LRC Weekly Update

Mark your calendars! The Library Media Center is excited to host Hour of Code activities during the week of December 1st–5th. We have planned engaging, grade-level appropriate activities to introduce our students to the basics of computer science and computational thinking.

Kindergarten Code-a-Pillar - Hands-on sequencing and physical coding.

1st Grade Code & Go Mice - Using tangible buttons to program navigation.

2nd Grade Osmo Coding - Tablet-based, interactive puzzle-solving.

3rd Grade Dance Party - Block-based coding to choreograph music videos.

4th Grade Code with the Grinch - Themed activities using drag-and-drop coding.

5th Grade Compute It - Advanced challenges focusing on logic and variables.

Important Notes for Teachers

• Grades 3–5: Please remind your students to bring their chromebooks to the LRC for their scheduled Hour of Code session.

• Schedule: With iReady testing commencing this week; please reach out if you need to reschedule your library time to not miss out on the fun!

We look forward to an exciting week of learning, problem-solving, and fun!

Just in time for the cooler weather and holiday excitement, the library has three fantastic new displays ready to engage our students!

Cozy Winter Reading: Our seasonal display is filled with beautiful picture books and chapter books about snow, winter animals, traditions, and indoor fun. Encourage your students to grab a book and curl up with a good read!

Celebrating Holidays: We've curated a cozy collection of books celebrating winter, various holidays (including Christmas, Hanukkah, Kwanzaa, and more!), and stories about kindness and giving. Perfect for read-alouds or independent browsing!

Code Your World: Check out our interactive coding display! It features books on beginner programming concepts, fun coding activities, and information on using tools like Scratch and robotics kits. This is a fantastic resource for linking literacy and STEM.

We encourage you to bring your classes by, check out the books, and let us know how we can help you integrate these themes into your lessons!

Get ready for some festive fun and literacy excitement! We are thrilled to announce the start of our annual Bitmoji Elf Hunt throughout the school building.

Kickoff Event: A Story Time Launch

We will officially kick off the event on Thursday, December 4th, with a special live stream read-aloud of "How to Catch an Elf" in the LRC. Check your email later today for the YouTube link!

The Hunt Details

• The Mission: Twenty-nine of our special Bitmoji Library Elves have hidden themselves around the school! Encourage your students to keep their eyes peeled as they move around (to and from specials, lunch, etc.).

• Rewards & Literacy: Students who find an elf can bring them back to the LRC will receive a small holiday gift and the exciting chance to help build our sight word story wall!

This activity promotes observation skills, building community, and directly contributes to our school-wide literacy goals. Let the hunting begin!

As we continue using our school-issued devices, we’ve recently observed an increase in unusual wear and tear on our student chromebooks, leading to higher repair costs and downtime. We would appreciate your support in reinforcing these critical care reminders with your students:

Key Areas of Concern

• Careful Handling: We've seen an uptick in damage from how devices are handled. Please remind students to be extra careful when carrying and moving their chromebooks around the classroom and building. Two hands are always best!

• Physical Damage: We are seeing instances of keys being taken off the keyboard and the fascia (bezel) coming apart from the screen. This is often due to picking at the device or dropping it.

Please take a moment to review basic care expectations with your class. Consistent reminders about keeping food and drinks away from devices and placing them gently into storage will help ensure these learning tools last for the rest of the year.

Thank you for helping us maintain our technology resources!

Chromebook Troubleshooting Tips

Here's a how-to slideshow with some basic troubleshooting tips for chromebooks. It includes information on how to fix a sideways screen, clearing your cache and turning off accessibility mode.

Vivi Updates - Extended Screen

For those who wanted to extend their desktops instead of mirror your screen you now can! Using the desktop vivi app you can set up multiple screens. Here's a quick how-to from microsoft or please reach out to Kristine to help!

YouTube Update

Elementary students cannot access YouTube as of June 2025. While this has its good points it may create a wrinkle in your teaching if you want students to utilize secondary video sources. But fear not! there is a workaround.

If you want to continue to use YouTube videos and have students access them you can embed them in google slides. If you have any questions about how to embed videos in your slides please reach out to Kristine. :)

Daily Sub Tech Capabilities

New this year, daily subs will use a chromebook issued from the LRC. These devices can connect to Vivi using classlink, however, daily subs do not have the ability to print.

They also do not have access to many Classlink and instructional apps. Please keep this in mind when you are planning an absence.

Below is a snapshot of what you're daily substitute will see in classlink.

• Helpdesk Ticket Portal

• Vivi Connect Directions (Windows+K DOES NOT WORK)

• How to Pin a Website to Task Bar

• How to add a printer

• 2025-26 List - D303 Approved Instructional Technology

• SOPPA reference

• Schoology Commitments 25-26

• share your story here - D303 News

• How to import content from old course - Schoology Support