NOVEMBER NOTES

WOW! WOW! WOW!

Here's to our heroes....DIONNE FAJARDO,ERIN ROSS, ANNE DOWLING, and ALL THE PARENT VOLUNTEERS who helped make our annual bookfair so successful.

A BIG THANK YOU to all the teachers, staff, parents, and students who supported this wonderful event with their visits and purchases...look in the mirror and the heroes are YOU!

While the book fair was in progress, lots of activity was happening in the library...
FIRST GRADERS experienced the thrill and history making of the first moon landing. They read out loud the book Man on the Moon by Anastasia Suen and discussed thrust, craters on the moon, Mike Collins, Buzz Aldrin, Neil Armstrong, the Columbia, and the Eagle. Next week they will do a reader's theater of this book and each will have a roll to act out. They also will see the actual footage of this great event on video streaming.

SECOND GRADERS were introduced to the Festivals of theWorld book series. This set of informational books introduces young readers to the festivals and cultures of some of the most fascinating countries in the world. Easy, step-by-step instructions for creating a craft and preparing a food item add to the fun and provide the basics for a do-it-yourself festival.
They also read a true story from Colombia, entitled Biblioburro by Jeanette Winter. This biography is based on the inspiring life of Luis Soriano and his devoted burro team who travel far and wide to bring treasured books to eager children in the remote villages of rural Colombia.
Since the students are studying South America, this fit right along with their current curriculum.
Luis started with a collection of 70 books in the year 2000 and it has grown to over 4,800, mostly from donations. Now the Biblioburro travels to the hills every weekend. Three hundred people, more or less, look forward to borrowing the books Luis brings. A small corner of the world is enriched.....all because of one person.

FIFTH GRADE STUDENTS discussed the Newbery Medal winner Betsy Byars, who is the author of many books dealing with the realistic problems of today's young people. All of her books deal with children placed in difficult situations. She won the Newbery Medal for The Summer of the Swans, the story of a girl named Sara and her retarded brother, Charlie. All of her books were on display for the students who also saw a video interview of her explaining how she uses characters in her works.
Congratulations to Sam. Kayelin. Michelle, Caya, Kim and Chayton for their book commercials and skits. All fifth graders are invited to present one during the entire year.

THIRD GRADE STUDENTS worked with their partners and searched the non-fiction shelves to find books located in all 10 categories of the Dewey Decimal System. They wrote down call numbers, authors names and discussed with their partners the subject of each book they selected. They did an awesome job with this lesson and were rewarded a million dollar reader scratch 'n sniff bookmark...Way to Go third graders!

KINDERGARTEN STUDENTS discussed characters, setting, photographer, several different ways to eat eggs, fiction, and non-fiction books as they heard two farm stories this week. One was entitled Tillie Lays An Egg by Terry Golson, an adventure of a hen who does not want to wait her turn to lay her eggs and does not want to stay cooped up all day. The students had fun locating some of the unlikeliest of places at the Little Pond Farm where Tillie lays her eggs.
The second story entitled The Fox and the Hen by Eric Battut took them on an adventure with Henrietta Hen who lays her first egg and trades it to the crafty Red Fox who offers her a tasty, juicy worm. When Henrietta finds out that her egg is destined for Fox's table, Henrietta and her friends must find a way to get the precious egg back. The students compared both books and discussed the terms fiction and non-fiction. Just ask any K student to explain the difference to you.

In Jr. K students discussed imagination as they heard the story entitled Little Library Mouse by Stephanie Lisa Tara. At closing time a key locks the library, and unlocks the dreams of a little mouse who waits in the shadows. Skipping, sliding, down the pages of books-he steps inside magical stories, inviting readers to come along for the ride. Witty verse and fantastical illustrations celebrate the joys of reading in this tale with innovative charm.

The Alpha students discussed the seasons of the year and to celebrate the author's November 9th birthday enjoyed Lois Ehlert's book Red Leaf, Yellow Leaf. They also went on an adventure with the famous turtle character, Franklin in Franklin's Library Book by Sharon Jennings.

"A BOUNTY OF BOOKS"

HAPPY NOVEMBER!

Have you ever gone food shopping with your child? In first grade students discovered a new grocery store in The Witches' Supermarket by Susan Meddaugh. If you want to know some of the things they sell, just ask your child...or stop by and check out the book yourself.

Everyone has heard of Cinderella...but have you ever heard of Cinderella Skeleton by Robert D. San Souci? The students in second grade listened to this version and made comparisons. They also played a "matching bone" contest and earned a scratch and sniff bookmark.

Students in K discussed trick-or-treating before hearing the story entitled Ghost and Pete by Dayle Ann Dodds. In this book, Pete and his new friend Ghost go out on Halloween, but Ghost can't remember what to say. After the lesson they discussed the lessons learned which involved manners and sharing. They also left the library with a bouncy ghost decoration to color and remind them of this story.

In celebration of Steven Kellogg's birthday, October 26, the students in Jr. K saw a display of his wonderful books and heard The Mystery of the Flying Orange Pumpkin. They used their prediction skills to solve this mystery, too.

Third graders worked with partners to locate books in all 10 categories of the Dewey Decimal System. They saw an i-movie about the different sections and then set off to work. Other information they needed was the call number, author's name, and a description of the subject matter of the books. By working together cooperative learning took place and they had fun, especially when the reward was a mystery scratch & sniff book mark...Who knows how dirt smells??

Alpha students enjoyed the story of Anancy and the Haunted House by Richardo Keens-Douglas. Anancy, in this "haunted house" tale, is at times generous and greedy, foolish but wise, and both timid and brave. He teaches us that there is strength in numbers.

The annual SHORECREST BOOK FAIR will be held in the Student Activity Center & Theater Lobby on Nov.8- Nov.11. See you there!

Another great big thank you to all of our library volunteers. They have helped the children find books, return them, check them out and shelf them. We could not do these jobs without them. Jodi Gayoso has been working hard at keeping the busy times filled with parents. We do appreciate all of your help. WE LOVE YOU!!

HAPPY OCTOBER!!!

Students in Grade 1 shared books by Shel Silverstein (BD Sept. 25) and reviewed the life of Johnny Appleseed (BD-Sept 26). They also enjoyed the book entitled The Apple Doll by Elisa Kleven. In this story Lizzy is scared to start school, so she makes a doll out of an apple from her favorite tree to take with her on the first day and keep her company. Students were given instructions for making their own apple doll, if they would like to do so in the future.

In 2nd Grade students discussed folk tales, fairy tales, and tall tales. To honor Shel Silverstein's September birthday they read Runny Babbit, a billy sook. This book was completed before the author's death in 1999 and was a work in progress for over twenty years.

In Jr. K students heard the story entitled Library Mouse by Daniel Kirk who is both the author and the illustrator of this warmhearted tale about a library mouse who shares the joy of reading, and writing. In honor of Stan Berenstain's birthday on September 29 they also laughed as Mrs. Smay read them The Bike Lesson by Stan & Jan Berenstain.

Third graders and fifth graders enjoyed seeing the book trailers for this year's Sunshine State Young Reader's award program. If you'd like to view them just log onto www.booktrailersforreaders.com. Students need to read at least 3 titles by April 2011 to be eligible to vote. Order forms have been sent home for anyone who wishes to purchase any of the titles. All forms are due by October 6, 2010.

Another great big thank you to all of our library volunteers. They have helped the children find books, return them, check them out and shelf them. We could not do these jobs without them. Jodi Gayoso has been working hard at keeping the busy times filled with parents. We do appreciate all of your help. WE LOVE YOU!!

"FALL FOR OUR BOOKS"

Come visit the media center to see all the new displays of some of our October birthday authors.

In first grade the students read books by child authors. They learned where the books from Raintree Publish a Book contest are located in the media center and also enjoyed hearing some. Hopefully these stories will assist them when they are writing their own adventures.

Second graders were traveling around the world when they were reading the story A Small Dog's Big Life: Around the World with Owney by Irene Kelly.
They were surprised to find out this epistolary story-a story told entirely in letters-was based on the true life of a stray dog named Owney, who actually lived with postal workers more than one hundred years ago. During his adventures he received tags from clerks all over the United States to commemorate his visit to their towns. The tags are now in an exhibit at the National Postal Museum, which is part of the Smithsonian Institute in Washington, D.C.

Do you know Amber Brown? Well, if not, you can learn all about her and her many adventures by reading one of the many books on display about her in our media center. On Thursday, October 28, there will be a performance of "Amber Brown is not a Crayon" in the Janet Root Theater for grades 1-4. Why not read about her before you see the show?

Students in grades 3-6 are busy reading titles from this year's Sunshine Young Reader's Award books, but we have another contest for grades Alpha-2. It is also from the DOE (Department of Education). It is called the FRA (Florida Reading Association) Children's contest it began Friday, October 1 here at Shorecrest. A box with 7 books is being passed around to all the classes along with a schedule. After the students have heard all the stories in the box, their teachers will inform Mrs. Smay. She will then read the last book (#8) to them and give out the voting ballots. Students will color in or circle their favorite title from the eight. They will receive prizes for voting and in May 2011 the winning title and author will be announced. This is a state wide program so it will be fun to participate and see who the winner will be.

In K the students discussed fiction and non-fiction books after reading Woof:a Love Story by Sarah Weeks. Despite a language barrier, a dog and cat fall in love with the help of a buried trombone. They also saw a display of books by author James Marshall whose birthday was October 10.

Third graders reviewed how to use the computer to do library searches from their homes, classrooms or the library and then played a game call "WHO HAS THE ANSWER?" They each were given a library term or phrase that needed to be identified. They not only learned the terms, they had fun and each earned a scratch and sniff bookmark.

Fifth grade students had a lesson devoted Gary Paulsen, an author of more than 100 titles including picture books, mystery, historical fiction, science fiction, memoirs and semi-autobio-graphical novels, adventure tales, animal tale, nonfiction, and even humorous middle-grade fiction. Students saw this author in several interviews and examined many of his works. Many of Paulsen's books feature young teen boys, and even as he explores various genres, there are common themes that he returns to-survival, coming-of-age, war, the natural world and our relationship to it and more. His favorite book is Hatchet, a Newbery winner, which is about the author's own experiences as a boy. This is one author who should not be missed.

Alpha students laughed out loud while hearing A Mouse Told His Mother by Bethany Roberts. In this beautifully illustrated book a little mouse's imagination makes his bedtime an exciting adventure, as he takes a fantasy trip to catch crocodiles, ride bucking broncos, and sail where the
wind blows. It would also be a great bedtime story, especially for the child who just hates to go to bed.

Jr. K students discussed fiction and non-fiction books and the topic of the lesson was lions. They enjoyed listening to the Library Lion by Michelle Knudsen which is about a lion who starts visiting the local library but runs into trouble as he tries to both obey the rules and help his librarian friend. This book is illustrated by Kevin Hawkes and willl be a favorite for anyone who loves libraries and knows that they are special, magical places, where everyone is welcome and anything seems possible.

Another great big thank you to all of our library volunteers. They have helped the children find books, return them, check them out and shelf them. We could not do these jobs without them. Jodi Gayoso has been working hard at keeping the busy times filled with parents. We do appreciate all of your help. WE LOVE YOU!!

Coming soon...BOOK FAIR...the week of November 8 in the Janet Root Theatre Lobby and the Student Center. More details will be posted.

CELEBRATE SEPTEMBER

Students in Grade 1 viewed a display of books by author Jon Scieszka whose birthday was September 8. They saw copies of the Stinky Cheeseman, The Robot , and The Frog Prince Continued, which of just some of the famous titles. Then they listened and laughed to the story of Amelia Bedelia's First Day of School by Herman Parish.

The Shelf Elf and the Bookerpillar were the two new characters that students in grade 2 met during their library class. While reading The Shelf Elf Helps Out by Jackie Mims Hopkins students traveled through the library neighborhoods of the library. They learned where the books addresses are found and were introduced to the Dewey Decimal System.

In K students saw displays of three September authors: H. A. Rey, Tomie de Paola, and Robert McCloskey. In honor of their birthdays each was discussed and then students listened to Tomie de Paola's book entitled Strega Nona's Harvest.

Third graders were introduced to the Sunshine Young Reader's Award contest by seeing a slide show of all the previous winning titles. They also viewed book trailers of some of the titles from this year's list. Any student who reads at least three titles from this year's list will be eligible to vote for their favorite book. Later this month a list of all the books will be given out to students in grades 3-6 along with an order form from Inkwood Books.
Students will be able to purchase copies of the books at a 15% discount.

Jr. K students heard the story of Strega Nona by Tomie de Paola who celebrated his 76th birthday on September 15. Alpha students enjoyed Bill and Pete by this famous author, too.
Ask them what Bill used for a toothbrush in this hilarious adventure of the brave crocodile and his best friend Pete, a very special bird.

5th grade students were taught research skills used in searching for library books using the computer. Terms discussed included the branch, status, location for Caldecott, Newbery, Sunshine State winning books, author searches, title searches and keyword searches. Hopefully, with these new skills their time in the media center will be well used.

Last, but not least...another great big thank you to all of our library volunteers. They have helped the children find books, return them, check them out and shelf them. We could not do these jobs without them. Jodi Gayoso has been working hard at keeping the busy times filled with parents. We do appreciate all of your help. WE LOVE YOU!!

WELCOME.........
Back to the MediaCenter!!!


Parent volunteers have been learning how to help students find books, check-out books, and shelf books. We are very grateful to both Jodie Gayoso and Sydney Legakisfor all the time and effort they have put in to accomplish this training and scheduling. Thank you both so much and a big thank you to all our new library volunteers.

Students' library lessons started the week of August 30 and have been an orientation to the media center. They have been reacquainted with Mr. Dirty Hand and Mr. Clean Hand who have gone digital and are shown in iMovie form. Our theme for the year is "Score With Books...Read" and the media center is decorated in a sports motif.
Remember the media center hours are Mon.-Thurs. 7:30-5:00 and Fri. 7:30-3:15. See you soon!

MAY MEMORIES

HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO:

May 1 - Mother Jones (Mary Harris Jones)
An American labor leader
May 6 - Robert E. Peary
Arctic explorer who led the first expedition to
try to reach the North Pole in 1909
May 7 - Peter Ilich Tchaikovsky
Composer
May 12 - Yogi Berra (Lawrence Peter Berra)
Baseball catcher; in Hall of Fame
May 14 - George Lucas
Filmmaker; creator of Star Wars
May 27 - Wild Bill Hickok
American frontiersman
Amelia Bloomer
Women's rights advocate who created
bloomers as an alternative to the restrictive
clothing of women during her time
Rachel Carson
Scientist and conservationist who raised concern about the effect of chemicals on the
environment
May 29 - John F. Kennedy
35th President of the U.S.

www.flickr.com2327671381_81905falea.jpg

Students in Grade 2 finished their last library lesson by telling me a story. They were given out numbers and shown a book without words entitled Museum Trip by Barbara Lehman. When I called out their number they looked at the pictures and told the story out loud. Everyone enjoyed this story about a boy who imagined himself inside some of the exhibits when he went on a field trip to a museum. They really were surprised when they saw the last page, too!

First grade students read aloud the story entitled Bear Feels Sick by Karma Wilson and then did a reader's theater of the the book. It is a story told in rhyme about forest animals who go to Bear's cave when he is too sick to play. They make him soup and keep him company and readers will enjoy the circle story ending.

In Grade 3 students worked in groups of two or three to answer research questions from the book entitled Sharks by Beverly McMilland and John A. Musick. They used information from the title page, copyright page, table of contents, index, glossary and the text itself to complete the assignment. This exercise reinforced their research skills, reading for comprehension, and working productively with partners. After this experience, I feel confident they are ready for fourth grade.

Alpha students listened to two stories today entitled A Day With No Crayons by Elizabeth Rusch (Oregon Book Awards winner) and Not a Box by Antoinette Portis (Theodor Seuss Geisel Honor Book). The first story was about a little girl who discovers all sorts of artistic possibilities when she has to go a day without crayons. The second story was dedicated to children everywhere sitting in cardboard boxes. Both were very imaginative and delighted the audience.

Kindergarten students learned the concept of bucket filling which is an effective metaphor for encouraging kind and considerate behavior and for teaching the benefits of positive relation-ships. The story entitled Have You Filled a Bucket Today? by Carol McCloud is a guide to daily happiness for kids and adults, too. Children need to be loved, but in addition they must also be taught how to love others. Children who learn how to express kindness and love lead happier lives. When you love and care about others and show that love with what you say and do, you feel good and you fill your own bucket too.

Have a restful, enjoyable summer....and please keep reading!!!!