Summer break!

It is meant to be a time of resting for teachers and students.  However, many elementary teachers do not just sit back and not think about the next school year!  We surf the Pinterest pages, Internet, Facebook pages and blogs for ideas, helps, and curriculum supplements.  We attend professional development meetings and required training sessions.  We start planning for the first week of school which is so critically important to the overall classroom environment throughout the year.  As librarians, we research books, make lists for purchases, re-arrange material, and possibly weed out old, out-dated texts or items students have shown no interest in or checked out EVER!  Many work a part-time job to help supplement family income.  We share our opinions on everything from politics to religion to education on Facebook, blogs and other social media.

There are so many things we do during the summer and many opinions about it.  This is just a reminder to seek mental and emotional peace during this brief 6 week period.  Take time for yourself and your family.  That is more important than anything else.  If you just continue running the wheel like a hamster, your system will rebel and you will get sick sooner or later.  Studies prove that!  Affirm yourself and pray/meditate in silence.  Just be.  And reap the long term rewards for it!

I will stop preaching now and follow my own advice!

Review is upon us!

We are busy reviewing in the library.

In addition, 5th grade has started studying World War II in Social Studies.  I am discussing the Holocaust and reading Roberto Innocenti's picture book, Rose Blanche.

As part of this unit, the student's are asked to consider the little girl who is the main character in the book.  What did she think, feel, do, etc.?  As an outlet to express their thoughts, students are asked to create an acrostic poem using "Rose Blanche" and include these thoughts, etc., in the poem.

Many sites are available on the internet to study the Holocaust.  I told the students I would make available some of the links.

The first site and most appropriate for this age group is http://www.theholocaustexplained.org/ks3/#.VSWP-tzF9M4

Others are:

http://www.historyplace.com/worldwar2/holocaust/timeline.html

http://www.historylearningsite.co.uk/holocaust.htm

http://www.history.org.uk/resources/secondary_resource_1140,1149_11.html

http://www.history.com/topics/world-war-ii/the-holocaust

http://www.ushmm.org/learn/students

Whew! First month of school. . .

We are at the end of the first month of the 2014-2015 school year here at TDS.  When we come back from the Labor Day holiday, our library will be using new software for circulation.  You can access our library from anywhere now!  After we are trained, I will post information or send it home in a newsletter for parents to be able to see what we have in our library!

A newsletter should be coming home soon giving parents all kinds of digital resources information.  Our students have access to many tools to help them succeed such as Moby Max and Khan Academy.  Parents can track student AR use by going to our Home Connect account.

Soon I will be starting to participate in Volunteer State Book Awards (VSBA).  This is sponsored by Tennessee Association of School Librarians (TASL).  Your student may talk about voting on books and this will be what the student is talking about.

End of the year!

Wow! I cannot believe we are nearing the end of the school year.

The last 6 weeks of school is very busy for our library.

After TCAP (state standardized testing) is completed, we are having our book fair in the library.  Book fair dates are Monday, May 5 through Friday, May 9.  Times open will be 7:30 AM to 3:30 PM.

The book fair will be open during Field Day on Friday, May 9!

Visit the book fair online page at http://bookfairs.scholastic.com/homepage/thediscoveryschool.

The last day to check out books for the 2013-2014 school year will be May 14.  All books should be returned no later than May 19.  Lost or damaged books must be paid for before picking up the report card.

Look who came to the TDS book fair!

Mildred the mummy and Queen T made appearances at the TDS book fair this week!

Book Fair!

Our Book Fair is on its way!!!

Monday, December 2 through Friday, December 6.

Family Night is Thursday, December 5 until 6:30.

Regular hours of operation are 7:30 to 3:30.

Place: In the library!

You can purchase books online through our online homepage.

 http://bookfairs.scholastic.com/homepage/thediscoveryschool

Tweeting about books

I offered 2nd through 5th graders the opportunity to "Tweet About Books" for other students. I asked them to write the title and author of a book they think other students should read on a post-it-note. The recommendations were glued on the door display for other students to view and take the advice on what next to read.  The students were happy to complete this activity.