2nd Quarter Library Report

I am so proud of the tremendous effort put forth by our students, staff, and families to keep our school open for live instruction! Dr. Yodis has gone above and beyond to provide the leadership and guidance necessary for moving forward during these unprecedented times. The Library may look different without its usual displays, and minus the usual classes coming and going - but I am pleased to say that while adhering to safety protocols, I am still able to provide full library services to all students and staff ~ from delivering synchronous high quality curriculum-aligned instruction to both in person & remote learners to ensuring all members of our community have access to our complete collection of print and electronic media. It is an understatement to say that this has been a difficult year for all, but together we keep moving forward. Here's a link to my 2nd quarter schedule if you'd like to see what my classes have been working on!

There's no better time to explore the beautiful picture books created by Jan Brett than during the winter! Our kindergartners have loved using the extra illustrations on each page to see what is happening elsewhere in the story, or to make predictions about what will happen next. Students continue to work on essential literacy skills like story sequencing and identifying the main idea.

In our second nonfiction text unit this year, students focused their attention on winter, learning exciting new vocabulary like, "subnivean zone", while also studying the concepts of solstices, equinoxes, hibernation, migration, camouflage, and more! Students recorded their weekly learning in customized graphic organizers taken from the ESIFC.

Second grade has spent all of January learning about key citizenship characteristics through the lens of Martin Luther King, Jr. Each week we focus on a different characteristic - Leadership, Courage, Respect, Responsibility, and Tolerance - that we relate to Martin Luther King, Jr. using books about MLK coupled with citizenship articles that the students read independently in the database Pebble Go. Students then write about examples of each characteristic and why its important, while relating each characteristic to their own lives.

Third grade has loved learning about the characteristics of Folk Tales while reading three versions of "Little Red Riding Hood" from three different countries to see how stories change depending on the culture telling them! Students have taken notes on a graphic organizer recording details from each story including main character, task, bad guy, and the lesson taught. Next, they will fill in a triple Venn Diagram to compare & contrast the stories before writing a simple essay with their conclusions.

All Fall 4th grade explored a variety of digital and print resources to learn about NYS. We also focused on the importance of giving authors credit through the use of citations. We're now putting all of those skills into use in their first Library research project! Peter Mesh and I collaborated to make this a group project, which students are really enjoying! Using individual Google Meets, teams of 2 are working together to explore a NYS topic of their choice using databases and websites to learn about the history and impact of their chosen topic. First, they completed a Research Planning Sheet to evenly divide up the work, and now they're working on a notetaking sheet to gather information from their sources. Next, partners will discuss their notes with each other in a Meet before they begin writing their group reports, complete with images and a bibliography.

After finishing a unit on Digital Citizenship that focused on how to use digital resources skillfully, ethically, and safely - students are now learning how to put those skills into practice when they research using the online research organizer, NoodleTools. Students set up accounts and are now practicing how to make citations and notecards from a variety of database and internet sources. After they have mastered the mechanics, students will embark on their first major Library research project.

Sixth grade is now working on an evidence-based claim research project where they are researching a modern man-made structure of their choice that they think should be included in a list of "Modern Marvels". All work is housed in NoodleTools. Students will be creating presentations that feature their unique definition of what a Modern Marvel is, and that then illustrate why their structure deserves this honor. Students will include a variety of evidence and images to back up their claim, and will, of course, provide a complete list of Works Cited.

My Middle School Book Clubs are continuing to do a great job selecting high quality literature that challenges them to think in new ways. I thoroughly enjoy our thoughtful student-lead discussions about the books we're reading. Seventh grade is currently reading The Lord of the Flies while 8th grade is reading The Hate U Give.

A high point in my rotation of classes each week are my "C" days when I read with the ASPIRE students! Aidan and I shared a special connection, so I was especially sad to see him go ~ although it gives me more time with the other two boys :-) Each visit I bring 3-5 books that I select based upon the weekly ASPIRE team meeting goals. Lately we've been focusing on opposites and arctic habitats.

It has been such a GREAT experience working with students in Mrs. Kelleher's, Mrs. Madelone's, Mrs. Wallace's, & Mrs. Curran's classes every day! In Mrs. Kelleher's class, I work 1:1 with Sam, Brody, & Andrew on reading skills - and I was so pleased when Mrs. Kelleher showed me how much they each grew on their latest round of assessments! In Mrs. Madelone's class, I usually work 1:1 with Presley, but while she's been out, I've been happy to help the other students with their afternoon Centers activities. In 3rd grade, I sometimes work with individual students like Max & Giuliana, while other times I stay with the class while the teachers pull students. So far so good!

I have been pleasantly surprised by how much I'm still able to collaborate with other teachers this year, despite the challenges posed by our safety protocols and modified schedules! As a matter of fact, in some cases my collaborations have occurred as a happy result of those very factors! A case in point is the work I did with Peter Mesh to design my first ever virtual library research project for 4th grade. Peter and I met several times so we could brainstorm logistics and I could show him my materials. He also set up the individual Google Meets that group members use to collaborate in the classroom. What's especially nice about this project is that it allows my remote students to work 1:1 with my in person students, and I love that we can create those interactions for students that may otherwise be feeling isolated from their peers!

I've also been working with Rebecca Davis & Michelle Nicklas to design new units for Peyton Dineen now that I've started NoodleTools with 5th grade, which cannot be modified to meet his needs. I am currently having Peyton use the database Pebble Go to engage in his own developmentally appropriate research, and he seems to love it!

Please see my collaboration log for more examples of the great work going on!

In December I was able to attend the virtual Questar Library Communication Coordinators meeting where area librarians learned about new eBook platforms and shared ideas and best practices for more effectively engaging with students during the pandemic.

I also had two virtual Questar Library Council Meetings this quarter where we worked on updating the 5-Year Plan of Service and the CCCD Plans.

I'm looking forward to a 3-meeting series staring in March called Book Buzz where area school librarians meet to discuss and share new books.

The Arts in Ed Committee has been thinking outside the box to bring quality virtual programming to GD during the pandemic! We brought 5 programs to our students in the 2nd quarter alone, with more to come in the coming months! Here's a link to our current 2020-2021 Line Up. I'd like to send a BIG thank you to the PTA for their generous financial support, and also to Dr. Yodis for always recognizing the value of arts in our education :-)

Gardner Dickinson School Library: Where Media Meets the Mind

Email: lfecura@wynantskillufsd.org
Website: https://sites.google.com/wynantskillufsd.org/lfecura/home?authuser=0
Location: 25 East Avenue, Troy, NY, USA
Phone: (518)283-4600