Happenings in Spring Valley Media Center for the week of October 12-16

This is going to be a busy week this week. First of all the Fall Scholastic Book Fair will open up on Thursday night, October 15 for Hispanic Heritage Night. The book fair will be open to all families from 5:00-7:00 pm.  The book fair will run from Friday, October 16-Friday, October 23.

As far as student learning goes, I will be focusing on genres with grades 3-5. Last time, students in these grades were learning about Destiny online catalog. This time around I want to do some book talking with these grades levels and the Information and Technology Essential Standards (ITES) specifically wants students to learn about genres, so doing book talks along with genre studies is a great way to tie both topics together. The books that I am going to book talk are How to Steal a Dog by Barbara O'Connor and Ungifted by Gordon Korman.

For first and second grade, we will do some computer work. I am going to introduce them to the Capstone ebook library. With kindergarten, we did an author study on the great author and illustrator Tomie dePaola. Now we are going to focus on Peter Brown, another wonderful author and illustrator. Just like Tomie dePaola, Peter Brown has several terrific books to choose from. The one I know the kindergarteners will love is Creepy Carrots by Aaron Reynolds. Peter Brown did the illustrations on this book and it was a Caldecott Honor winner.

Elementary Battle of the Books

We are getting started on the Elementary Battle of the Books here at Spring Valley.

Here is a link to the EBOB list for the 2015-2016 School Year.

I have 10 wonderful students participating this year at Spring Valley. From what I understand, this is the first year that Spring Valley has participated at the district level for Battle of the Books. It is going to be a blast!

Fall Scholastic Book Fair Starts October 16

Yes we are having a BOOK FAIR!!!

THE THEME FOR THE FALL SCHOLASTIC BOOK FAIR:

The Fall Scholastic Book will open Thursday night, October 15 for Hispanic Heritage Night 5:00-7:00pm.

The Book Fair Schedule is as follows:

Thursday, October 15, 5:00pm-7:00pm-Hispanic Heritage Night
Friday, October 16, 8:30-4:00pm
Monday, October 19, 8:30-6:00pm open late for parents
Tuesday, October 20, 8:30-4:00pm
Wednesday, October 21, 8:30-1:30pm, 4:00-6:00-"Books and Breakfast" 8:30am-9:30am for parents
Thursday, October 22, 8:30-4:00pm
Friday, October 23, 8:30-4:00pm-WE WILL CLOSE PROMPTLY AT 4:00 TO PACK UP!

All classes will have two opportunities to visit the book fair. The first time to preview, the second to shop. Of course, if children bring money on their preview day they may shop.

More information will be sent to classroom teachers about the book fair. I am looking so forward to my first book fair at Spring Valley Elementary. It is going to be a BLAST!

Can't make it to the Fall Book Fair this year? Or we sold out of all the Diary of a Wimpy Kid books? Don't fret, you can shop the online book fair from October 11-October 24.

Happenings in Spring Valley Media Center, Week of October 5-8, 2015

This week in our school library I will be working with grades K-2. In kindergarten we are still learning about the author and illustrator Tomie dePaola. We are reading his book, Nana Upstairs and Nana Downstairs.  In grades 1-2, we are focusing on Hispanic Heritage Month which runs from September 15-October 15. Last week, we read Just a Minute by Yuyi Morales. This week, we will focus on a non-fiction text, a biography about the famous salsa singer Celia Cruz.

Just a Minute is an awesome book. Everytime I read it to students, it is an instant hit! I can't keep it on the shelves. Students love the repetition through out the story, with Grandma Beetle saying, "Just a Minute Señor Calovera!"












Nana Upstairs and Nana Downstairs is a touching story based on Tomie dePaola's childhood. He had the pleasure to know both his grandmother and his great-grandmother. He describes how he would visit them on Sunday afternoons and how he cherished his time with both of them. Children laugh when Tomie is tied in the big morris chair just like his great-grandmother.

Happenings in Spring Valley Media Center for the week of September 14-19, 2015

September is Library Card Sign Up Month! I encourage all Spring Valley parents to take your child to the Durham County Library and sign up for their  own personal library card. I got my very first library card when I was nine years old and have always had a library card ever since! If you can't get to the public library, a representative from the Durham County Library will be at the school on Thursday night from 5:30-7:00 for Literacy Curriculum Night.

In the Spring Valley Media Center this week, students are learning the following:

Kindergarten-Book care and being responsible for library materials
Grades 1-2 Fiction and Non-Fiction Texts
Grades 3-5 Searching on the Destiny Online Catalog

Parents please make sure students are bringing their books in a timely manner. If you are not sure what day your child's library day is, feel free to call Ms. Burton, school librarian, at Spring Valley Elementary, 919-560-2890 and I will gladly let you know what day your child visits the media center.

2015 Newbery Award Winning Book The Crossover

I was so amazed when the book The Crossover won the Newbery Award this year. Very few books by African-American writers, especially African-American male writers, win this prestigious award. I have been promoting it to everyone that I see because I feel it will be such an inspiration to young African-American males.

Children's Book Week May 4-10, 2015

Children's Book Week is the annual celebration of books for young people and the joy of reading.

Established in 1919, Children's Book Week is the longest-running national literacy initiative in the country. Every year, commemorative events are held nationwide at schools, libraries, bookstores, homes -- wherever young readers and books connect! 

April is National Poetry Month

For the month of April we will be focusing on the poetry books by the author Douglas Florian. He writes a lot of books dealing with science, animals and nature. One of my favorite books by Douglas Florian is Unbeelievables

All of the poems are about bees. It is a great tool to tie in Earth Day (April 22) and how bees are disappearing. Many children do not understand why bees and pollen are so important. I use this book to teach 3rd grade about the Earth and environment.