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9 Tips from 5th: Fourth Quarter 2021-22

5/24/2022

As their final quarter of elementary school draws to a close,
5th Graders were asked what advice they would share
about going through a pandemic.
Here are 9 of their responses.

“You are not alone in the pandemic.”
“Try to find something to enjoy in the moment.”
“Make sure you socialize.”
“Take time to bond with your family.”
“Persevere.”
“Stay connected.”
“It will run through eventually. Be patient and stay calm.”
“You will get through it.”

"It may be lonely . . . but you are not alone."

One student added this acrostic poem about her 5th-grade experience:

Congratulations, and best wishes as you head towards middle school!

Images: McGill, J. (2022). Library Activities. CC-BY NC.

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9 Weeks in 9 Objects: Third Quarter 2021-22

3/29/2022

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Below are highlights from work that students created in the elementary library
during the 3rd quarter, in conjunction with mentor texts:

Tangrams (Dog with Bow Tie)

Chinese characters for Lunar New Year

Lego banks, created after studying Maggie Lena Walker

Cat with Monocle (created during "Cat Week" in the library)

Votes: students selected favorite books during our Annual Diverse Book Tasting.

Coding text: students used windows and mirrors to code texts.

Atlas Postcards: students used atlases to create postcards from their chosen dream destinations.

Research Jigsaw: students worked in small groups to research a trailblazing woman, and then shared their work in a hall display jigsaw.

Wood-Burnt Dragon: several 4th graders are learning wood burning, and this shows the first completed project (created by a student who is a fan of the "Wings of Fire" book series).
Images: McGill, J. (2022). Library Activities. CC-BY NC.

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9 Weeks in 9 Words: Second Quarter 2021-22

1/25/2022

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This time, it's the elementary students' words!

Students worked with a partner to design and create a balloon ‘float’ to decorate the school. Afterwards, students completed a reflection sheet, sharing some things they learned through the process. The 9 words for this quarter are taken from their reflections.
“Communication is key to working,” LR, 5th Grade.
“I learned to work together,” multiple responses across grade levels.
“Share your ideas . . . even if you’re scared,” AB, 4th Grade.
“Teamwork,” multiple responses across grade levels.
“Improvising [can be] good,” NE, 5th Grade.
“Compromising,” multiple responses across grade levels.
“When you make some mistakes, you can turn it into something else,” SK, 4th Grade. (This duo’s planned tiger balloon was transformed into a chihuahua.)
“Fun!” multiple responses across grade levels.
“Stating the facts of why you say ‘no’ makes you more agreeable,” KE, 5th Grade.

Two Bonus Quotes from the Reflection Sheet:
“Do not lollygag,” ES, 5th Grade.
“Adding a bow tie makes everything better,” OR, 4th Grade.
Images: McGill, J. (2021). Library Activities. CC-BY NC.

"Adding a bow tie makes everything better," OR, 4th Grade.

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9 Weeks in 9 Words: First Quarter 2021-22

11/3/2021

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Nine words to describe the first nine weeks of the 2021-22 school year.

And of course--

2nd Nine Weeks in progress!
Images: McGill, J. (2021). Library activities. CC-BY NC.

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April Poetry Bracket : 2021 Iteration

4/1/2021

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Celebrate National Poetry Month
with a school-wide Sweet 16 Poetry Bracket!

The Sweet 16 Contenders this spring are:
April 1: "Who has Seen the Wind" (C. Rossetti) vs. "I'm Thankful" (J. Prelutsky)
April 2: "Ickle Me, Pickle Me, Tickle Me, Too" (S. Silverstein) vs. "The Swing" (R. L. Stevenson)
[Spring Break]
April 12: Four Nonsense Poems (E. Lear) vs. "If I were in Charge of the World" (J. Viorst)
April 13: "A Kite" (F. D. Sherman) vs. "The Old Pond" (M. Basho)
April 14: "The Crocodile" (L. Carroll) vs. "I'm Nobody, Who are You?" (E. Dickinson)
April 15: "Life Doesn't Frighten me at All" (M. Angelou) vs. "13 Ways of Loving a Blackbird" (T. Winder)
April 16: "When Giving is All we Have" (A. Rios) vs. "The Hill we Climb" (A. Gorman)
April 19th: "Remember" (J. Harjo) vs. "Broken English" (R. Kaur)
April 20th: Elite Eight Contest begins!

Let the words begin!

Image: McGill, J. (2021). Spring photo with annotation. CC-BY NC.

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Oh, the Places You'll Go! Virtual Field Trips

1/30/2021

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The second quarter of library lessons included virtual field trips around the world. Students were asked to send me an electronic postcard as their response--enjoy the highlights!

Roman Arches

The Great Mosque of Djenne, Mali

Students seemed very engaged by the chance to travel beyond our current circumstances, and to be reminded of how many exciting places and people there are to learn about, around the world. I hope someday they travel and see these places in person!
Images: McGill, J. (2020). Library activity photos. CC-BY NC.

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Virtual Library Highlights -- 1st Quarter

11/22/2020

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The first quarter of virtual elementary school library has ended;
it's time to share some positives!
Highlights include:

the students and I experienced a new level of mutually cooperative learning as we all worked together, trying to figure out this online learning model;
joy rekindled when we were together (even if it's only virtually); see one example pictured above, where a student pranked me by using her younger brother's tablet to enter the library Zoom with two selves, one of them in virtual animal ears & nose;
students shaped the schedule, and created virtual learning spaces I hadn't dreamed of. Thanks to the support of my principal and administration, our first quarter was an open library Zoom time, to be molded as the students needed. Over time, one block became Maker Mondays; another, Book Talk Tuesdays; Wednesdays became a chapter book club (reading & discussing Pippi Longstocking), while Thursdays remained a virtual walk-in time, for research questions, chit-chat, book talk and reading recommendations--whatever the students wanted;
"Specialists" became "Essentialists;" our schools reaffirmed the importance of art, music, physical education, and library services in the school experience for all ages; librarians rose to the challenge and used their creativity and determination to ensure safe access to materials for all;
Our circulation statistics reaffirmed the essentialness of getting books into children's hands; our small rural school library had 899 circulations for the first quarter (out of a population of approximately 175 students working virtually);
Finally, observing what happens when students access our collection through the online catalog only has opened my eyes to possible barriers in how they access it in person. One example: in previous years our 700s books have languished (aside from 741.5 graphic novels). With the online catalog use, suddenly the 700s books are circulating more than in the previous four years combined. Why? It could be because everyone's at home trying to learn how to make things, but I've realized that another cause may be that I need to move that chess table out of the way . . . it is the most cramped section of the library;
moving to a virtual-only space has made me realize I need to entirely rethink the existing physical space.

Fan Fiction:
A student read aloud one chapter of the prequel to Pippi Longstocking that she is writing and illustrating. This included a detailed backstory on how Pippi gets her super strength.

We've entered a new learning stage for this second quarter, where some of the students are back in the school building on alternating days; we shall see what this quarter brings!
Images: McGill, J. (2020). Library activity photos. CC-BY NC.

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April Poetry Bracket -- Game on!

3/31/2020

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April is National Poetry Month!
Celebrate with our Sweet 16 bracket of poems
running weekdays April 2nd through April 30th.
(No new postings on spring break, April 6th - 10th.)
Voting link will update each morning.

April 30th: The 2020 Champion: "Songs for the People" (excerpt) by Frances Ellen Watkins Harper!

April 29th: FOR THE 2020 CHAMPIONSHIP:
"April" versus "Songs for the People" (excerpt)"
Vote for your favorite HERE

April 28th: Final Four Winner! "April!"
"April" versus "" (excerpt) "The Walrus and the Carpenter"
April 14th Winner: "Songs for the People!"
"Blue-Butterfly Day" versus "Songs for the People" (excerpt)
April 24th Winner: "The Walrus & The Carpenter!"
"Trees" versus "The Walrus and the Carpenter"
April 23rd Winner: "April!"
"April" versus "A Noiseless Patient Spider"
April 22nd Winner: "Songs for the People!"
"The Kite" versus "Songs for the People" (excerpt)
April 21st: Elite Eight Begins!
April 21st Winner: "Blue-Butterfly Day!"
"Blue-Butterfly Day" versus "Clouds"
April 20th Winner: "Trees!"
"I Conquer the World with Words" versus "Trees"
April 17th Winner: "The Walrus & The Carpenter!"
"A Jelly-Fish" versus "The Walrus and the Carpenter"
April 16th Winner: "A Noiseless Patient Spider!"
"After While" versus "A Noiseless Patient Spider"
April 15th Winner: "April!"
"April" versus "My Shadow"
April 14th Winner: "Songs for the People!" (excerpt)
"Songs for the People" (excerpt) vs "The Cat & the Moon"
April 13th Winner: "The Kite!"
"If I can Stop One Heart from Breaking" vs
"The Kite"
April 3rd Winner: "Blue-Butterfly Day!"
"Blue-Butterfly Day" vs.
"The Best Thing in the World"
April 2nd Winner: "Clouds!"
"Caterpillar" versus "Clouds"