Season's Readings from the Stone School Library!

Making our own candy-antlered friends after enjoying Olive, The Other Reindeer by Vivian Walsh and J. Otto Seibold, and The Little Reindeer by Michael Foreman...

Sammy Spider's First Hanukkah by Sylvia Rouss gave us on occasion to explore the traditions of a holiday, and discuss how stories can be gifts from one culture to another...

The children loved our holiday cookie storytime, including The Gingerbread Boy by Paul Galdone, Cookie Count:  A Tasty Pop-Up by Robert Sabuda, and Ginger Bear by Mini Grey, with a ginger bear cookie plate craft...

Be forewarned.  If Vince Guaraldi's "Charlie Brown Christmas" soundtrack starts playing, we may have to abandon whatever we're working on for spontaneous dancing, or maybe the after-school Dance Club in the library will have a special routine prepared...

Season's readings, everyone!  Thank you for the gift of your children all year 'round. 

Rebecca Caudill Book Club and Student Run Clubs

New this fall:  student-run clubs in the library for grades 4 and up! The library has been hosting Manga/Animé club, Dance Club, Newspaper Club and the Rebecca Caudill book club Thursdays after school.  Thanks to all the children for their lively, focused participation and for their admirable initiative!

The Rebecca Caudill Book Club replaces our former "Battle of the Books" (BOB) participation.  I noticed BOB had been declining for older children because it requires a year-long commitment, and there are many other enticing activities in the spring such as the school musical, sports and Girls on the Run.  Additionally, our kids seemed to enjoy the reading more than the competing.  So this year we tried something new via The Rebecca Caudill Book Club, which encompasses a broader age range in one reading club (grades 4-8 in one club).  The program invites students to read as many books as possible from a given list and the group is authorized to come to a consensus and submit a vote for the winner of an Illinois Children's Choice Award (also known as the Caudill Young Readers' Book Award).  The winner our group chose this year was The Apothecary by Maile Meloy, and the reason given unanimously:  "magic, magic, magic!"  This club will be rejoining this spring for an awards celebration (a la the Oscars for bookworms) as we wait with bated breath to see if our pick wins on the state level!  (I like that a book wins or loses, instead of people....all readers are winners.) We also took a special after school  "field trip" of sorts to my private library, enjoying cocoa and cupcakes as we gathered as booklovers to celebrate and discuss the dozens of books read in a short span.  I'm very, very proud of this special group of dedicated readers, and looking forward to doing it again next year...the more, the merrier! Meanwhile, Rebecca Caudill Award contenders are now available for ALL our super Stone Bookworms, please come, check them out and decide on YOUR favorite!

Reminder of projects due

Before winter break, please make sure these major projects are turned in to the library. I understand that especially for younger children, sometimes it's hard to remember to turn in assignments when library is once a week. Full credit may be earned by children who remember, but partial credit is still given to students who turn in late work before the next library session.   Children should feel free to stop by if they need another copy of any directions/rubric.

2nd grade:  Congratulations on your first book check-outs!  Practice "surprise book bags" were sent home.  Bags should be returned on the student's scheduled library day.  When two bags are returned, students may start independent check-out.  Replacement of bags is $10 a bag.   Please use the bags to practice proper book care, reading and remembering to return. 

4th grade:  Creative responses of The Lion, The Witch and the Wardrobe are still being collected.  Congrats on finishing the book!  What a great adventure!

6th grade:  Team shadow puppet shows at the ready!  The first week of January will be absolutely the last week for performances.   

Middle school:  Media literacy notebooks for 8th grade should have advertisement tallies, ad collages and a sample print advertisement, sorry, late work for these cannot be accepted because then you have not fully participated in class.  All students from 6th-8th grade should have an example of an MLA citation used in the context of another class' assignment by mid-January.  Students in 6th and 7th grade should have their library folders with them in every library class, with ALL NOTES and handouts inside.  It is the student's responsibility to be keeping this folder organized and up-to-date. 

Thank you for always doing your best!