With the arrival of March, I can't help but hope that warm weather is around the corner. March 14th is the beginning of daylight savings time and I am looking forward to longer days. The cold and dark make the days seem so short.
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I can't even believe it is October already. The fall is going by so fast. The library has a very different vibe with desks instead of tables and soft seating. Students have told me it looks like a testing site.
I miss students coming into the library to check out books. At this point I am unable to check books out, but students have access to books online via Sora and digital magazines. I am very pleased that students have all been so respectful and compliant in using masks, hand sanitizer, and wipes. Their use of PPE has certainly made the high school a much safer place. The fall was exceptionally busy in the LMC. We hosted Latin Day, the Thanksgiving Book Feast, and the Warm Up With a Good Book events, in addition to classes visiting the library. Latin Day The Latin Day theme this year was Pompeii and students transformed the library to educate the visiting students from Blake about the time period. It was evident that the Latin students put in a lot of effort to prepare for the event. Warm Up With a Good Book
Students were invited to have a cup of hot cocoa while browsing and selecting new books to check out for the break. The library was a very active place in October. Between students using the computers for Infographics and cartoon strips, students in Grade 11 also enjoyed a performance of The Scarlet Letter. Pictures speak louder than words, so enjoy my photos below.
Last Tuesday the Faculty Book Club met to discuss the book we read during the summer. What Made Maddy Run resonated with all of as Maddy could easily have been one of our students.
Maddy excelled in both academics and sports. Although she enthusiastically entered college, she soon grew very unhappy, yet her social media persona remained upbeat. One of the staff members attending the book discussion suggested that all faculty and staff read this book. I would also like to offer the book to any parents who wold like to read it. We hope that the conversation will continue. Mrs. Alkalay's class enjoyed a book buffet today. The students moved from table to table to look at books from different genres. They later checked out the book they wanted to read.
The LMC has been very active. As always, there are over 200 students in the library before the start of school each day. It is a hopping place before first period!
Library orientation for 9th graders is complete and I hope to see many of the students in the LMC before, during and after school. We have a lot to offer including books in print, magazines, both digital and in print, a copy machine, printers, as well as the maker space. As I mentioned to all of the 9th graders, the LMC is a very student centered place and I always welcome requests for new books, magazines, and items for the maker space. Below are some freshmen having fun completing a scavenger hunt to locate areas and items in the LMC. Time passes much too quickly. The LMC was a hopping place throughout the year. I always take photos of events that occur in the library, but sometimes forget to post them. We hosted the English classes in December before the winter break. We served hot chocolate and set up displays for students to browse new books in the collection. Café Read a Latte was held in March to celebrate Read Across America. This year author Matt de la Pena spoke to the students at two assemblies on Friday and students enjoyed a meet and greet with him. The students enjoyed the visit and the goodies and the fund raiser was very successful.
All English classes were invited to visit the library during the Monday and Tuesday before Thanksgiving to have a snack and look at the new books in the library. It is my hope that students will find the time to read during the winter holiday break. The students all had a good time and many books were checked out.I recently read an article in School Library Journal by Karen Jensen with the above title. It caught my eye since the high school is now a 1:1 school and students rely on their electronic devices much more.
Many students use their devices for both research and recreational reading. There are students who still check out print books and enjoy the feel of a book in their hands, but reading habits have definitely changed. That being said, with books that are checked out, Ms. Jensen states, "There is no information about what the patron did with the item, or if that item made any impact on personal growth, education, or recreation." To read the entire article click here. |