Welcome to the 2009-2010 school year! We are off to a great start. Major improvements were made to the library over the summer. The threadbare old carpeting was removed and replaced with a lovely new carpet. The walls and ceiling were also given a new coat of paint. Many wonderful new books were ordered for all to enjoy. Our beautiful library now has a fresh, new look!
First library contest of the year
Our first competition of the year was in recognition of Constitution Day (September 17th). Students were asked to spell at least five words using only the letters in the word Constitution. Every paper that listed five or more correctly spelled words was entered in a drawing for a stuffed animal. Second grader Odin was the winner. Fifth grader Kylah also won a prize for having the longest list of words–38 in all! Congratulations to both of our winners!
Orientation sessions for grades 2-6
September is always a busy month in the library. Each class in grades 2 through 6 visited the library at least twice for orientation sessions. Different concepts and skills are emphasized at every grade.
- Grade 2: Students review alphabetical order (first letter only) and practice finding and re-shelving picture books.
- Grade 3: Students review alphabetical order (first three letters) and practice finding books in the Early Fiction section.
- Grade 4: Students review parts of a book (author, title, publisher, verso page, and copyright date) and practice finding books in the Early Fiction and Fiction sections. The online public access catalog (OPAC) is introduced. The students practice using OPAC to find the call number for a specific title and then find the book.
- Grade 5: Students review the organization of the library and practice finding books in the Early Fiction and Fiction sections. They also practice locating information in OPAC records (author, Lexile measure/reading level, and call number).
- Grade 6: Students review the organization of the library and how to use OPAC. They also practice finding books in the Early Fiction, Fiction, and Nonfiction sections.
Estimation Contest
Our second competition of the year was an estimation contest. There were 831 pieces of a jigsaw puzzle in the estimation jar. Second grader George and fifth grader Kamen tied with the closest estimate. Their guess was 800 pieces. Congratulation, George and Kamen!
Open House Book Raffle
The library’s annual Open House Book Raffle was a big success! Twenty-three lucky students won the raffle books. They are kindergartners Emily, Eric, Kamber, Libby, Sean, and Trent; first graders Jasmyn, Juliana, Kailyn, and Korey; second graders Libby, Oriah, and Victoria; third graders Isaiah and Mike; fourth graders Jackie, Justine, Kelli, Khaalid, and Michael; fifth grader Aimee; and sixth graders Matt and Teyonya. Congratulations to all our winners! And thank you to all who participated in our annual book raffle.