Brrrr! January!

Fifth grade students using Britannica Online.

Fourth graders doing soil research.

Fourth graders making soil folders.

A lot of great things happened in the Moye library during the month of January.  Fourth and fifth graders began research on soil and the planets, respectively, using print resources and Encyclopedia Britannica Online.  The fourth graders used the mouse (mice?) to manipulate a photograph of the layers of soil and the fifth graders were able to see actual photographs of the planet they were studying.  The Britannica Online database is wonderful because students can highlight passages and see a Spanish translation of the English text and can opt to have the text read aloud to the them by the computer. 

First Day of Winter

Pre-kindergartners built a snowman after reading the cumulative tale The First Day of Winter by Denise Fleming.  We used a chart paper snowman as our "canvas" and added to him a variety of things - one red cap, two (blue) mittens, three striped scarves...ten peanut toes -   to make him look like the snowman in the book.  Each class posed for a picture with their snowman creation and Ms. Manso and Ms. Blanco combined efforts to make a very CHILL display outside the library door. 

One of the librarians in the district has asked us to send pictures of our bulletins so that she can compile a CD showcasing our many creative endeavors. I have sent her pictures of a couple of bulletin boards but have felt so blue lately that I didn't think I had the energy to put together an new board this winter. When I received Anne's email asking for submissions, I pulled myself up by the boot straps and got busy and this is the result. Nothing like reading on these cold wintry days.

Little Red

The week of January 17, students in second grade performed a reader's theater production of the folktale "Little Red Riding Hood".  The children were divided into groups of two or three students each and assigned parts...narrator, Little Red Riding Hood, mother, grandmother, the wolf or the woodsman.  We read our lines through once and then five lucky students were selected to act out the play with finger puppets and the puppet theater while the rest of the class read the lines from the play.  It was our first attempt at doing a finger puppet show in the library.  The area behind the puppet theater was a bit squishy even for five pint-sized, second grade puppeteers but they managed to put on a great performance despite the cramped quarters.  I look forward to having some of the second graders perform the play to our kindergarten students after a few more dress rehearsals. 

Happy New Year?

January promises to be a hectic month and the beginning to what may be a very interesting year for EPISD librarians.  Because the tax ratification bill did not pass this summer, our district's budget faced a deficit coming into this school year.  Eighty-six positions were cut to balance the budget for the 2010-2011 school year but now the district is facing a reduction in state funding which will impact the 2011-2012 budget.  The State Legislators will be meeting in a few weeks to determine the appropriations for public education.  Once the appropriation bill is passed, EPISD will begin to gauge what measures it will need to take to balance the 2011-2012 district budget.  A Budget Stakeholders Committee has been created by Dr. Garcia and they are looking at several models to include a 5% reduction in personnel in order to satisfy the anticipated $22 million dollar deficit.  In the meantime, this librarian is concerned for her job and for the impact that cutting librarians and possibly closing the district's school libraries might have on the education of El Paso's school children.

December in Library

December was an extremely busy month in the library.  We had regularly scheduled classes the first week of the month, with our third grade students finishing up their research on Dia de los Muertos and decorating their altar-shaped folders for their completed research worksheets. The second grade read versions of "Little Red Riding Hood," identifying the characteristics of a folktale and relating the lesson learned by Little Red to safety online and the importance of the AUA. 

The fifth graders were entertained and informed through a presentation on the Buffalo Soldiers given by Mr. Charles Taylor.  Technology site coordinator, Sherita Martin told me about Mr. Taylor's presentations and I invited him to present to our kids.  I prepared a little background information in the form of several transparencies that the fifth grade teachers used to introduce the Buffalo Soldiers to their students.  Ms. Martin videotaped and I photographed the presentation while our fifth graders listened intently.  Mr. Taylor was a most enjoyable and informative  speaker! 

The M&Ms (Mentors and Mentees) met for the first time in December.  Among the teachers mentoring students were Ms. Mueller, Ms. Oseles, Ms. Stone, Ms. Ayala, Ms. Barrera, Ms. Samaniego, Mr. Siemenn and yours truly.  I put together an art activity for the children to make - a paper plate angel - and Ms.  Ayala provided the snacks and a Santa hat for each mentee.  A good time was had by all.

All of the Moye children participated in pajama day the week of December 13th.  Donning their sleeping attire, the children came to the library for a holiday, book-based movie - "A Christmas Carol", "Polar Express" and "How the Grinch Stole Christmas" and a cup of hot cocoa.  Everyone was on their very best behavior as they knew Santa was watching and preparing his list of good boys and girls!

And lo and behold, Santa did visit the children at Moye on the very last day of class before the holiday break! We had a RIF distribution so that each child was able to take a book home to read over their vacation, and while they were selecting books, who should appear but Santa and his trusty elf, distributing candy canes and good cheer.  

When a Leader from Outside of the Box Steps into Your Circle | The Alexander Group

When a Leader from Outside of the Box Steps into Your Circle | The Alexander Group

November News

November has been a busy month in the library so far and we still have a week left!  The second grade studied folktales so we read Stone Soup in the library and identified the characteristics of a folktale that could be found in this particular version of this old European story.  Then all of the second graders and their teachers came to the library to make stone soup.  We used five crock pots and five stones and assorted ingredients that were added by the students into the crock pot for their class section.  Ingredients included pinto beans, black beans, taco seasonings, dry ranch salad dressing, tomato juice, Rotel, chopped chilies, and browned ground beef.  The soup cooked all day in the crock pots in the library and at the end of the day, Ms. Manso and I delivered the crock pots, spoons, bowls, and crackers to each second grade classroom so the children could sample their culinary skills. 

Second grade teachers adding the stones.

Yoselin and Ms. Navarrete adding ingredients to the soup.

                      

Ms. Chavez and the students in 2F enjoying their soup.

                                                                                                                                 

Early in the month, the third graders studied the celebration of Dia de los Muertos.  They used print resources as well as information available through the Kidsclick! Internet browser for children to complete a worksheet on the holiday.  From there, the children took their information and used it to complete a fill-in-the-blank paragraph about the traditions surrounding this holiday.  In the next week, the third graders will take their fill-in-the-blank paragraphs and write their own reports that will be added to an altar shaped construction paper folder.  The students will decorate their altars with illustrations that represent what they learned about the Day of the Dead.  Stay tuned for pictures of the final products. 

Using websites on Kidsclick! for research.

Using print resources for research.

 

 The fourth and fifth graders listened to another Bluebonnet Book, Sparrow Girl for fifth grade and The Uglified Duckling for fourth grade.  The fifth graders compared the historical fiction account of the killing of sparrows by farmers in China in 1958 with the plague of locusts and the Dust Bowl that affected the southwestern United States in the 1930s.  They used EBSCO to view a short video clip of the Dust Bowl and then answered a worksheet about the Dust Bowl from magazine articles available through EBSCO.  The fourth graders compared The Uglified Duckling to Hans Christian Anderson's The Ugly Duckling and identified the characteristics of a folktale that could be found in this story.  When fourth grade returns to the library in two weeks, they will complete a worksheet about Aesop and the origin of fables.