MARCH MEMORIES

In first grade students heard the story behind the voice of the Statue of Liberty entitled Emma's Poem by Linda Glaser with paintings by Claire A. Nivola. Emma Lazarus was a writer at heart. She was born in 1849 into a wealthy Jewish family in New York City, and wrote many poems, stories, and articles during her short life. She was already a highly respected writer at thirty-eight years old when she died of Hodgkin's disease.
Emma Lazarus wrote "The New Colossus," poem about the Statue of Liberty, in 1883 when she was thirty-four years old. Thanks to Emma's friend Georgina Schuyler, the poem was engraved on a bronze plaque and placed inside an entryway to the statue's pedestal-thus saving it for posterity. The bold words that Emma gave the statue to speak are the most famous of all her poetry-and are permanently linked with the statue and known throughout the world. Now on display in the Statue of Liberty Museum, the poem is viewed by millions of visitors each year and continues to stir the hearts of people in the United States and give hope to all those around the world who "yearn to breathe free."

Students in grade 2 were comparing the Asian stories of The Five Chinese Brothers by Claire Huchet Bishop, Six Chinese Brothers: an ancient tale by Cheng Hou-tien, and The Seven Chinese Brothers by Margaret Mahy in their library classes this week. After listening to all three stories they did a comparison and contrast exercise.

Who says encyclopedias are not being used anymore...well if you stopped in the media center this week when third graders were finding their answers to research questions using them, you would definitely change your mind. Students work cooperatively in teams of four and each one had a specific job to perform. One was the reader (who choose the question and read it to the group), the runner ( who actually went to the shelves to choose the correct encyclopedia volume to use to do the research), the researcher (who read the article for the answers) and the scribe (who wrote the answer down after the group discussed it). The students had so much fun when they finished one question they ASKED if they could do another one...and they learned how to use the index of the set of encyclopedias! Their rewards including sharing the questions and answers with the entire class and choosing a scratch and sniff book mark. Next lesson we will investigate almanacs and atlases!

Fifth graders were introduced to the famous British author Brian Jacques, renowned for his bestselling "Redwall" children's fantasy series who recently died on February 5, 2011. He came to write "Redwall" for the children at a blind school in Liverpool where he delivered milk. The tale centers around a young mouse Matthias who summons the courage to protect Redwall Abbey when it is threatened by a rat culled Cluny. Jacques made his writing as descriptive as possiblewith his blind audience in mind, and, when his childhood English teacher Alan Durband took the story to a publisher, it offered the author a five-book deal. Twenty-one Redwall books followed, starting with Redwall in 1986 and ending with "The Sable Queen" published in 2010. The 22nd novel, "The Rogue Crew," is due to appear later this year.

K students are planning a field trip to the zoo this month so in their library lesson they enjoyed the story of Felicity Floo Visits the Zoo by E. S. Redmond. In this story Felicity Floo takes a trip to the zoo despite being sick and as she pets all of the animals she leaves behind handprints of green slim which causes everything from emus to llamas and elephants to become ill. Proper hand washing was discussed and the students voted not to invite Felicity on their upcoming trip.

In preparation for the upcoming St. Patrick's Day holiday students in Jr K listened to the story Lucky O'Leprechaun written and illustrated by Jana Dillon which takes place on St. Patrick's Day eve, Meghan and Sean get help from their three grandaunties and manage to capture a sly leprechaun. Don't be surprised if some of the Jr K students go on a leprechaun search next Thursday, which is the holiday.

A BIG THANK YOU again to all of our library volunteers. I am so grateful to Jodi Gayoso for making sure every week the library schedule is posted and coverage is available for all the classes. All of you are so appreciated and your efforts are making the students happy to visit the media center.

FEBRUARY.....READ WEEK!

In preparing the students in grades ECC - 2 for the visiting author/illustrator Frank Remkiewicz several of his works were on display this week in the media center. He is the illustrator for the Horrible Harry series, the Froggy series, and several math books including Arithmetickle, Piggy and Dad Go Fishing, Just Enough Carrots and Less Than Zero. Students also enjoyed working in teams as clever
detectives as they listened to There's Only One Harris, which he wrote and illustrated. They will have some interesting questions for him to answer when he visits our ECC- 2 graders on March 1. Students in Jr. K enjoyed listening to Let's Go Froggy and in Alpha we heard all about Froggy's First Christmas.We are all looking forward to that day for sure.

Fifth graders saw i-movie interviews with popular author Louis Sachar. Some of his books are There's a Boy in the Girls' Bathroom, Dogs Don't Tell Jokes, Sideways Stories from Wayside School, the Marvin Redpost series, Holes and Small Steps. Holes is a winner of the National Book Award, a New York Times Book Review Notable Children's Book of
the Year, a New York Times Outstanding Book of the Year, A School Library Journal Best Book of the Year, a Horn Book Fanfare Honor list Book, a Bulletin Blue Ribbon Book, a Publishers Weekly Best Book of the Year, a Sunshine State Young Reader's Award Winner and a John Newbery Medal Winner. A movie was made from the book as well. Mr. Sachar is a writer who does not discuss his book with anyone until it is finished and it takes him 1-2 years to finish a book. He lives in Austin, Texas.

Our unit on Reference books began with the third graders working with partners to list the many uses of dictionaries and thesauruses. Students discussed thumb indexes, abridged and unabridged forms of dictionaries and the etymology of words. They will be using encyclopedias, atlases and almanacs in the weeks ahead. The final goal is to know when each type of reference book is used to locate the information you need. We will also be using the computer forms of these research tools.

A BIG THANK YOU again to all of our library volunteers. I am so grateful to Jodi Gayoso for making sure every week the library schedule is posted and coverage is available for all the classes. All of you are so appreciated and your efforts are making the students happy to visit the media center.

FEBRUARY FUN IN THE MEDIA CENTER

WOW.. have been celebrating in the media center...Groundhog's Day, Chinese New Year, 100th Day of School, President's Day, and Grandparent's Day!

Besides book displays on all of these topics, in First Grade we enjoyed having a reader's theater play on the book entitled Substitute Groundhog by Pat Miller. This story is about a groundhog who interviews other animals to come out of his hole on Groundhog Day since he is too sick to perform his once-a- year job.

In Second Grade we discovered the facts about an Australian eucalyptus forest by reading Koala Country by Deborah Dennard. This is a story about a mother Koala and her joey who feed and observe the other animal inhabitants of their fragile eucalyptus forest home. Students interacting with the book by locating the many plants and animals that live in this area. Only 20% of the forests remain for the Koala bears to live and conservation measures were also discussed.

Fifth graders were introduced to the author Gordon Korman who has written more than fifty popular young adult and middle-grade novels. Some of his books include Schooled, No More Dead Dogs, the Island, Dive and Island series, On the Run series (Chasing the Falconers) and the 39 Clues. He lives with his family on Long Island and you can visit his website at www.gordonkorman.com.

K students enjoyed the story of Valentine's Day entitled Roses Are Pink, Your Feet Really Stink by Diane de Groat. This story is about Gilbert who brings a tin of homemade cookies and his original nice or nasty poems to school on Valentine's Day. The students learned several important lessons after discussing the behavior of the characters in this story.

In 3rd grade students were introduced to idioms (a group of words whose meaning cannot be understood from the meaning of the individual words; an expression, peculiar to a specific language, that cannot be translated literally ) by reading several books. Some of the books they read were There's a Frog in my Throat by Loreen Leedy and Pat Street, A Chocolate Moose for Dinner by Fred Gwynne, and Rugs Have Naps (But Never Take Them) by Charles Klasky.

Students in Jr K enjoyed the Valentine's Day story entitled How Spider Saved Valentine's Day by Robert Kraus. Once again Spider's cleverness and wit saves the day and everyone is surprised at the end of the book.

HAPPY VALENTINE'S DAY AND A BIG THANK YOU again to all of our library volunteers. I am so grateful to Jodi Gayoso for making sure every week the library schedule is posted and coverage is available for all the classes. All of you are so appreciated and your efforts are making the students happy to visit the media center.

GOODBYE JANUARY-HELLO FEBRUARY!

Second graders studying about Australia and New Zealand delighted in hearing the true story of Shrek, the world's most famous sheep. It was written by the students of Tarras School in New Zealand after the hermit merino was found on Bendigo Station on April 15, 2004 by a woman shepherd Ann Scanlan. For six years Shrek evaded musterers in the magnificent central Otago high country of New Zealand. The solitude, intense summer heat and meters of snow in the winter were no match for the mighty "Shrek". He was blade-shorn in front of a world TV audience by Peter Casserly and is today living the life of a celebrity at Bendigo, continuing to raise money for cure kids. Shrek's charity of choice.www.curekids.org.nz

Everybody knows that a fairy earns her wings by being good at something important. Usually it's a dainty thing-like painting the colors on a rainbow or coaxing open the petals of a flower. First grade students learned all about Emmalina, who was not like other fairies when they heard the story entitled The Mud Fairy by Amy Young.
Emmalina was not like the other fairies. She'd rather run and jump and play in the mud. But in a world where being dainty seems the only way to succeed, this little mud fairy will prove that the most important thing of all is staying true to yourself.

Students in K enjoyed "acting out like farm animals" during their reader's theater of Book! Book! Book! by Deborah Brass. All the animals want is a great new book to read. But the librarian just can't seem to understand their requests. Only the hen knows exactly how to ask. But will she ever get her turn? Read this oinking, braying, bright, noisy book and find out! The author herself has one dog, three snapping turtles, one white dove, a rooster, and a hen on her farm in Bradford, New Hampshire. I am sure they have inspired her in this writing.

In Jr. K we talked about sleeping while enjoying the book entitled Please Don't Wake the Animals by Mary Batten. Did you know that cats sleep around 12 hours and some bats sleep almost 20 hours a day? Dolphins sleep while swimming-they take little naps by letting half of their brain sleep at a time totally about 8 hours. Do you know why most fish sleep with their eyes open? To find out more why not read this fascinating non-fiction book?

Alpha students learned all about vegetables and how they grow while listening to Tops and Bottoms by Janet Stevens. In this story about a lazy bear and a smart hare, students were exposed to the trickster tradition of beating hardship by using one's wits. This story has its roots in European folktales and the slave stories of the American South.

Last, but certainly not least, a BIG THANK YOU again to all of our library volunteers. I am so grateful to Jodi Gayoso for making sure every week the library schedule is posted and coverage is available for all the classes. All of you are so appreciated and your efforts are making the students happy to visit the media center.

JANUARY JOYS!!!

Students in grade 2 are studying Australia and they were introduced to the great selection of non-fiction books about that continent by reading Look What Came From Australia by Kevin Davis and Australia- Letters from Around the World series by Margot Richardson.

Do you remember the story of The Ugly Duckling by Hans Christian Andersen? Well, the students in K heard another version by Sebastien Braun and did a comparison of both books. This much loved tale is brought to life in a simple retelling expecially for the very young. They even voted for their favorite and stated reasons to support their vote. This is a wonderful bedtime story, and an invaluable addition to every child's first library.

Third graders played the game, "Guess who's Knocking at my Door" after reading biography books of famous people. They gave 3 clues to the audience and 3 guesses were made before the name of the person behind the door was revealed. This is a great way to get to know the individuals from the books as well as a fun way to learn the biography section of the library. Of course, prizes were rewarded to all correct answers as well as to the studens who wrote up the 3 mystery questions. We sure have fun in our library and learn lots, too!

Fiction and non-fiction books were discussed with the Alpha students. After listening to Dog's Colorful Day:a messy story about colors and counting by Emma Dodd, by Emily Gravett, and Little Mouse Gets Ready by Jeff Smith, students decided what kind of books they were and discussed why. At check out time, some choose the non-fiction (tall shelves) books to take home.

Do you know the author Amy Krouse Rosenthal? If not, just ask a student in Jr. K to tell you about what Little Pea likes to eat, or what Little Oink likes to play. They listened to these two books during their library lesson and one of their teachers checked out Little Hoot to read to them in their classroom. They loved this author's twist on behavior....you need to read one real soon.

5th grade students will be meeting Dan Gutman and seeing a display of his many books during their lessons this month. Do you remember Honus Wagner? Did you know that his baseball card is the most sought after and one in poor condition can be worth $150,000-$200,000? It was one of 522 cards in a set produced by American Tobacco Company in 1909-10. The cards in this set are sometimes referred to as "white borders". This card is so valuable-legend has it- because Wagner was opposed to cigarette smoking and insisted the card be discontinued shortly after presses had begun to run. In 1996, a card in good condition sold for over a half a million dollars. About 60 are known to exist. Well, Dan Gutman's book Honus & Me is just one of his numerous fiction and nonfiction books for children of all ages up to about grade 6. Whether you love sports or not, you should give this author a chance

HAPPY NEW YEAR IN THE MEDIA CENTER !

STUDENTS IN GRADES 1, 2 AND K are busy voting for their favorite FRA (Florida Reading Association) book for this year's contest. After their teachers read them 7 of the 8 selected books, Mrs. Smay read the last one. It was the true story by the #1 New York Times Bestselling author of Dewey entitled Dewey There's a Cat in the Library by Vicki Myron and Bret Witter. In this hilarious and heartwarming students learned the story when Dewey was found in the book drop of the public library on the coldest night of the year. He was just a tiny kitten-shivering and very very, dirty! Vicki the librarian takes him in, warms him up and decides then and there that he will be their library cat, naming him Dewey Readmore Books.
Some of the K classes also read the sequel entitled Dewey's Christmas at the Library.

Students in JK enjoyed hearing The Wild Christmas Reindeer by Jan Brett. After a few false starts, Teeka discovers the best way to get Santa's reindeer ready for Christmas Eve.

Third graders were learning about collective biographies and did a reader's theater on the book My Brothers' Flying Machine by Jane Yolen. This Parents' choice gold award book, provides a look at the lives of Orville and Wilbur Wright, as seen through the eyes of their younger sister, Katharine, who provided support and encouragement while they worked on their many inventions. Jane Yolen is the award-winning author of more than 200 books and her web site is www.janeyolen.com.

Alpha students enjoyed seeing and hearing the story entitled Gingerbread Friends by Jan Brett. Lonely Gingerbread Baby, having set out to find a friend, enters a bakery where he tries to talk to different cookies and other figures, but winds up leading a crowd back to his house on a chase similar to the one in the familiar tale.

DECEMBER DELIGHTS !

FIRST grade students experienced the thrill and history making of the first moon landing. After reading the book Man on the Moon by Anastasia Suen, they picked out their parts and performed a reader's theater of the book. Did you know that a word was lost from the transmission when Neil Armstrong first stepped onto the moon's surface? No one knows why. What we were supposed to hear was:"That's one small step for a man, one giant leap for mankind."

SECOND grade students read Carolina's Gift, a story of Peru, which described the Sunday market in the colorful village of Pisac in the Andean highlands. The village does not have a supermarket, so the people in Pisac and the surrounding towns depend on the weekly market for all their needs. They found out the descendants of the Inca Indians still keep their ancestor's ancient traditions alive today, including the Sunday market. Quechua is the language spoken at the market. Some of the farmers and artisans also speak Spanish, and some English. In fact, Peru has three national languages: Spanish, Quechua, and Aymara. The students also practiced pronouncing 10 vocabulary words that might be spoken in Peru today.


Students in K were introduced to author Amy Krouse Rosenthal and Jen Corace who have written Little Pea, Little Oink, and Little Hoot books. If you do not know these books you need to treat yourself and read one...just ask any K student if Little Oink liked to have a messy room or a clean one...Students also heard the story entitled Chickens Aren't The Only Ones by Ruth Heller which showed all the animals that lay eggs. Did you know that there are two mammals that lay eggs? They both live in Australia, too. Just ask a K student if you do not know.

Biography books were introduced to the students in grade 3 by reading several chapters of Knucklehead, an autobiography by Jon Scieszka, the author of The Stinky Cheese Man. These pages were filled with tall tales and mostly true stories about growing up Scieszka...a very funny and interesting person to read about. This remains one of the most popular choices in the biography section, too.

Students in Alpha and Jr. K were discussing author/illustrator, Jan Brett, who celebrated a birthday on December 1st. We celebrated along with her by reading Gingerbread Baby and The Mitten. She is one of the few authors I know that actually travels to do research throughly before writing and drawing her own books.

In fifth grade, students saw a video about Henry Winkler's new series of books about Hank Zipzer, the world's greatest underachiever. Henry Winkler is well known as an actor, producer, director, coauthor, public speaker, husband, father, brother, uncle, and godfather. He lives in Los Angeles with his wife, Stacey. They have three children named Jed, Zoe, and Max, and three dogs named Monty, Charlotte, and Linus. He is so proud of the Hank Zipzer series that he could scream-which he does sometimes, in his backyard!