Library Media Services [Volume 1, Issue 1] Celebrating

Upcoming Events

Your School Library Where Learning Never Ends! April is National school library month Exploring While Learning

SSYRA FESTIVAL IS PLANNED FOR MAY 21 & 22 AND 26 & 27 @ 10:00 a.m. until 12:30 READING COMES ALIVE WITH POLK STATE COLLEGE students AND Ms. Fins at PSC and FSC – May 5 & 6 @ 9:30 a.m.

When students visit the media center at Dundee Elementary, it is almost like Christmas morning to them. They are filled with anticipation and eagerness about the possible exploration and adventures they might find. Media centers are safe havens where students can share their love of reading with others and branch out to learn new and exciting things. At Dundee, the library media specialist has tried to create an inviting media center by involving students in their own learning. Students are able to use online resources to research, create QR codes and videos about what they have recently read to share with others, participate in Sunshine State Young Readers Book Competitions along with other schools, and work towards reaching their reading goals in Accelerated Reader. Students are encouraged to grow in reading every day at school and the media specialist tries to promote that growth around the school. At Dundee Elementary, students are able to keep track of their class points on the Around the World in 180 Days Accelerated Reader Board in the main hallway. The more points their class earns the further their balloon travels around the world. Students also get to be a part of fun and exciting Accelerated Reader parties every nine weeks if they have reached their goals. They can earn ice cream sundaes, lunch with the principal, outside play time, Whoo-Terrific Reader bracelets, and various prizes. At the end of each month, students who have earned tickets for passing each AR test they have taken get a chance to be picked in a drawing for a prize. It is easy to see that great things are happening at our school and in our media center! Jenna Vanhook, Library Media Specialist

Little Free Library TM A new Little Free Library was installed at the Willow Oak Volunteer Fire Department in the Mulberry area. Students are encouraged to bring a book and take a book. This Little Free Library is sponsored by Julie and David Cole. They purchased the library and will monitor it for books. The Winter Haven Friends of the Library group is planning on installing 6 in downtown Winter Haven and another community partner group will install LFLs at Brigham, Elbert, Garner, Garden Grove, Jewett School of the Arts, Lake Shipp and Pinewood. The Cracker Storytelling Committee has also donated one at Homeland Heritage Park. We want to thank them for supporting learning year round. Hopefully they will be installed by summer. . We are thankful to the community for embracing this project and trying to provide a culture of reading for our students by making books available in communities everywhere.

Power Up Polk All County Reads Family Event Held January 21 Families attended the reading celebration for the district – wide reading of Counting by Sevens by Holly Sloan and Out of My Mind by Sharon Draper. Pictured are families and members of the Learning Support Staff at a booth with communication devices that speak and other technology devices.

Connecting Students to Books The media center at Lake Alfred Addair is a buzz with activity. Classes regularly cycle through and small groups of students stream through the doors looking for new books to check out. Proud library assistants assist with projects, help keep the stacks in order, shelve books, and share their book recommendations. The librarian is the guide on the side of all the action, allowing students the opportunity to shine. Connecting students with books they get excited about is a special treat. Reading promotions like Accelerated Reader (AR) and Sunshine State Young Reader Award (SSYRA) are celebrated daily. Students earn AR points and earn prizes per club level. Additionally, two students with the highest points per quarter in each grade level are awarded with a trip to the movie theater. SSYRA is an especially exciting opportunity for our students because they earn a ticket for each SSYRA AR test they pass. At the end of the year, we pick one ticket and that person wins a tablet. Second prize is a stack of books for the next year. If all 15 books are read (and AR tests are passed), then the librarian buys the students lunch of their choice. Of course, everyone loves participating in all the projects for the book festival including the DVD, game, performance, quiz bowl, and visual. Our instructional television program has designated literacy specialists who work with the media specialist and library assistants to create promotional segments for our daily school television program. Students love to learn more about the library in this fun and exciting format designed by and featuring their own peers. The theme of the space is expanded from the common saying “mi casa, su casa.” You can often hear the refrain of “my library, your library” echo throughout. The open doors await all and everyone knows that they are welcome here. Alisa Nolen, Library Media Specialist

“We mustache you about that book!” by Pam Barnes

Students at Rosabelle Blake Academy celebrated Literacy Week with a book giveaway. Students were “caught” reading and were given a coupon that said “We mustache you about that book!” They like the theme and many students were wearing mustaches around campus. At the end of the second semester, an AR Super Bowl party for our AR readers that had met the school goal was given. Students enjoyed pizza, chips, drinks and cookies. It was a good time for everyone while celebrating reading. The students received an invitation to attend but they were not told what the party was for, until they arrived. It created a few days of speculation on the part of all students. It was wonderful to have first graders, mingling with our 8th graders, and all being present for the same purpose, celebrating reading success.

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Learning through Verse

Great things are happening at the Palmetto Elementary Media Center. During the month of February, in honor of Black History month the ladies from the Solivita Continental Society spent a week with us and shared stories of Black Americans who have made a difference in our history. They shared stories of Michelle and Barack Obama, Jesse Owens, Tiger Woods, Venus and Serena Williams as well as many others. Our Palmetto students also learned the verses to a thirty seven stanza poem about Martin Luther King written by Charlotte Blake Alston. Each class contributed by learning and recording a specific verse of the poem which helped to complete a recording of all 37 stanzas of the poem as a gift to the Continental group. Our media center has been blessed with 10 new IPADS, with a possibility of more to come. We are now using these IPADS to give our students more involvement with AR 360. Our teachers and students are using the articles in AR 360 for extended reading practice. Many of the teachers are grouping their students and assigning the articles with the activities as part of their reading centers. Our third grade teachers and students love it! The students tell me about the articles they are reading all the time. We have 44 classes each week that visit the media center in grades K-4 for 30 minutes. During that time, 15 to 20 minutes is dedicated to a skill or activity related to the standards with the remainder of the time for book checkout. During December and January, the classes have been learning about Poetry. The students have learned a lot about the types of poetry and even tried their hands at writing Haikus. This has really sparked an interest in the poetry section of the library and especially the Shel Silverstein books! It is really wonderful to see our students take on a new interest and expand their horizons! Pam McCall, Library Media Specialist

From Learning Stations to Gardening School libraries have always supplemented classroom instruction, but more recently have come to focus on using information skills in collaboration with teachers and students to enhance learning. Today, it is not at all unusual to find media specialists regularly attending grade-level collaboration meetings for language arts, mathematics, the sciences and more, all in an effort to keep current with educational standards and teaching strategies they can use in the library. In return, the school librarian suggests numerous ways in which media center materials can best be used to support the curriculum and instruction. Ideas abound, including everything from bookmarking classroom computers with online resources to providing “Buckets of Books” and materials that pertain to specific thematic units. Let’s not forget teaming together to teach technology like PowerPoint, and using resources like World Book Online to do research. Naturally, the library staff continues to expect and encourage students and teachers to read books on a steady basis. They also believe there is no such thing as “down time.” Information acquired by librarians at collaboration meetings can also be invaluable when creating learning centers. That is, academic learning stations that reinforce skills setup in the library to engage students in activities after they check out books. One such library can be found at Jesse Keen Elementary School, in Lakeland, FL, a part of Polk County School District. It is a fully-staffed school library that maintains 10 learning stations at all times. The Reading Buddies, Computer, Interactive Word Wall, and Learning Games centers are among the students’ favorite library activities, but then they also enjoy using graphic organizers, writing at the Writing Café, and completing a “Hopscotch Summary” with their partner at the Listening Station. From sharing great reads to administering the next best computerized reading program, to sponsoring book fairs, and storytelling on Parent Nights, today’s school librarian must be diversified and able to deliver a differential program that meets the needs of many. So, after a full day of circulating books, teaching information skills, reading to others and being read to, purchasing and processing materials, planning and participating in school events, and sponsoring programs that promote reading within and beyond the library walls, you shouldn’t be at all surprised to find your school librarian writing and reciting poetry as a part of the school’s extracurricular Garden Club. Mary Sawyer, Library Media Specialist

Successful Celebrations The Highlands Grove Elementary Media Center is VERY BUSY….students are continuously checking out books and conducting research for various class assignments! Scheduled classes come in for lessons on various topics from library skills to reading standards. The Pre-Kindergarten through 2nd grade classes also come in for story time and literature appreciation. During these classes the library is open to all students for book check out giving our patrons easy access to the library. Lots of exciting things happen every day! The HGE library encourages and celebrates reading by providing several incentives for students, some examples are -- “Wacky Wednesday”, “100th Day of School”, and “Lucky Reader” celebrations. These, plus other events, occur throughout the year where students who score a 100% on an AR test come to the library to select a prize from the prize case. Students in grades 3 – 5 are encouraged to read the Sunshine State books. These are books that are selected by the Florida State Department of Education. Students read the books and earn the right to vote for their favorite book at a special breakfast, receive fun backpacks, have ice cream and pizza parties, and even earn a T-Shirt if they read all 15 titles! The students love it and work hard for this special recognition. Also, every grading period, students who’ve met their AR reading goal are recognized by receiving an extra recess period and a special snack. Various contests are held throughout the year promoting reading and books. Every March the library sponsors an annual “Dr. Seuss Birthday Party” celebration. Students play old fashioned games, read Dr. Seuss books, and have cake! Approximately 300 parents and students attend this event of fun and fellowship for HGE families! To earn money, the library sponsors two book fairs a year. The profits go directly to funding the library programs and toward purchasing books and materials. All this and more make for happy students and teachers. At Highlands Grove Elementary, the library is truly the hub of the school! Edyie Hicks, Library Media Specialist

Miners Redemption

There are wonderful opportunities in the media center this year. Here at Fort Meade Middle Senior High School, students are participating in Accelerated Reading, our own Miner Book Club, independent study time, and eBooks. Students are immersed in our Accelerated Reading program from grades 6-12. Incentives are offered each nine weeks for students to not only pass their tests but earn points which shows time spent reading. Our culminating activity this year is our own version of a Miner Redemption Store, where students who have kept their average up and earned a minimum amount of points can turn their points into “Miner Gold” to buy books, posters, jewelry, t-shirts, electronics, etc. Another popular reading option for students is our Miner Book Club. Since our school serves a wide level of students, we offer both a middle and high school version. Selections for titles are made from the ever popular Sunshine State Young Reader’s Award and Florida Teens Read book lists. Copies are ordered and given to participating students. Then they simply read the book and are given a short quiz to confirm that they read it and they come in during lunch for a pizza party and book discussion. Students show passion for their opinions on characters and the author’s choices and bring great discussion to the group. On average the middle school reads 2 titles per year and the high school reads 4 and begs for more. To bait the high school students to read more, titles with sequels are usually chosen so that if they like the first one, they will keep reading. Students use our media center before, during and after school for study time or to get help with difficult subjects. They use this time to take AR tests, work on online programs or complete assignments for their homework. Students are also discovering our selection of eBooks available to them through our catalog. Topics range from classic novels to a collection of nonfiction selections that support material being taught in their classes. The ease of check out and worry free returns are making these a popular item. Carol Presnell, Library Media Specialist

Get Caught Reading Our Griffin library is alive and well! Since the doors opened in mid-October we have had over 4,000 circulations! We had a “Sir-READS-A Lot” (medievalthemed) book fair in November and recently finished our "Under the Sea" book fair. Our final book fair will be a BOGO (buy one, get one) event that will occur th

in May. On March 14 Books Bridge came to the Griffin library and hosted a Dr. Seuss event for our students. During literacy week, the library promoted a "Get Caught Reading" event. If a student was “caught" reading, they earned an Eagle buck and their names were put in for a drawing at the end of the week. We had the drawing on Friday during lunch and "live" during our ITV show. The students won a PBS certificate for a free item or a gift card. This was so successful that we are going to continue "catching" students reading and have more drawings. Another promotion in our library is our Griffin Artists. Many of our students check out books on art and drawing. They are asked to submit a piece of their artwork in relation to something they learned from their art book. We have many beautiful drawings on display in the library. Our library hosts 4 kindergarten classes each week with a book and activity that correlates to their weekly lesson plans. 1st through 5th grade classes visit the library weekly and check out books related to classroom activities as well as books for enjoyment. Currently, 4th grade has checked out books on rocks and minerals as they are studying that topic for science class. If for whatever reason a class has to miss their scheduled library time -- no problem! The books are brought to the classroom to ensure that each student has new reading material each week. Our Griffin library is a busy place these days and will continue to grow and excel with all of our upcoming activities and events. Susan Bako, Media II Para – Griffin Elementary

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Before School Learning Dundee’s Library Media Center is a happening place! Students are putting together Prezis, Storybirds and Shadow puppets to show what they are learning. Often you will find 30 or more students in the Media Center before school refining their projects. We also have a Pokémon club and our Sunshine State Young Readers groups are busy working on their projects for the Festival both before and after school. Sudie Westerman, Library Media Specialist

Library Week April 12-18 National Library Workers Day, Tuesday of National Library Week (April 14, 2015), a day for library staff, users, administrators and Friends groups to recognize the valuable contributions made by all library workers; National Bookmobile Day, Wednesday of National Library Week (April 15, 2015), a day to recognize the contributions of our nation's bookmobiles and the dedicated professionals who make quality bookmobile outreach possible in their communities; and Celebrate Teen Literature Day, Thursday of National Library Week (April 16, 2015), aimed at raising awareness among the general public that young adult literature is a vibrant, growing genre with much to offer today's teens.

Tech Team Literacy Ambassadors

Recently Ridge Community High School purchased a giant chess set for the media center. It has been a tremendous hit. Students are even researching chess to learn how to play - Henry Haake, Library Media Specialist

List of Great Things that Happen In the Library Media Centers Around the County

This year our HCHS Literacy Ambassadors have taken our campus by storm! We have a group of about 20 students who promote the joy of learning and reading on campus by engaging students in reading and technology opportunities on a daily basis. Our mission is to create a “Reading Renaissance” on campus by making reading and learning fun again. In turn, this will increase student achievement. We accomplish this through book talks, “tech-on-the-go” moments, and special promotions such as “Blind Date with a Book”, and “The Giving Tree” book donations to classrooms. Our students work hard to get our message out on the morning news and around campus. Our Literacy Ambassadors are active in community involvement and have spoken at our SAC meetings, promoted our All County Reads books with our feeder school, Boone Middle, and hosted a Title I Family Literacy event.

Connie Hoffman, Library Media Specialist

Elementary students mentor younger students while using Destiny and help them to locate the books on the shelves. The fourth graders read A Land Remembered every year and then get to meet the son of the author, Patrick Smith. Principal will “knight” the students who have over 500 AR points. Over 18,000 books circulated in a 9 week period at Bartow Academy. At Lena Vista, kindergarteners participate in a weekly author study in the library. Each week, they are introduced to a different author or illustrator. They view several of the authors and illustrators’ websites then complete an author related writing activity. A monthly book lunch is held for 20+ students who are provide the book to be discussed. The students read the books and discuss during lunch. Snively has volunteer readers coming into K-4th grade classroom every week for 15 minutes to read aloud to kids during “Relax and Read” time. Dr. N. E. Roberts “Road to Success” has been a big hit this year. Each class must pass the challenge in order to move their car down the road. The classes are in thick competition. Teachers are using the “unlimited Access” eBooks at Union Academy for their classroom instruction. The AR eBooks and regular eBooks allow for a split screen so students can take notes as they read the eBooks. This provides a function that students might encounter when taking the state test. Once a month a Family Library night is held at Carlton Palmore. Books, Bears, and Blankets Family Night was held at Padgett where families enjoyed listening to stories and enjoyed a fun night of literacy.

Two of our Tech Team Literacy Ambassadors, (from left, Sayma and Raquel) creating a “tech-on-the-go” moment helping students log into the school server on their devices. Benefits include eBook checkout and checking their obligations.

Heart of Knowledge George Jenkins High Media is truly the “heart of knowledge” at our school. The media center opens at 6:30 every morning and is generally packed with between 100-200 students who come to use computers, check out books, read magazines, work on projects, play chess and just “hang out.” It is a relaxed environment where the students know they are welcome. They can get help and the materials they need are available to all free of charge; these items include printing, paper, glue sticks and scissors, and always, service with a smile. Also, almost 200 lunch passes are distributed to students who request them each semester. These passes allow students to spend their lunch time in the media center. They may come directly here and bring their lunch with them or go to the food court, show their pass, and get their lunch on a “to go” tray to bring to the media center to eat. This is a relaxed atmosphere much like the morning, where many different activities take place. Mary Smither, Library Media Specialist

Great things are happening in the Lewis Anna Woodbury Media Center! In January our students and staff members celebrated Literacy Week. Students and Teachers were encouraged to show their love of reading with different activities throughout the week. All had a chance to wear their funky socks because reading rocks or dress up like a tourist to celebrate “Oh, the places we can go” by Dr. Seuss. During the week students were able to participate in DEAR time (Drop Everything and Read time) and flashlight Friday where they read their favorite book in the dark using their handy dandy flashlight. They also were introduced to book promotions which advertised new books available and had the opportunity to have breakfast with a parent in the media center while they read a book together. This was a week of celebrating our love for reading with one another, and the kids enjoyed Sheri New, Library Media Specialist reading and sharing their favorite books and stories.

Celebrating National Poetry Month

A POET TREE will be displayed in the Media Center Lobby and students are encouraged to write a poem and place it on the tree. All entries will be judged by the Media Committee and prizes will be awarded to 1st, 2nd and 3rd place winners. Winners and Teachers will be featured in the Spark Newsletter. In addition, students can submit Selfie Poems. Take a Selfie and write a poem about yourself! They will be displayed in the Media Center. Don't forget Poem in Your Pocket Day April 30th. Please pick up a poem from the Media Center and place it in your pocket to read to your friends. Susan Vigus, KHS Library Media Specialist

Ridge Career Center Ridge Career Center has a daycare for our Teen Parent Program. Although the children have story time while they are in the daycare, we wanted to have story time in the Media Center once a month with the Teacher Assisting students reading the stories. The Media Specialist collaborated with the Teacher Assisting Program instructor, the School Social Worker, and the daycare to give those students hands on training in working with little children. The Teacher Assisting Program prepares students to become certified substitutes and Para-Educators who provide support for the children of our schools under the direction and supervision of the classroom teacher.

At Christmas time, Ridge had a “Christmas Giving Tree”. An ornament with a child’s name from our Sweet Reads Teen Parent Program daycare was placed on the tree. Ridge Staff adopted a child and gave two During the month of February, Bartow Middle tried to books to the children of Ridge Teen Parent moms promote Valentine’s Day, Black History Month, and for Christmas. In addition to the staff giving President’s Day recognition all at the same time with a books, the Media Center gave every child an “Sweet Reads” program. Students could read books additional book. We want to encourage the teen about romance, family relationships or friendships for moms to read to their children. Valentine’s Day and then fill out a form telling me the RCC Media Center has started an Adult Student title and author and the dynamics of the relationships and Staff Book Club. We want to encourage our that were in the book and I would give them candy. It worked the same for Black History and President’s Day; adult students to become more avid readers. The book club meets once a month for a group if they read a book about either of these two subjects discussion on the selected book. We also choose then filled out a form to tell me why the person, cause, etc. was important to Black History or President’s Day two books for summer reading, so they can then they would be given candy. continue to read. The selections include a wide Genevieve Jones, Library Media Specialist variety of genre. Linda Minnix, Library Media Specialist

Showcase of Library Media Centers

Crystal Lake Elementary – Bonnie Givens, Library Media Specialist

Dr. N. E. Roberts Elementary – Pamela Champion, Library Media

Frostproof Elementary – Debra Wrye, Library Media Specialist

Kathleen High School – Susan Vigus, Library Media Specialist

Specialist

Davenport SOA – Judith Canady, Library Media Specialist

Alta Vista Elementary – Barbara Langford, Library Media Specialist

Learning for Everyone Barbara Rassel, Media Para II

Traviss Career Center is known as one of the best post-secondary institutions in Polk County, offering career and technical training to high school students and adults in the community. One of the fundamental pieces of this education and training is the Library Media Center where students not only check out books, but also are afforded the opportunity to conduct research and complete assignments for classes. What may not be as widely known is Traviss is also home to a group of pre-school age children who attend the on-site daycare established for their teen parents to be able to attend day classes. Although the day care has been on-site at Traviss for some time, this year a program was started which brings the 2 to 4 year old children out of their classroom and into the library media center for story and singing time with Mrs. Rassel. Every Tuesday morning, 10 little people march into the Media Center, sit on their mats, and wait wideeyed for the week’s chosen stories. The books always have similar themes, such as numbers, animals, making good choices, or even holidays, such as Valentine’s Day. The children love to participate in the story-time, and even those who were at first shy have come out of their shells to play along with the interactive stories being told. After the stories, they stand, sing, and move to a chosen song which coincides with the stories. The children are sent back to their classroom with pictures to color also related to the week’s theme. The children really enjoy the time, seeing it as a special thing they get to do. The teachers and Mrs. Rassel really enjoy it because it encourages the children to love the library and teaches them at a very early age how to behave in the library media center in the library media center in preparation for Kindergarten and beyond.

TEAM EFFORTS

Volunteer to be a part of the Polk Men Read team. Every year volunteer readers serve boys and girls during their lunch time every week or twice a month. This past year, Thomas Novotny was featured on “What’s Good About Tampa Bay.” He has volunteered for two years at R. Bruce Wagner Elementary. Also, Jerry Newberry a volunteer for five years was featured in the Ledger. Please try to take time out of your busy schedule to serve. More information can be found at http://www.polk-fl.net/community/default.aspx. We now have women readers too. Contact us for more information. See PSCB site for the upcoming date for the Orientation Breakfast in September 2015 or contact Janice Hayes to get on the list of invitees.

Suggestions Being Taken for Titles for the next Power up Polk - All County Reads Books We need suggestions for the PreK-2; 3-5 and 6-12. Brief Criteria: The author chosen has produced a body of work; should be a work of literary fiction; three titles should have common themes and books should support family values. Email your title to [email protected] by June 1, 2015. Titles will be

announced in September.

Valleyview Elementary has over 25,000 items in the Media Center, adding additional new titles and authors to the collection each month. Each month an author is recognized with a bulletin board done by a volunteer parent. Students who read one or more of the author’s books and pass the AR test can enter to win a new book by that author. Each week drawings are held from “Caught You Reading” slips. There are two winners from K-1, 2-3 and 4-5 buckets. The winners select a book from new books purchased from Scholastic or other vendors. The Sunshine State Young Readers book program is highlighted and enjoyed at Valleyview Elementary. A large group of students go to the festival. A party is also held for those who pass 3 tests, with prizes given out and food enjoyed by the voters. The students look forward to voting for their favorite book. Many of the teachers read the books too. It is truly a team effort making the program a huge success. Pam Davies, Media II Para Educator – Valleyview Elementary