3rd Quarter Library Report

April has brought us many exciting things, not the least of which were the solar eclipse and 4.8 earthquake at the start of the month! Aside from unusual natural phenomena, the third quarter is always a busy time in the academic year filled with a variety of fun school activities ranging from the Spring Book Fair to the GD Talent Show to our drama club production and not one, but two long breaks! 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!), 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: 303
• Number of circulated items to date: 8,731
• Most popular item: Dog Man by Dav Pilkey

Check out these cool activities PreK did while we 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 spent February reading and writing winter poetry! Then in March we transitioned to the delightful books of Dr. Seuss in honor of his 120th birthday! Now we're learning about cause & effect through the fun If You Give.... books by Laura Numeroff.

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! A big thank you to John Lantz for letting me borrow his class twice during my prep periods to make up for the two classes his students missed due to the Snow Day Give Back and State Testing!

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.

We have spent the 3rd quarter reading Sparrow by Sarah Moon about a young adult struggling with mental health issues who finds a connection to her therapist through music. As we read, we listen to the music that Sparrow and her therapist share. So far I have added 38 videos to our Google Classroom, mostly featuring 1990's female punk bands like Sonic Youth, The Weaves, and Patti Smith. This has been an excellent text to use as a springboard for our own SEL discussions in class.

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 Alain Fischer from the Watervliet Arsenal. Now students are exploring career opportunities in Healthcare. We kicked the unit off with a presentation from Pam Barrall, RN.

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.

This quarter students in Music Research worked 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 Aretha Franklin to SZA to Elvis Presley - 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 reflect 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 Febrarary 1st I attended the third Questar Library SLS Communication Coordinators meeting of the academic year. We had presentations by Jodi Sullivan who led an SEL workshop, TeachingBooks, ProQuest, LINX, and more! It was a great day of learning and networking with colleagues! I have also been watching the web recording of the January 17th AI workshop during our extended Wednesdays when I am not at other meetings. It is a very interesting and thought provoking discussion that I have been able to rehash with our own Anthony Vescio who was in attendance at the actual conference. Karin Carmody and I have also continued to work on developing a unified 6-8 CTE curriculum. As part of our collaborative work, we have met several times with Kim Murrary from Defined Learning. Finally, the March 15th regional PD day was wonderful! I attended three great virtual workshops: Check Your Shelf - New and Recently Published Books Kids Will Love, Classroom Management Strategies for Elementary School Settings, and Empowering Educators - Integrating AI Tools in the Classroom.

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