This newsletter will bring you information to highlight the experiences our students have in our school library. We will also inform you of learning resources, new books, reading programs, research projects, tech tips, special events, and other news. We hope you find this information useful and value any feedback that you care to share. Enjoy!

Mrs. Reinert begins her ninth year as a teacher-librarian at Wanamaker Elementary. Her favorite part of the position is getting to work with every student and staff member at WE--they are the best! In her free time, she enjoys exercising, traveling, spending time with her family and friends, and of course, reading. She and her husband, Mark, are the parents of 4 grown children--Caitlin (and husband Carl), Austin (and wife Bridget), Alex, and Claire. Watching their granddaughters, Amelia Catherine (4) and Elaine Marie (18 months), grow and change has been the cherry on the sundae!

Mrs. Armstrong starts her twelfth year as the part-time library assistant at Wanamaker Elementary. We share her with Indian Hills Elementary where she is also the library assistant. She says the best part of her job is getting to interact with the students. In her free time, she enjoys Jazzercise, watching TV and movies, and spending time with her husband and kids. She and her husband, Jeff, are the parents of three children--Lanee (a senior at K-state), Ellie (a sophomore at K-State), and Rylan (a junior at WRHS).

Scan the QR code with a mobile device, using an app such as QR Reader, and visit the library's website by clicking on the Wanamaker Elementary link. The website has links to many resources for students, teachers, and families.

This summer parents were invited to catch their student(s) reading, take a photo of them, and submit the photo to Mrs. Reinert to be used in a Back-to-School hallway display! It has been a lot of fun to see all the different places kids were caught reading---at home, in nature, on vacation, with their pet, etc. Summertime reading for pleasure can't be beat!

The 11th annual Kansas Book Festival is scheduled for Saturday, Sept. 24 from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. at the Mabee Library on the campus of Washburn University. The presenting authors will be inside the Mabee Library, and the vendors/entertainment/children's activities/book signings will be set up outside the library, on the lawn to the north side of the library. There are going to be some new activities for children at this year's festival!

Mrs. Reinert will be a participant in the Book Festival acting as a moderator for a panel discussion with picture book authors John Hare (Field Trip to Volcano Island) and Alastair Heim (If I Ran Your School). The authors will discuss their desire to help grade school students keep their love of creativity.

Be sure to take advantage of this opportunity for a fun free literary experience for the whole family! Please click below to view this year's Festival schedule.

The students completing the summer reading program at the Topeka and Shawnee County Public Library were treated to an ice cream sundae and brownie party last week.

We had a record-setting number of students who completed the reading program! Fifty students (more than double the number we've had in previous years) earned their reading certificate from TSCPL---way to go, Wanamaker readers!

The party was a great way to end the week and to celebrate reading for pleasure!

Last spring a team of us spent time bringing some updates to the library, adding color and pizazz! We are always on the quest for making the library space as inviting and efficient as possible. New windows were also installed in the library during Winter Break last year. It appears that we have the stamp of approval from the students as many have commented on how much they like the recent additions. Please stop by sometime when you are at school, and check them out!

A huge shoutout to the team of Jenny Armstrong (library assistant), Mike Weatherford (art teacher), and Dakota Mumford (Tech Aide) for all their hard work and creative genius in helping to make the library so bright and colorful!

Sept. 9 and 23-- Student Council meetings held in the library at 8:00 a.m.

Sept. 9-- 9/11 survivor Robert Matos will visit with all 6th graders via Skype.

Week of Sept. 19-- Dot Day celebrated in library classes for grades K-2. Feel free to send your child to school dressed in dots on the day of their library class (optional)!

Sept. 23-- Kansas Book Festival presenting author John Hare will come to WE and visit with our 5th graders about his career as an author/illustrator.

Sept. 24-- Kansas Book Festival held at the Mabee Library on the campus of Washburn University. (9:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m.) Mrs. Reinert will act as a moderator at the session featuring John Hare and Alastair Heim on the topic of encouraging creativity in children.

Oct. 3- Nov. 11-- All 2nd graders will participate in the Global Read Aloud Picture Book Study in their library classes by connecting with our buddy classes in a variety of ways.