Books!

I'm going to have very happy readers when they see the latest book order!  😄

The Library

The library

I took a picture of the library today and I totally love it!  I love the view.  I love the plants.   I love the light.  I'm so happy we have such a beautiful space to explore and learn.  

Reading

Look at all these quiet readers in the library! This is our quiet reading area and they are doing a great job!

I'm trying to cozy up my reading corner.

My "NEW" sign fell down and a helpful first grader put it back up for me.  :)

Acceptable Use

As part of our Digital Citizenship curriculum, the 5th graders this week learned about the Hartford School District's Acceptable Use of Technology Policy.  The policy covers what is allowed, and not allowed, on HSD computers, devices, and networks.  We reviewed it as a class, answered questions as they arose, and then each student signed a copy stating that they understood and agreed to use HSD technology appropriately.

Copies will be sent home with students next week so they can share with parents.  It's important for everyone to be aware of the expectations since more and more school work is being done online these days, both in school and at home.

Please let me know if you have any questions.

Online Safety and Rings of Responsibility

Between the books and the blocks we will also be spending time this year talking Internet safety and how to be a good digital citizen.

This week the second graders took a virtual field trip to the San Diego Zoo.  We learned about mammals, watched live animals on the "animal cams," and looked at frogs up close.  Before our "trip" we talked about how to stay safe while on a field trip and the kids had lots of great suggestions, such as staying with the group, listening to the teacher, and sitting down on the bus.  Then we talked about being safe online for our "virtual field trip".  We talked about asking before going online, talking to an adult about what site you want to visit, and how to tell if a video is appropriate to watch.

When we were done with our field trip the kids each drew a picture of what they liked best.  If you have a chance, please ask your child about it and reiterate the importance of going to safe, appropriate places online.

If you'd like to further this learning at home, check out this activity sheet from Common Sense Media.

Going Places Safely Online activity sheet



Third graders learned about the "Rings of Responsibility" and discussed different ways to be responsible for yourself, your friends and family, and your community.  We talked about brushing your teeth, eating a healthy breakfast, feeding your pets, listening to your parents, being kind to your friends, picking up litter in the community, and helping your neighbor mow their lawn, and much more.  Then we moved the concept online and talked about how to be responsible for your self (by selecting appropriate websites, for example), and your family (by not sharing your address online, for example), and your online community (by being kind and considerate in online communications).  If you'd like to further this learning at home, check out this activity sheet from Common Sense Media.

Rings of Responsibility activity sheet

Schedules

Now that the kids are taking books home, I thought it would be good to post a reminder about the library schedule so you know when the books have to come back.  :)  Students have library once a week, and books should be brought back each week.  Books are technically checked out for two weeks, so kids have time to finish reading a book, but they won't be able to check out another book until they've brought their first one back. 

Here are the days each class has library:

Kindergarden:
Mrs. Rydjeski's class is Monday
Mrs. Shultz's class is Friday

1st Grade:
Mrs. Burriss' class is Monday
Mrs. Raney's class is Tuesday

2nd Grade:
Both classes come on Thursday

3rd Grade:
Mrs. Vielleux's class is Thursday
Mrs. Pfeiffer's class is Friday

4th Grade:
4Blue is Thursday
4Red is Friday

5th Grade:
Mr. Burns' class is Monday
Mrs. McKenney's class is Friday

A great start to the year!

We've had a great start to the school year here at the DBS library.  We reviewed what it means to be Caring, Safe, and Responsible in the library; we read some "library" stories and "back to school" stories; and this week the kids all got to check out books to take home!  They were pretty excited for that!  I had more than one kindergardener ask to "buy" a book, and one sweet little boy even wanted to "buy" a book for his little sister. 

I have been surprised and pleased with how many kids now how to use the online catalog system to find books they are looking for.  We talked a lot about the importance of putting books back where they belong so the next person who tries to find  the book can!  Everyone agreed that it's very frustrating and disappointing to not be able to find the book, even if the catalog says it should be on the shelf.  One very persistent student searched ALL of the shelves and eventually found the book he was looking for, even though it definitely wasn't in the right place!  It made for a great example of the importance of putting books back.

In addition to books and reading, the kids got to build with KEVA blocks and create in the art corner.  There is lots to do in the library!

Towers and ball races and drawing, oh my!

Open House

It was great meeting so many of you at Open House tonight.  I wasn't sure what to expect in the library, but I loved how many people stopped by!  The children were excited to show their parents the books and the fish and the cozy reading corner.  Thank you all for visiting. 

Dorothy Canfield Fisher book awards

Dothan Brook Schools participates in the Dorothy Canfield Fisher book awards each year. According to Wikipedia:

The Dorothy Canfield Fisher Children's Book Award annually recognizes one new American children's book selected by the vote of Vermont schoolchildren. ... The award is co-sponsored by the Vermont State PTA and the Vermont Department of Libraries and named after the Vermont writer Dorothy Canfield Fisher. Each spring a committee of eight adults selects a "Master List" of 30 books first published during the previous calendar year. Next spring, those children who have read at least five of the 30 books are eligible to vote for the award. The winning writer is invited to visit Vermont to speak with children about the experience of writing for children. Read more on Wikipedia or the Vermont Department of Libraries website

We have all of this year's nominees in the library and I will be talking about them with fourth and fifth graders. Please encourage your child to give them a try! I'll have a brochure for them to use to track which books they've read and what they thought of them.

This year the Dorothy Canfield Fisher Committee has also put up a blog for students to track which books they have read and discuss them with other student readers. Check it out! It's also a great place to go for a quick description of each book.

New books

Welcome back to school. So many smiling faces and eager learners! I was excited to receive my first delivery of new books last week and I've slowly been getting them all into the cataloging system and on the shelves. Did you know that you can see what's new any time by going to the Library catalog website? See the books that have been added recently. Check back frequently because I'm always adding new ones! Let me know what books you'd like to see in the library!