Celebrating Summer Reading!

We had so many students participate in our Summer Reading Program this year that we actually held TWO parties - one for the lower grades and one for the upper grades!  Students who sent a summer reading picture received their choice of a hard cover book.  Everyone went down the line and choose their prizes - at least two paperback books and one hard cover book, plus some toys, trinkets, and of course, everyone got a Kellogg's cereal bowl again this year. (Thanks to my wonderful brother-in-law!)

In addition, we had over 800 books checked out of the library for the summer!!!  This makes me SO happy - those books were not lonely all summer - they were loved!   We had a great response to trying this and I am already planning on offering it again next summer.

Here are some pictures from our celebration.

First Week

We are back! Only three days into the new school and we have checked out almost 200 computers to 4th and 5th graders and made sure everyone could log in and connect to the Internet. Students will be bringing home acceptable use agreements next week. They must be signed and returned before students will be allowed to bring their computers home. We will be focusing on Digital Citizenship a lot this year, but especially for the first nine weeks. We have also had 9 classes (for library class) and they have checked out over 400 books!

Summer reading lists are due back to us by Wednesday, August 17th. For the first time ever, we allowed students to check out up to 10 books for the summer and we checked out OVER 800 books!!!! Students have until August 19th to return any books that they borrowed for the summer. I think this was clearly a success and something we will continue! I have always felt the books were "lonely" sitting in the library over the summer and love that they were read over the break!

Summer Reading 2016

What and where are YOU reading this summer? Send your photos to Mrs. Wagner!
We love to see our students and staff reading!!!

For more information on summer reading, please read the newsletter in the previous post.


Click here if you would prefer a direct link to our virtual bulletin board.

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Summer Newsletter

The media center newsletter is being sent home with students today or tomorrow (up to the homeroom teacher) - please look for it in backpacks and folders. Information about our summer reading challenges and passwords for home use are included. One of the most exciting things in the newsletter is that we are going to allow students who have good library records and a signed parent permission slip to check out 10 library books over the summer!!! Students may pick up a permission form in the library if they qualify. Summer checkout will be held next week.

ALSO - students have a choice on how to keep track of their summer reading if they would like to come to out summer reading celebration in August. They can either use the reading log that went home with the newsletter (click here for a copy) OR they can sign up for the Scholastic "Be a Reading Superhero Challenge" and print out and turn the log in when school starts. Be sure and link your child's account to Brookwood, too, please! See the newletter for more information!

Just a reminder - ALL student library books currently checked out are due back to the media center. If your child still has books checked out, we will be sending home reminders later this week. Returning books on time is an important part of being a responsible library patron.

If you would like to read the newsletter online, click here.

More MakerSpace Pictures

Second grade had a chance today to try out a few new things for our MakerSpace - a couple that were donated (see the post below)and also a Goldie Blox that is one of the items we share with 3 other schools. In addition there are some photos here of students who came during scheduled MakerSpace times to design and build on their own.

This is how we Research!

We still have scheduled classes in the media center while the book fairs are here during the year.  Fourth graders were very flexible in finding places to work on their research projects this week!

MakerSpace Donation :)

Wow!!! One of our amazing second graders recently had a birthday and made the decision to ask for donations to our MakerSpace instead of birthday presents for himself.  What a generous, thoughtful thing to do!  Today, Bryce, along with his mom and dad, presented all of wonderful things to our media center.  Thank you to the Chapman family for making a difference for ALL of our students!

Look who came to our Book Fair!

Geronimo Stilton!!!! The book fair will be open Wednesday and Thursday from 8 to 4 and from 8 to noon on Friday - stop in and see all the great books we have. Buy one get one FREE!!!!

BOGO Book Fair Starts Tomorrow!

Happy 100th!!!

We would be remiss if we didn't take a moment today to wish Beverly Cleary a very happy 100th birthday! Children have loved her books for over 60 years - starting with her first book, Henry Huggins in 1950!

You can read a sample from Henry Huggins online by clicking here.

Learn more about Beverly Cleary here.