the four second grades came in to research various types of weather including snow, lightning, wind, sunshine, fog, and rain. (The other second grade will come in after vacation).  They read brief nonfiction books to build background knowledge about their topic, and then went back and took notes on the important information.  They used special note taking sheets in the shape of their type of weather (snowflakes for snow, raindrops for rain, etc.).   They then used their note taking sheets to make a weather mobile.  This project was intended as a quick and fun beginning research project to give students practice in taking notes and writing a simple citation with author and title information.

Story time ...

The first grade students have been in to hear some Spring time stories (Kite Day by Will Hillenbrand, Stuck by Olive Jeffers, and Flip Flap Fly by Phyllis Root). During another visit, they were asked to compare and contrast two stories about hens (Emma's Eggs by Margriet Ruurs and The Easter Egg Artists by Mary Jane Auch.  In honor of National Library Week, we read Our Library by Eve Bunting, and heard about a true story called The Boy Who Harnessed the Wind by William Kamkwamba.   

Meet the Author:  Mo Willems

Kindergarten students learned a song about what authors and illustrators do, and then heard about books by author and illustrator Mo Willems.  They watched this brief video in which Mo Willems talks about his books for kids who don't know how to read yet:

Students might enjoy this website featuring the characters from Mo Willems books and some fun games to play: Meet Mo Friends!

     

Great Stone Face Winner Announced!

There were no surprises this year when the Great Stone Face winner was announced - this book goes out of the library as soon as it is returned!  Diary of a Wimpy Kid by Jeff Kinney won overwhelmingly both at our school and for the entire state! Coming in second at Maple Street was Elephant Run by Roland Smith, and in third place was Skullduggery Pleasant by Derek Landy.

Literary Lunch - Feast on Great Stone Face Books!

Last week wrapped up another successful season of Literary Lunches - an annual event where students and staff shared the joy of reading aloud and being read to!  Each week during the month of March, students were invited to come to the library during their lunch and their lunch recess to listen to books from the Great Stone Face Award List.  Students love to hear staff members read aloud, and certainly were enthralled by the special voices and accents that certain talented staff members possessed!

Twenty-five chapter books are nominated for the Great Stone Face Award each year, and it is up to New Hampshire students in grades 4-6 to vote for the winner.  Voting at the Maple Street School will take place on Tuesday April 14,  during National Library Week. 

The fourth and final week, we had special guest readers from the Harold Martin School.  The fourth graders particularly enjoyed seeing their friends from their "old" school.  Special thanks to Mr. Carozza, Mrs. Emerson, Mrs. Scammon, Mrs. Wilder, and Mrs. Pond for taking the time to join us.  The Children's Librarian from the Hopkinton Town Library, Mrs. Maynard,  also joined in the fun! 

A big thank you goes out to our MSS staff readers - Mrs. Roberts, Mr. Stokes, Mrs. Follansbee, Mrs. Bewersdorf, Mrs. Duncan, Mrs. Aubertin, Mr. Alberici, Mrs. Jacques, and Mr. Bessette  - and to Mrs. Raymond who coordinates the event.  

Love Your Library!

I was pleasantly surprised one morning to find a box of beautifully handcrafted bookmarks sitting on my desk.  The bookmarks were created and generously donated by students in Mrs. Roberts' fourth grade and Mrs. Follansbee's sixth grade class.  

The bookmarks were displayed in the library for two weeks, and then students and staff were invited to choose one to keep.  Thank you to 4R and 6F for your thoughtfulness ... we heard many awesome remarks of appreciation as people admired your handiwork! 

Web 2.0 Revisited/The Power of Twitter

In addition to implementing a new library software system at our elementary libraries this year,  another professional goal for me was to learn how to use some Web 2.0 tools.  I knew the library software conversion would be time consuming, so my plan was to use a few Web 2.0 tools; think about ways they could be used to enhance student learning; and really put them into practice next year.  I've dabbled with blogging, podcasting, and with social networking.  I have learned so much, and somewhere along this journey, the way I learn has changed.

One of the biggest surprises for me, and the one that has impacted my professional learning the most has been Twitter.   Twitter has allowed me to make connections with other professionals across the country, and the world.  Some are fellow library media specialists (or teacher librarians as they are referred to in other areas), public librarians, technology professionals, teachers, college professors, administrators, authors, publishers, etc.  This has allowed me to form a PLN (Personal Learning Network) larger and more diverse than would otherwise be available to me.  If two heads are better than one, how incredible is having all these heads to help me?  In 140 characters or less (which is all Twitter allows people to post at one time), my PLN keeps me informed of great web resources, new technology, best practices in education and in the world of libraries, current events/breaking news, and links to blog posts that challenge my thinking on a daily basis.  In a nutshell, Twitter (along with other web 2.0 tools), has changed my world.    

New Library Catalog Now Available!

One of our biggest tasks at the library this year has been to transition from our old, outdated library software to a new library automation system from Follett called Destiny.  In November, we prepared our library data for the conversion.  In December, the library staff underwent a two day intensive training to learn to use the new program.  As part of the conversion process, we took an inventory of library items, scanning as many barcodes as possible.  This converted any barcode numbers that needed it to the new system.

One of the advantages of the new system is that it is web-based, meaning it is available 24 hours a day/seven days a week from school or at home.  It is possible to search for materials in just one of the school libraries, or in both elementary libraries, or all the schools at once. 

We are excited that the new catalog includes book cover art - a feature that gives this catalog more visual appeal.  For those of you who prefer a more "Google" looking search, you might want to click on Destiny Quest.  Destiny Quest also includes a list of the Top Ten items checked out from the library, as well as New Arrivals.  The new software allows students to rate books, write reviews, compile lists, and generate citations.  These are just a few of the new features, which are too numerous to mention here.

  

We are still tweaking the program, but you can click here to start using it.  We will be teaching students, staff, and parents how to use the new library catalog program soon.

 

NH Ladybug Award Winner Announced!

The ballots have been tallied, and this year's favorite Ladybug Award book among New Hampshire students in preschool through grade three is .... When Dinosaurs Came with Everything written by Elise Broach and illustrated by David Small.  The winning book received 3,344 of the 19,518 votes that were cast.  Click on this link to view the 2008 Results Flyer from the Center for the Book at the New Hampshire State Library.

The winning book at the Harold Martin School was Duck at the Door, with The Wizard coming in second, and When Dinosaurs Came with Everything in third place.  Here are the winners by classroom:

Preschool - Duck at the Door

Blanchard AM - The Wizard

Blanchard PM - tied between The Perfect Nest and  Woolbur

Boyko AM - The Wizard

Boyko PM - The Perfect Nest

1F - Would I Ever Lie to You?

1K - tied between Duck at the Door and Bebe Goes Shopping

1N - Duck at the Door 

1P - Bebe Goes Shopping

2H - When Dinosaurs Come with Everything

2L - tied between Dog Needs a Bone and The Perfect Nest

2W - tied between When Dinosaurs Came with Everything and Help

2Y - Woolbur

3G - Duck at the Door

3J - Woolbur

3T - The Wizard