Hello, Ford Family! Thank you for taking the time to see the lessons, activities, and events that we have offered in our library during the 4th 6-weeks. This year has continued to be a busy one, and we take pride in engaging our students in various opportunities for reading, learning, and creating.

Mrs. Alvarez is a proud recipient of a PSJA Education Foundation grant in the amount of $1,000! These funds will be utilized to update the STEM (science, technology, engineering, and mathematics) collection in our library. As part of the application, she worked on a list of books about STEM topics and careers. These resources will help our students learn about pathways in this future-ready setting.

Our team of 4th and 5th grade students accepted the challenge to read our four Battle of the Bluebonnet Books titles throughout this school year. In January, Amerie R. (captain), Micah M., Ian R., and Isaac R. competed against teams from the other twenty-four PSJA elementary schools. Our team did a great job! They worked together and represented our school well. Way to go, Mustangs!

TEKS: (6) Comprehension skills: listening, speaking, reading, writing, and thinking using multiple texts. The student uses metacognitive skills to both develop and deepen comprehension of increasingly complex texts. The student is expected to: (B) generate questions about text before, during, and after reading to deepen understanding and gain information;

TX Library Standards: 3.2- The school library program supports, supplements, and elevates literacy instruction through research-based strategies and participation in national, state, and local reading initiatives.

Students who read at least five of the Texas Bluebonnet list books had the opportunity to vote for their favorite. These are books chosen by a panel as great titles for 3rd-6th graders in Texas. Our students' favorites were Efrén Divided, Someplace to Call Home, Words on Fire, Ways to Make Sunshine, and The Incredibly Dead Pets of Rex Dexter.

In honor of the 100th Day of School, we participated in special activities in the library. We recognized the students who have read more than 100 books this year! They have passed more than 100 AR quizzes. We read books about the 100th day, and wrote creatively about what we would do with $100 or what we think the world will be like when we're 100 years old. We also had a contest to estimate how many hundreds of books we have in our library. Thank you to all the students who submitted a guess. The correct answer is 13,628 total books, or 136 hundreds! Congratulations to our winners. Ivan N. (4th grade in Ms. Garza's class) was the closest, and runners-up were Isabella A. (4th grade, Arciniega), Andre A. (3rd grade, Ochoa), Carly S. (5th grade, Villarreal), and Ruben M. (5th grade, Dena). Way to go, students!

How can we celebrate reading together?

• Read-aloud with (or to!) a family member

• Listen to a teacher as they read aloud a book

• Post a video on our Flipgrid recommending a book: https://flipgrid.com/4178a633

• Read a book on myON, Epic, or MackinVIA about the 100th Day of School

• Decorate a bookmark to use as you read your next book!

• Play a story-telling game

• Watch or join in with an author visit

• Get a book from our Little Free Library (in front of our school!)

We had the opportunity to meet with four different authors as part of World Read-Aloud Day! Our pre-k class participated in a lesson about Living and Nonliving things with Lisa M. Bolt Simons. 1st graders met with Meghan P. Browne and heard about a 99-year old Texas woman who was an aviator pilot during WWII. 5th graders heard portions of the book Arrow from Samantha M. Clark, and 4th graders met with Summer Rachel Short, and asked lots of great questions!

In the library, our lessons support and enrich classroom instruction. Here are a few examples of the learning that has been happening during library class. We had the opportunity to learn about and celebrate several special days during the 4th 6-weeks. We recognized Martin Luther King, Jr. Day, the 100th Day of School, World Read-Aloud Day, Groundhog Day, Lunar New Year, Black History Month, Valentine's Day, and more!

In celebration of Martin Luther King, Jr. Day, students read the book Martin's Big Words, and took a virtual tour of the National Civil Rights Museum in Memphis, TN and the Martin Luther King memorial in Washington, D.C. We also used our electronic resources on MackinVIA to view BrainPOP videos to learn about this great historical figure.

Students learned about the Lunar New Year through games and books. We read about the celebration on myON and Epic, and used a game to test our knowledge. Happy Year of the Tiger!

Resources to learn about Presidents Day and to virtually explore Mount Rushmore are shared in Google Classroom! Check out all the great books to read about this national holiday.

Mrs. Fuentes's Pre-K students worked on building their own creations-- students were proud to show off their buildings, castles, rockets, and more!

Ms. J. Martinez's 2nd graders visited again (virtually) with author/poet/artist Chelsea Lin Wallace as part of a collaboration called #KidsNeedMentors. We worked on the final stanza of an "I Am" poem, using special deliciously-smelling pencils sent by Ms. Chelsea! We are anxiously awaiting April 19, the publication date of Ms. Chelsea's debut picture book, A Home Named Walter.

TX Library Standards: 4.1-The library program effectively uses and promotes the use of technology applications and tools across all content areas for discovery, collaboration, critical analysis, creation, and presentation of learning.

Our AR Goal-Getters achieved at least 100% of their points goal with at least an 85% average for the third 6-weeks! Moving forward, our goal is for 1st and 2nd graders to earn at least 6 points, 3rd graders to earn 8 points, 4th graders to earn 10 points, and 5th graders to earn 12 points. These students will be recognized for their hard work. Students are encouraged to read library books, as well as ebooks and audiobooks from myON and MackinVIA. Keep reading, Mustangs!

TX Library Standards: 3.2- The school library program supports, supplements, and elevates literacy instruction through research-based strategies and participation in national, state, and local reading initiatives.

TX Library Standards: 6.4- The school library program activities are evaluated

using data analysis in order to improve student outcomes.

For the 3rd 6-Weeks, these classes were recognized for having the most AR points in their grade level.

Thanks to the generosity of First Book, Mrs. Alvarez was able to order boxes of five different titles for free. These books will be shared with students and given away as prizes and incentives.

During the beginning of March, we celebrate Read Across America week! To celebrate Read Across America, we can try to read books representing the different regions of the United States. See the link below for read-alouds on YouTube and Epic!

We will be having special events and activities, including a collaboration with students from Collegiate High School who will be visiting to read and do an activity with some of our pre-k, kinder, and 2nd grade students.

During that week, we will also be inviting families to join us for two literacy night events in our library. On Wednesday, March 2, we will invite families of 3rd-5th graders, and on Thursday, March 3, we will invite families of pre-k-2nd grade students. These events will run from 5:00-5:45 p.m. Families will have the opportunity to read books together, and to pick up a free book. More information will be forthcoming.

This year, we will prepare for the first-of-its-kind Batalla de los Libros! A team of three 4th and 5th grade students will read three books in Spanish. On March 21 and 22, teams will compete against those from other schools, based on their knowledge of the books. Nine students signed up to join the Batalla de los Libros, and we have narrowed down to our three team members: Pamela T., Ezequiel S., and Gael C. These students are reading the books and will compete at the district level!

TEKS: (6) Comprehension skills: listening, speaking, reading, writing, and thinking using multiple texts. The student uses metacognitive skills to both develop and deepen comprehension of increasingly complex texts. The student is expected to: (B) generate questions about text before, during, and after reading to deepen understanding and gain information;

TX Library Standards: 3.2- The school library program supports, supplements, and elevates literacy instruction through research-based strategies and participation in national, state, and local reading initiatives.

Save the Date: The Scholastic Book Fair will be returning to our school from April 4-8! We can't wait to bring more books to our families and bring the excitement back again. More details regarding the books, creating eWallets, and family shopping opportunities will be coming!

Mrs. Alvarez is active in using the site DonorsChoose to get projects funded to benefit our campus. Check out our Mustang Library DonorsChoose page to see past and current projects!

Be sure to visit our Little Free Library just outside the front gate at Henry Ford Elementary School! We were selected as a site for an impact grant and we received a fully assembled, 2-story Little Free Library, a charter sign with registration number, and a starter collection of books! The Little Free Library is already stocked with books for our Mustang family and community. Please feel free to take a book, and if you'd like to donate a book, donations can be brought to the library or left inside the Little Free Library. A ribbon-cutting and grand opening celebration is being planned and will be announced! Be on the lookout for more details.

TX Library Standards: 5.3- The school library program extends library-based learning opportunities for families through community-centered activities.

Ford Family: Look at all the activities offered by the Pharr Memorial Library this month! Save the date for their Dr. Seuss birthday celebration on March 3! All library events are completely free for children 4-12 years old. Toddler Time is the only activity for children under four years old.

All students have been automatically enrolled in a Library Google Classroom space. In that area, I will post links to important resources, library activities, and important announcements. Keep yourself posted by checking the stream and materials frequently!

TX Library Standards: 5.3- The school library program extends library-based learning opportunities for families through community-centered activities.

TX Library Standards:

3.1- The library encourages students to read a variety of literature for information and pleasure. The library provides access to physical and virtual collections of high quality, current resources in a variety of formats (print, audio, electronic) and platforms (readable on most devices) which reflect input from stakeholders.

School library programs promote reading as an essential skill for learning, personal growth, and enjoyment which are essential skills for college, career, and community.

3.3- Library materials reflect diversity, student choice for leisure reading, and reading for information as well as the needs of the curriculum and the state standards.

3.4- Digital Learning - Effective school libraries are a vital hub with equitable access to emerging technologies which provide curated and open access to a variety of print and digital resources. They support best instructional practices and curriculum standards through the integration of resources while assessing the impact on student learning.

Families of 1st-5th graders: Do you have questions about the Accelerated Reader (AR) program? Here is a guide to help you get started. If you have any questions, please feel free to reach out to me at rachel.alvarez@psjaisd.us.

English: https://docs.google.com/presentation/d/e/2PACX-1vSTXoT3LjceRG4DtcYIMLIA95HOUrEU2VZ7DHQDCaoCzhDvB7grY3QMniAVRLRcfNDiQl7ykeGiVwp_/pub?start=true&loop=true&delayms=60000

Spanish: https://docs.google.com/presentation/d/e/2PACX-1vSku6Fh8gW0sAoxA98MPWKXWGDRMNCNgIgkEvCW1-3J-h9MUP84rbW-43Zp7WTDsy3oV-UANSnhglaE/pub?start=true&loop=true&delayms=60000

Students in 1st-5th grade have taken their Star Reading beginning-of-year assessments to determine their current reading level. Using those results, the AR system generates individualized goals for students, including a points goal and a book level goal. We are encouraging 1st to earn at least 6 points, 2nd graders to earn at least 8 points, 3rd graders to earn at least 10 points, 4th graders to earn 12 points, and 5th graders to earn at least 14 points. Be sure to maintain an 85% average or higher. We will recognize our goal-getters and top AR participants on a regular basis.

To take AR quizzes, students will visit https://global-zone08.renaissance-go.com/welcomeportal/239158 and utilize the user name and password provided by their teacher. AR testing is available 24/7, in the evenings and weekends, from school and from home. If you need assistance, please email rachel.alvarez@psjaisd.us.

TEKS: (5) Developing and sustaining foundational language skills: reading, and thinking--self-sustained reading. The student reads grade-appropriate texts independently. The student is expected to self-select text and interact independently with text for increasing periods of time. (6) Comprehension skills: listening, speaking, reading, writing, and thinking using multiple texts. The student uses metacognitive skills to both develop and deepen comprehension of increasingly complex texts. The student is expected to: (A) establish purpose for reading assigned and self-selected texts with adult assistance;

TX Library Standards: 2.1- The school library program includes a carefully curated collection of current materials in a variety of formats, including curation of open educational resources (OER) that are uniquely suited to support inquiry learning and the needs and interests of all users.

TX Library Standards: 3.1- The library encourages students to read a variety of literature for information and pleasure. The library provides access to physical and virtual collections of high quality, current resources in a variety of formats (print, audio, electronic) and platforms (readable on most devices) which reflect input from stakeholders.

• 14 years as an educator in PSJA ISD
• 2 Master's degrees, in Library Science and in History
• School Librarian Certification for Early Childhood-12th grade
• Certification for teaching social studies
• Passionate about information literacy, digital citizenship, and diverse collections of reading materials for our students.

Always feel free to reach out with any questions! I am here to support our students, families, teachers, and staff in any way that I can. Let's continue reading and using our digital literacy skills.

Click here to see what Mrs. Alvarez is reading, and what's next on her list! https://app.edu.buncee.com/buncee/5a6e5179409941748e69752b18b3ca4c

Email: rachel.alvarez@psjaisd.us
Website: https://www.psjaisd.us/domain/2809
Location: 1110 East Polk Avenue, Pharr, TX, USA
Phone: (956) 354-2770
Facebook: facebook.com/HenryFordElementary
Twitter: @librarian_alva