3rd Quarter Library Report

April has certainly provided the showers (many of them in the form of snow!), so May should abound with buds and blooms if the old saying holds true! Just as the third quarter abounded with a variety of fun school activities ranging from the Spring Book Fair to the GD Talent Show and several fun field trips and assemblies, including a visit from my favorite local author, Matthew McElligott!!! The Library has been abounding with activity, too, in the forms of community career presenters in CTE, several large book orders (one generously donated by our amazing PTA - THANK YOU!), School Librarian Appreciation Day, and lots of learning in all of my classes PreK-8! Here are some quick numbers at a glance:

• Number of new items added to date: 360
• Number of circulated items to date: 8,336
• Most popular item: Guts by Raina Telgemier with 25 checkouts (and counting!)

Our AMAZING PTA donated $1,500 worth of new books to the Library both from the Spring Book Fair and from the Scholastic Catalog this quarter!! They are flying off the shelves :-)

PreK did several fun activities while they explored the incomparable children's award-winning author and illustrator Kevin Henkes! Students thought about things that make them worried after we read Wemberly Worried, then they drew their favorite comfort object after we read Owen, then they let their creative juices flow in our very own Learning Lab after reading Lily's Plastic Purse, and finally they drew signs of spring after we read When Spring Comes and A Really Good Day! We're now reading poetry in honor of National Poetry month :-)

Kindergarten celebrated 100 days of school by doing an amazing scavenger hunt throughout the building! While in Library, our curious Kindergartners delighted in the incomparable books of Dr. Seuss in honor of his 121st birthday! Now we're learning about cause & effect through the fun If You Give.... books by Laura Numeroff.

In February, 1st grade learned all about poetry and its many different forms: shape, acrostic, free verse, etc. We learned to both hear and see rhymes and how to count stanzas. Then to celebrate Women's History Month, 1st grade spent March using PebbleGo to learn about a variety of important female leaders and trailblazers. I often paired read-alouds with independent research as students explored the lives of author Barbara Park, First Lady Martha Washington, scientist Jane Goodall, and Vice President Kamala Harris.

Second grade spent February learning about Martin Luther King Jr while using PebbleGo to study five essential character traits that exemplify Being a Good Citizen: Courage, Leadership, Respect, Responsibility, and Tolerance. Next, 2nd grade practiced writing a variety of letters. They wrote formal letters to their future 3rd grade teachers, persuasive letters to an adult in their lives, and friendly letters to a classmate. We had fun reading exemplar texts for each style of writing!

Starting in the second quarter, 3rd grade began a unit on global folklore where we compare and contrast similar stories. First, we focused on Folk Tales through the lens of Red Riding Hood. As we read three versions, students took notes on key literary elements from each story that they used to fill in a triple Venn diagram. Then students summarized their learning in a brief compare & contrast essay that showcased their conclusions. We're now in the process of exploring Fairy Tales through three global Cinderella stories.

Fourth grade spent the 3rd quarter learning about a NYS topic of their choice. They found resources on the database Britannica Online and the internet (focusing on finding reliable websites that are teacher approved!). They researched the history and impact of their topic and created presentations complete with bibliographies and images that they shared with their classmates.

Now that 5th grade has practiced making citations and notecards in the online research organizer, NoodleTools, they are ready to tackle their first major library research project! Each student has chosen an aspect of American culture to explore, focusing on researching the origins and impact of their topic. It's a great way for students to learn how our culture is a richly woven tapestry made up of many different fibers! Also, a big thank you to some of my amazing 5th grade volunteers who request to come in to help with everything from assisting younger grades with their writing to collating and distributing overdue slips ~ they are the BEST!

Sixth grade spent the 3rd quarter creating an evidence-based claim presentation defending their choice for what should be included in an updated list of Wonders of the Modern World. Beginning with defining what a modern marvel means to them and following up with evidence-based research on their chosen topic, students engaged in meaningful inquiry.

CTE 6 has worked hard this quarter! First they wrapped up a unit on Budgeting that included 2 interactive projects designed to simulate real-world experiences. Students enjoyed doing a 6-month simulation in the style of the board game, Life, where they got a job and paid bills while also making decisions about spending and saving. Then they hit the lottery in the Million Dollar Project where they had to research college, transportation, and housing costs while having a little fun planning a trip and making other dream purchases.

In our Young Voices Matter unit, students have learned about and researched both Youth Activists and Youth Entrepreneurs. It is my goal that they find these projects inspirational and motivating, while demonstrating that young voices do indeed matter!

This Quarter students in 7th grade CTE wrapped up their work on soft skills and began exploring the 16 national career clusters, beginning with the US military. Students learned about the 6 branches of the military and how the military can offer training or help pay for college. In March, we had our first community presenter, Col Jason Shultz, from the Watervliet Arsenal. Now students are exploring career opportunities in Healthcare. We kicked the unit off with a presentation from Pam Barrall, RN, who captivated the students with her hands-on demonstrations of CPR and IV techniques. We also had Traci Tenzyk talk about her career as a Dental Assistant. Next, we will have Nick Crucetti who will discuss his career as a Pharmacist. We are SO lucky to have such an abundance of community career presenters who are willing to share their personal and professional journeys with 7th graders!

Students in 8th grade CTE spent the 3rd quarter learning about consumerism. We started the unit by exploring what defines a generation followed by what motivates us a consumers. Then students researched their favorite influencer and what strategies they use to promote goods and services. As part of the project, students had to create their own influencer video. Our guest presenter was our very own Kyle Barber who talked to the students about techniques and tools for shooting effective videos. He even loaned equipment to some students and helped others film their videos. Next, students researched the history of their favorite brand logo, analyzing how these logos help to promote the products and brands that are such a big part of our lives. Then they created what they think the next version of their chosen logo should look like, and explained who the target audience is, why they chose each stylistic element, and how this new logo fits into the evolution of the original logos. We wrapped up the unit by learning about marketing strategies in product packaging and what causes inflation. Now students are learning about AI tools. They had fun animating their own drawings and trying to stump each other by generating plausible writing samples using either ChatGPT or Code Breaker. We were lucky to end the quarter with Mandy Miele coming in to talk to our 8th graders about how AI has transformed her job as a Learning Consultant.

This quarter, students in Music Research wrapped up their work on Opposing Viewpoints by sharing their researched evidence-based claim on a controversial topic in music of their choice. They spent the rest of this quarter working on a biography project where they researched the life and contributions of any person of their choice who has had a significant impact on the music industry. Topics ranged from Chester Bennington to Stevie Nicks to Ozzy Osbourne- truly an eclectic group of individuals past and present representing the diversity of the field! Students then took their research and created 4 products to demonstrate their learning. Several product options encouraged creativity and allowed the students an opportunity to really discover the "voice" of their chosen individual. I am really proud of the solid research skills our students have honed this year!

The 3rd quarter was packed with fantastic professional development opportunities! On March 14th, I participated in the Regional PD Day by attending 3 helpful virtual sessions that were a much needed recharge for me. After having spent the past 3 years developing custom CTE curriculum for grades 6, 7, and 8, it was wonderful to learn about Disrupting the Cycle of Burnout, Heart Healthy Eating, and Meal Planning on a Budget. Then on April 2nd, I attended the third Questar Library SLS Communication Coordinators meeting of the academic year. Librarians from Cap Region, Questar, and WSWHE BOCES met in Wilton for an all-day workshop about "Elevating AI in Education" with Ken Shelton.

Email: lfecura@Wynantskillufsd.org
Website: https://sites.google.com/wynantskillufsd.org/lfecura/home
Location: 25 East Avenue, Troy, NY, USA
Phone: (518)283-4600 238