'Events'
We’re fast approaching the end of April here at CES, and preparing for our annual library book fair! Students are always excited about a week of browsing the books, but this year we’re making READING the star of the show.
Scholastic’s theme this year, “Lights, Camera, Bookfair!” led us to a school-wide project idea. Students can choose to create a 1-2 minute video book talk, recommending a book that they’ve read and enjoyed. We’ll be publishing these videos on Buddy’s 4-1-1 and to a wider audience online! We’ll be adding videos this week and next week, as they’re recorded.
As a way of celebrating Read Across America, sponsored by the National Education Association, students will participate in a school-wide reading challenge from February 25-March 3. Every classroom in all grade levels will track the number of minutes students read outside of school, and report their reading totals to the library on the 3rd. The classes with the most minutes read at each grade level will receive a free book from the fair, as well as a book for their classroom library.
Stay tuned for more about our reading festivities! See you at the fair.
Book Fair Hours:
March 2: 8 a.m. – 4 p.m.
March 3: 8 a.m. – 7:30 p.m. (Conferences held)
March 4: 8 a.m. – 7:30 p.m. (Conferences held)
March 5: 8 a.m. – 3 p.m.
February 18th, 2009
Local author Christian Burch visited 5th grade students on October 14th and 15th to promote his new book and share some writing hints with our student authors. Burch’s new book, “Hit the Road, Manny” is a continuation of the characters introduced in “The Manny Files.” Burch based both books’ characters on real children he nannied in Jackson. Male + Nanny = Manny…get it?
Three 5th grade classes heard him read aloud each day, and asked him questions about the difference between fact & fiction in his books. Students were intrigued by which plot details really happened, and which were figments of the author’s imagination.
Burch shared his “3 Rules” for writing with aspiring 5th grade authors.
1. Write what you know.
2. Show, don’t tell. (Burch’s examples: “I walked into the classroom and the kids were talking.” vs. “I walked into the classroom and it was like monkey island.”)
3. Don’t be afraid to get feedback.
The third rule is something student writers grapple with as they navigate the revision process. Burch was sympathetic to students who feel rejected when they get many comments for improvements on their writing, but he encouraged them to keep working. According to the author, who frequently gets hundreds of edited pages back in the process of writing novels, revision is just “making writing the best that it can be, and it doesn’t mean that you’re bad at it.”
“Is it frustrating to get your story back so many times?” One student asked Burch.
“Yes,” he replied, “but it’s also fun. The hard part is writing it the first time.”
November 13th, 2008
Greg Mortenson; humanitarian, mountaineer, author and founder of the nonprofit Central Asia Institute, stopped by Colter Elementary to visit with 5th grade students on Wednesday, April 2nd. The Teton County Library hosted Mr. Mortenson’s visit to Jackson, and we were fortunate to see him after he presented at the Jackson Hole High School.
Colter’s 5th graders presented Mortenson with a symbolic $2,000 check for a previous donation students made to the nonprofit with funds from the 5th grade’s annual fall apple sale. An individual student gave Mortenson an additional check for $200 from his grandmother, who had read Three Cups of Tea and wanted to contribute to Mortenson’s cause. Two students spoke about the class’s reasons for contributing to the organization, saying: “We felt the best way to change the world is for kids to help kids.”
Mr. Mortenson asked students to think for a moment about things that we have in America that children in other countries around the world might not have. iPods, clean water, and schools were a few items mentioned. When he asked what other countries have that Americans might not have, students chimed in with the it’s-almost-spring-break inspired”warm weather,” and a more serious presence in many children’s lives; war.
Mr. Mortenson showed students a DVD narrated by his daughter, which explained a child-centered fund-raising effort called “Pennies for Peace.” She describes places “where a penny can buy a pencil, and enough pennies can build a school;” rural Pakistan and Afghanistan. Mortenson has started 55 schools in these areas, and his presence in our school was a quiet reminder to be globally conscious, and to take advantage of the benefits of education that we enjoy so freely in America.
April 4th, 2008
We had a great time celebrating literacy in the library during Read Across America 2008! When I sat down to count all of the names on the sign-in list for volunteers and guest readers, there were nearly 60 people to thank! Students in 18 classrooms welcomed guest readers from the community, and were excellent participants in read-alouds all week.
Here are a few of my favorite moments from the week’s activities!
Volunteer Firemen reading aloud with 4th graders.
Jackson’s Mayor, Mark Barron, reads about mad scientist Franny K. Stein.
Jackson Hole Men’s Moose Hockey players reading to 3rd grade students.
Summit High School students (2 of 18 throughout the week) show off their books.
Yikes! Stripes! for Mega Stripes Monday.
March 27th, 2008
As our second trimester of school winds down, the library is winding up for an exciting week full of reading celebrations. March 3-6, we’ll join millions of other kids and adults who are “Reading Across America,” and go on a “Reading Road Trip” with our Scholastic book fair!
Read Across America (sponsored by the National Education Association) is observed on or around Dr. Seuss’s birthday (March 2nd) and is a sort of “pep rally” for reading. The CES library has invited guest readers from our community and school district to visit classrooms, read books aloud, and serve as “reading role models” for our students.
Special guests will include mayor Mark Barron, librarians Debbie Schlinger and Patty Rocha from the Teton County Library , members of the mens’ and womens’ Moose Hockey Teams, Brian Coe of the Jackson Fire Department, and students from Summit and Jackson Hole High Schools.
In addition to hosting these great readers, we’ll be holding the library’s spring book fair! Please come visit & shop during conferences, the evenings of March 4th and 5th to support literacy & learning with books! We’ll be here until 8:30 p.m. both evenings.
One resource parents may be interested in checking out comes from the NEA, and discusses tips for reading with 4-6th grade students. Reading is always a celebration in our library, but we’re thrilled to be able to share our enthusiasm with you and the broader JH community!
February 20th, 2008
