So, slow down a bit, enjoy the smiles and hugs, keep your eye open for someone that may need a little extra encouragement to welcome this new school year. Stop in the library when you visit and tell us "What makes you Happy?" and add it to the Wall of Happiness.
The summer weather has left us as we head back to school. I know that I look forward to reading some great books with my students! We kick off the school year with our annual Meet & Greet tonight. As everyone rushes around, finding their classrooms and connecting with old friends, take a moment to be in the moment. It's easy to get bogged down in the rush, rush, rush and miss seeing and experiencing the here and now.
So, slow down a bit, enjoy the smiles and hugs, keep your eye open for someone that may need a little extra encouragement to welcome this new school year. Stop in the library when you visit and tell us "What makes you Happy?" and add it to the Wall of Happiness.
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Coming soon to the PW Library....starting with Gr. 3Exploration and creation, in the form of hands-on learning, are important for students of all ages. Makerspaces allow students to make mistakes and learn from them. Maker activities provide students with an opportunity to use valuable critical thinking skills to solve a problem. In the maker spirit, the PW Library has purchased some kits that will allow students to make or build something. To start with, the Maker Kits will be available for checkout by Grade 3 students. These kits will be very popular items and students will be excited to use them at home. Therefore, I am asking students to discuss the responsibility of using these kits with their parent/guardian and return the attached form to the PW Library, indicating that they are allowed to check out this new resource. Additionally, I will introduce and review the Maker Kits with students, as well as discuss that when a student checks out a Maker Kit, he or she is responsible for returning all parts. If parts or missing or broken, students will be charged, just as they are for a lost or damaged library book.
IMPORTANT: Many of the Maker Kits contain small parts that are NOT suitable for young children. Please keep the kit pieces away from younger siblings for their own safety.
One of my favorite units in Library Media is the unit on computer science. We kick things off during Computer Science week at the beginning of December, with the Hour of Code. Code.org has some wonderful resources for teachers and students that want to learn more about coding and computer science.
Check out the CODING page for: Symbaloo of tons of coding websites & apps, pictures from PW Lib's Hour of Code and find out what Parkway students are saying about coding! This is a critical topic to discuss with all students, especially as our students have more and more access to technology at school and at home. 2nd and 3rd grades students have begun discussion around being safe online and what it means to be a good digital citizen. Each week a Home Tip sheet will be sent home, along with an activity for students to complete at home with their family.
We are using Common Sense Media's Digital Citizenship curriculum. It is research-based and includes materials for teachers, such as videos, lessons plans and assessments, and they also have family outreach materials. Common Sense Media also have reviews for movies, TV, books, games, apps and websites. Make sure to read the Home Tip sheet your child brings home and check out the reviews to find age-appropriate materials for your child. It is never too early to talk with your child about what websites and games they can and cannot use at home. Start the conversation with your child today! Wisconsin has its very own book award and it's called the Wisconsin Golden Archer. Each year students nominate five books and then have a chance to vote for their favorite. That's right, the kids pick the winner!
Each year in library, we read the five nominees and discuss them. Students have a chance to discuss what they liked about the book and perhaps complete an activity about each book. Drum roll, please......the Parkway favorite is:
The 2016-2017 school year is off and running! And so am I! There are many new items on the PW Library website. Take a look at these pages on the PW Library website:
We were lucky enough to have Kristin Ziemke in our district today for a day of professional learning! She is a teacher in Chicago, an author of 'Amplify' (our PW Tech Team did a book study with this awesome book), and national speaker on literacy, educational technology and amplifying learning. Great discussions with our grade-level teams on how to integrate the new iPads into our students' learning in ways that will amplify the learning! Pictures, videos, writing, reading, creating, collaborating, communicating, and more! Visit her website. I am very excited about this school year. PW will have more iPads in each classroom, as well as in the library. Integrating technology into the school day will be both educational and fun. Students learn by doing. The technology helps to engage the students and get them actively involved in their learning. Students will have the opportunity to use the iPads to consume information and demonstrate their understanding. With the implementation of the Readers and Writers Workshop model, the technology will allow students to share their writing and connect to a larger audience. Specifically, PW will be using Seesaw as a digital portfolio, allowing students to upload their work and share it with others quickly and easily. The PW Library will continue to tweet about what is happening in the library. Students can submit a 'tweet sheet' to Mrs. G, who will review and tweet the comment. This is a good writing activity, as students have to get their point across in 140 characters or less.....short & sweet! Follow us at @LibParkway. |
Mrs. GallitzParkway Elementary Archives
December 2023
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