Wanamaker Library Newsletter

The WE 5th graders had an extraordinary experience on Friday, September 11, when they had the privilege of hearing one man's story of survival.

On the 25th anniversary of this fateful day, Mr. Robert Matos, a 9/11 survivor from New Jersey, so graciously shared his story and expressed his gratitude for being here today. While that day 25 years ago was filled with tragedy and much loss, Robert emphasized that there is much good in the world and that by working together, we can make the world a better place.

He told the students that 9/11 changed him by helping him realize what really matters in life. As a younger man, he was busy chasing material wealth, and after experiencing this tragic event, he realized that family and friends were the true measure of wealth.

He told the students that he had faith in their generation, our future leaders and citizens. He also told them that above all, "BE KIND."

He complimented the 5th graders on their thoughtful questions and told them that if they ever find themselves in New York City, to be sure and visit the 9/11 memorial and museum there.

Thank you, Mr. Matos, for taking the time to share your incredible story, your wisdom, and your hopeful message with our students today. You made a difference, and for that, we are grateful.

The students wrote heartfelt Thank You letters to Mr. Matos to show their appreciation of him sharing this experience with them.

In addition to connecting with Mr. Matos, we read aloud I Survived the 9/11 Attacks by Lauren Tarshis in our library classes. With both of these experiences, the students now have a clearer picture of the tragedy of 9/11 and its effects on our country and its people.

Wanamaker Elementary welcomed author Jenn Bailey on Friday, September 25 when she visited with the 4th graders about her life as an author and editor. Jenn filled the room with her energy and enthusiasm as she interacted with the students during her presentation. She shared the many different translations of her books and had the students guess the languages in which her books have been translated. She stated, "Stories are meant to be shared, no matter the language."

When asked by a student if she has always loved books, she said, "Yes!" She told the students that if they don't enjoy reading now, they just haven't found the right book yet. She advised them to keep trying different book formats and genres until they find the ones that interest them. She also said that we can improve our writing by being readers.

Furthering her interactions with the students, she helped them draft a story by using their collective ideas. Their collaboration produced quite a creative story titled "The Fight Between the Veggies and an Army Tank!"

Jenn was in town as a participant at the Kansas Book Festival that was held on Saturday, September 26, on the Washburn University campus.

Thank you, Jenn Bailey, for taking the time to visit us and for gifting each of our 4th grade teachers with a boxed set of Henry chapter books for their classroom libraries.

The Wanamaker library and art department collaborated on their 9th annual bookmark contest. The theme for this year was to design a colorful bookmark that promoted reading and had the student's initials hidden somewhere in the design.

Students created their bookmarks during art class, then the voting began! The winning bookmarks were chosen by students, faculty, and staff members. Each student's original bookmark was laminated and returned to them. Additionally, each student received a copy of their grade level's winning bookmark.

The winners were as follows: Logan (Kindergarten); Saydie (1st Grade); Hadley (2nd Grade); Lucy (3rd Grade); Charlotte (4th Grade); and Nora (5th Grade).

The winning bookmarks are on display in the hallway; if you get a chance to check them out during P-T conferences, I encourage you to do so! The WE artists/readers did a great job with their creations.

The 2nd grade classes will be participating in the Global Read Aloud Picture Book Study during the month of October. The premise of the GRA is that students around the world are reading the same book at the same time and making connections with each other in various ways. We will be learning about author/illustrator Dan Santat and his picture books while making connections with our two US buddy classes located in Massachusetts and New York, respectively.

We kicked the GRA off with two Mystery Skypes, an engaging way for classrooms to introduce themselves to each other. Working from a large map of the United States, students used their map/geography/communication skills to guess the mystery location of the other classrooms by using yes/no questions. After discovering where our buddy classes are located, we spent some time sharing details about our schools, cities, and states with each other.

When second grader, Jackson, was asked how he liked participating in a Mystery Skype, he responded with, "I LOVED it!" He also loves that we get to have friends who live in another part of the United States.

We are excited to learn more about Dan Santat and use his books to connect with our buddy class!

The WE 5th grade book club had a great day at the Heartland Literature Festival held at Washburn University! The featured author-- award-winning, nonfiction writer Steve Sheinkin, gave the keynote to kick off the day.

We learned the inspiration behind some of Steve's stories and why he made some of the writing choices that he did while writing his books. He told the students that the best writing tip he could give them is to "just write!" He told them that they would make mistakes, but that's okay because that is how we grow and get better at what we do. He shared some of his early mistakes with the kids, and said that he doesn't view them as failures because he learned and grew from them.

In addition to sharing his daily writing routine with the audience, he also explained his approach to the research process. He said the research trips that he takes to learn more about his topics are interesting and his favorite part of the process.

The students participated in 3 break-out sessions throughout the day and utilized their creative abilities with various activities.

After reading Steve's book Diamond Fever!, it was so fun to watch the students get excited about meeting the book's author and learning from him! As one student put it, "This was the BEST day ever!"

As a bonus, one of our students, Levi, was interviewed by a WIBW reporter about his thoughts on reading Diamond Fever! See link below!

September 26th was a great day to celebrate literacy in Kansas! Even with a light rain at times, there was a record number of attendees (approximately 2,500) at the Kansas Book Festival held on Washburn University's campus. The event included a variety of literary sessions geared to different age groups, vendors, children's activities, entertainment, and food trucks. Thank you to the Kansas Book Festival committee and to the generous contributing organizations and donors who make this inspiring celebration possible!

I was honored to moderate a session with authors Jenn Bailey and Giselle Anatol on the topic of "Childhoods of Creativity and Courage." Through their stories, Jenn and Giselle explore how childhood imagination and resilience can inspire extraordinary lives. During our panel discussion, we heard about the inspiration behind their books, the histories that shaped them, and the importance of sharing these stories with young readers today.

I loved getting to work with and learn from these authors who reinforced my belief that authors/illustrators are the nicest sort of people!

Oct. 9, 15 & 16-- No School

Oct. 15 & 16-- Boo Gram forms given to interested parents during P-T conferences

Oct. 23-- PTA sponsored Fall Festival at WE from 5:00 - 7:00

Oct. 26 - 29-- Student Council sells Boo Grams in the library at the end of the day. Proceeds from Boo Gram sales will be used for Student Council's holiday project.

Oct. 8 & Oct. 30-- Student Council meetings at 8:00 AM in the library

Oct. 30-- Mrs. Reinert presents at the State Library Conference on the topic of "Beyond Checkout: Activities to Help Build a Positive Reading Culture."

Nov. 11-- Veteran's Day Assembly

Month of November-- National Picture Book Month. Please take the time to enjoy some awesome picture books with your student!