Sprague Library 101

Welcome to the Athenaeum 2017-18!

Sprague Library Website

As a new year begins, you will notice many changes...

• Eight Period Mondays
• A and B Days
• New Faces 
• New Classes
• Advisory
• NEW BOOKS
• And MORE! 

A few things to help find your way:

LIBRARY HOURS:
7 a.m. to 3:15 p.m. on Mondays-Thursdays
7 a.m. to 3 p.m on Fridays

TO CHECK OUT LIBRARY MATERIALS:
You can check out five (5) Library Books at a time for three (3) weeks. 
You may renew your books once.  PLEASE USE YOUR STUDENT ID CARD TO CHECK OUT.  Be responsible and carry your card.

Textbooks are checked out on a separate account.  Check with your teacher for the textbooks you will need to checkout.  Many teachers have a classroom set of textbooks and access to online eTextbooks.

To Login to a Chromebook:
StudentId#@salemkeizer.org
Password: Use your personal password

Example:
123456@salemkeizer.org
Snickerdoodles2017

If your password does not work or you cannot remember it, you can reset your password on a library computer.

To login to StudentVue:  Use the same username and password you set up to log into the computer.

All students have a School Google Account:
Username: studentId@salemkeizer.org
Password:  the same password as your login

Please use your School Google Account for all of your school-related email and Google Documents.  If you want to print items from your Google Docs you may print from the computers in the library.

That is enough information to get you started!  If you have questions, comments, concerns, or compliments, I would love to hear them! 

Sprague's Verse Novels

April is Poetry Month!  What a great time to read a novel in verse.  Check out these titles from Sprague's Library! 

42 Miles by Tracie Vaughn Zimmer
A Bad Boy Can Be Good for a Girl by Tanya Lee Stone
Addie on the Inside by James Howe

Aleutian Sparrow by Karen Hesse
All the Broken Pieces by Ann E. Burg
Almost Forever by Maria Testa
Beanball by Gene Fehler
Because I Am Furniture by Thalia Chaltas

Behind The Wheel by Janet S. Wong
Brimstone Journals by Ronald Koertge

Burned by Ellen Hopkins
By The River by Steven Herrick
Chasing Brooklyn by Lisa Schroeder

Cold Skin by Steven Herrick
Crank by Ellen Hopkins

Criss Cross by Lynne Rae Perkins
Crossing Stones by Helen Frost
Dark Sons by Nikki Grimes

Day Before Lisa Schroeder

Diamond Willow by Helen Frost

Displacement by Thalia Chattas
Fallout by Ellen Hopkins
Far from You by Lisa Schroeder

Firefly Letters by Margarita Engle
Foreign Exchange: a mystery in poems by Mel Glenn
Frenchtown Summer by Robert Cormier
Frenchtown Summer by Robert Cormier

Full House by Virginia Euwer Wolff

Glimpse by Carol Lynch Williams
Hard Hit by Ann Turner
Hate that Cat by Sharon Creech
Heartbeat by Sharon Creech

Home of the Brave by K. A. Applegate

Identical by Ellen Hopkins
I Heart You, You Haunt Me by Lisa Schroeder

Impulse by Ellen Hopkins

Inside Out & Back Again by Thanhha Lai

Kaleidoscope Eyes by Jen Bryant

Karma by Cathy Ostlere
Keesha's House by Helen Frost

Keeping the Nigh Watch by Hope Anita Smith

Learning To Swim: a memoir by Ann Turner
Love That Dog by Sharon Creech
Make Lemonade by Virginia Euwer Wolff

My Book of Life by Angel by Martine Leavitt

October Mourning: A Song for Matthew Shepard by Leslea Newman

Orchards by Holly Thompson
Out of the Dust  by Karen Hesse

Perfect by Ellen Hopkins

Planet Middle School by Nikki Grimes

Planet Pregnancy by Linda Oatman High

Ringside 1925 by Jen Bryant

Roots and Blues by Arnold Adoff
Rubber Houses by Ellen Yeomans
Shakespeare Makes the Playoffs by Ron Koertge

Sharp Teeth by Toby Barlow

Sold by Patricia McCormick

Song of the Sparrow by Lisa Ann Sandell

Splintering by Eireann Corrigan

Split Image: A Story in Poems by Mel Glenn

Street Love by Walter Dean Myers
Stop Pretending: What Happened When my Big Sister Went Crazy by Sonya Sones
The Surrender Tree: Poems of Cuba's Struggle for Freedom by Margarita Engle
T4 a novel by Ann Clare LeZotte
Taking of Room 114  by Mel Glenn
Talking In The Dark by Billy Merrell

Three Rivers Rising: A Novel of the Johnstown Flood by Jame Richards
Trial by Jennifer Bryant

Trash by Sharon Darrow
Tricks by Ellen Hopkins

Tropical Secrets: Holocaust Refugees in Cuba by Margarita Engle
True Believer by Virginia Euwer Wolff
Voyage of the Arctic Tern by Hugh Montgomery

Walking on Glass by Alma Fullerton

Weight of the Sky by Lisa Ann Sandell
What My Girlfriend Doesn't Know by Sonya Sones
What My Mother Doesn't Know by Sonya Sones
Wicked Girls: A Novel of the Salem Witch Trials by Stephanie Hemphill

Watch that Ends the Night: Voices from the Titanic by Allan Wolf
Witness by Karen Hesse
You Remind Me Of You by Eireann Corrigan
Your Own, Sylvia by Stephanie Hemphill

Suicide Notes by Michael Thomas Ford

Just read this book over the weekend! Boy does it pack a punch! So much to think about. Human interactions are fascinating to me. There are so many ways to interpret relationships, feelings, self-image, perceptions, etc. I am naive about the workings of the world. I always believe that others operate the same way I do...open, honest, rule-follower, worry wort, guilty, peace-maker, dedicated, reliable, unselfish, etc. I don't know why I am always suprised to discover that most are just out to survive at all costs. "It's all about me, so deal with it!" is not just a Happy Bunny phrase. I am reminded of all this in Suicide Notes. What leads young people to attempt to take their lives is eye-opening. The things that so many students face is incredible. Although this book is short, it packs a powerful swift kick straight to the heart. It will make you think about yourself, your family, your friends, and how you treat others at all levels. A suble warning: there are a few swear words used completely within context and not just thrown in. Some sexual content, but nothing graphic. Straight-forward out of the mouth of kids.

My 2010 Book List

After by Amy Efaw - Teen Mom, Baby in Trash
all the broken pieces by Ann E. Berg - Vietnam
Atherton (1): The House of Power by Patrick Carman
Atherton (2): Rivers of Fire by Patrick Carman
Atherton (3): The Dark Planet by Patrick Carman
Blood Price/Blood Trail by Tanya Huff - Vamps, Wers, Private I's!
Boy in the Striped Pajamas by John Boyne - Arrive with Bruno at a fence. Fences like this exist all over the world.
Chasing Brooklyn by Lisa Schroeder-dealing with boyfriend's death
Chasing Fire by Suzanne Collins
Click: One Novel, Ten Authors
Dangerous Days of Daniel X by James Patterson
Disreputable History of Frankie Landau-Banks by E. Lockhart
Eternal Smile By Gene Luen Yang & Derek Kirk Kim - 3 Graphic Short Stories
Ford County by John Grisham - Short stories
Forest of Hands and Teeth by Carrie Ryan - the unconsecrated will never relent!
Fort County by John Grisham - Short Stories
Gardener by S.A. Bodeen - Genetically engineered, self-sustaining life-forms
Geography of Bliss by Eric Weiner - one Grump's search for the Happiest Places in the World
Girl With the Dragon Tattoo by Stieg Larsson - murder, love, crazy families, financial intrigue set in Sweden
Grayson by Lynne Cox - Ocean Swimmer Saves Baby Whale
Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins
Hush Hush by Becca Fitzpatrick - Fallen Angels, Nephilim, Book of Enoch
I.Q. Book One by Roland Smith
Jessica's Guide to Dating on the Dark Side by Beth Fantaskey
Karma Club by Jessica Brody - In relationships, what goes around comes around!
Leviathan by Scott Westerfeld - Steampunk World War I
Lips Touch Three Times by Laini Taylor - There is a certain kind of girl goblins crave...
Lucky Breaks by Susan Patron
My one hundred adventures by Polly Horvath
Perks of Being a Wallflower by Stephen Chbosky - Any and Every Teen Topic!
Pop by Gordon Korman - NFL, HS Football, Alzheimers
Pride and Prejudice and Zombies
Pure by Terra Elan McVoy - Purity Rings, Promises, Frienships, Forgiveness, Faith
Purple Heart by Patricia McCormick - Irag War
Slob by Ellen Potter - Overweight Boy's Struggles
Story of the Other Wise Men by Henry van Dyke
Strange Happenings by Avi - Short Stories
The Gardener by S. A. Bodeen - genetically engineered, self-sustaining life forms
The Sky is Everywhere by Jandy Nelson - Dealing with sibling death
The Wave by Todd Strasser - the power of Nazism reinacted in a real high school classroom in 1969
Unfinished Angel by Sharon Creech - Angels, Orphans
What Jamie Saw by Carolyn Coman - Child Abuse
When You Reach Me by Rebecca Stead - Time Travel, Epilepsy
Willow by Julia Hoban - Cutting

Thoughts from The Sky is Everywhere

I love it when I discover meaningful quotes to guide me...
Here is a keeper courtesy of Jandy Nelson.

"I've never once thought about the interpretative, the storytelling aspect of life, of my life. I always felt like I was in a story, yes, but not like I was the author of it, or like I had any say in its telling whatsover. You can tell your story any way you damn well please. It's your solo." (page 185)

The Holocaust

I have been invited to work in a classroom that is currently studying the the Holocaust.  Together we are reading The Wave.  It descibes an experiment in a high school classroom in Palo Alto, CA in 1969.  The teacher introduces new movement focusing on the power of discipline, community, and action. What starts out as a simple demonstration quickly turns ugly as students turn against those that question the movement and refuse to play along.  The point is to recreate what happened in Germany with the rise of Hitler and the Nazi party.  Why did so many readily follow along?
We are also reading five additonal novels.  The Boy in the Striped Pajamas, Night, Hitler's Canary, Someone Named Eva, and rs. I Have Lived a Thousand Years. Students will be logging onto the class wiki and posting comments in response to questions, ideas, and quotes along the way.  It will be fun to read their reactions.  As we go, I will share the most interesting here!

I'll be Home for Christmas...

I just love the holiday season.  In a couple of days, I will be home for two weeks! Yipppee!
Time to relax, spend time with friends and family, and catch up on my reading.  To start the holiday right, I will be visiting Powells! The Sprague Library Staff along with a couple of other librarians will spend the day shopping for books for the library. Loaded with lists, we will be like children in a candy store.  Here are a few titles I plan to pick up and a few on my waiting list:

Fallen By Lauren Kate

Blue Plate Special By Michelle D. Kwasney
Boyology: A Teen Girl's Crash Course in All Things Boy By Sarah O'Leary Burningham, Keri Smith
Gone by Lisa McMann, the final book in the Wake, Fade Trilogy but we have to wait until Feb. 2010!
E Is for Ethics: How to Talk to Kids About Morals, Values, and What Matters Most By Ian James Corlett
Thirst No. 2: Phantom, Evil Thirst, Creatures of Forever By Christopher Pike

Exciting Hunger Games News!

For all of us impatiently waiting for the third book in the Hunger Games Trilogy, a release date has just been announced.  We will be able to see what happens next on August 24, 2010!  A title has not yet been released.

So Many Books!

I am a book junkie.  I can't seem to read enough.  For every one book I read, I have about five more waiting. I am working on a huge book order.  I attended a wonderful workshop on Best Books for 2009.  I read a ton of book reviews.  I took numerous student recommendations.  I look forward to these new books!

Gordon Korman, POP.  I am very excited about this as it deals with football and alzheimers.
Chris Crutcher, Angry Management
Polly Horvath: Northward to the Moon (2010)
Michelle Zink: Prophecy of the Sisters
Kirsten Cronn-Mills: The Sky Always Hears Me: And the Hills Don't Mind
Jennifer Brown: Hate List

What are You Allergic To?

So I went to the doctor today.  I was poked 32 times with various samples of allergens.  I sat for 20 minutes only to find out that I am officially allergic to...COCKROACHES! My doctor assured me that I probably won't be bothered much around Oregon, but I could have problems if I move to the deep South! Why am I sharing this?  Well, just in case you wondered what I was doing this morning instead of working in the library.  Now it is on to the ENT docs to figure out my nasal issues...more to follow!  I got in immediately so I will be gone again tomorrow.
On Wednesday, the big Scholastic Book Fair is scheduled to arrive.  That is always fun! We are hoping to sell $3000 so we can make 50% back in book profit.  It's only going to be here a very short time so keep your fingers crossed.  Better yet, come on it and BUY some great books for Christmas gifts!
The Sprague Book Club is now reading The Perks of Being a Wallflower by Chbosky.  It is very controversial.  It will be fun to discuss what the fuss is all about.  Kinda like the F-Bomb?
I spoke with the Librarian at Crossler, and she gave me the ordering information for some really cool A-Frame displays for books.  I can't wait to order a couple for our library.  I am working on getting more comfy chairs. 
One more thing, I look forward to an all day YA book presentation in Portland on Thursday as well as my author class tomorrow night.  I can't wait to share my new lists!

TGIF!

Step aside Grisham, today there is something meatier.  I ran across this little article in American Libraries Direct, an e-newsletter of  The American Library Association published on Nov. 11, 2009.
Here is the gist:
"Jackson Pearce, author of As You Wish (HarperTeen, 2009), writes: “There’s been a lot of talk about why authors should or shouldn’t use mature language, themes, or concepts in YA literature. So I did a video!” In this direct talk to parents (3:00), Pearce advocates for “books that allow teens to speak in a realistic manner.” Parents can use this as an opportunity to talk to their teens about appropriate speech, or they can opt to go “la-la-la-la-la”..."
Of course I couldn't resist sharing.  As a high school Library Teacher not a day goes by when I don't hear the F-Bomb or other choice words.  I may not like it, but its reality.  If a young adult author is going to stay true to the characters, he or she should have "permission" to use what my mother calls "Curse Words" when necessary. 
Your thoughts?  Please share! :)
I will let you ponder that over the weekend while I finish my Grisham novel and get back on track next week!

Monday...Again...Weird Week

Monday, Monday...
Welcome to a very interesting week.  After a wet and wildly windy weekend, Monday arrived calmly.  The sunrise this morning was absolutly gorgeous.  Oranges and pinks and clouds like cotton candy.  What a view!  The start of today was promising...

Work began slowly.  I had a variety of quick tasks to complete.  Funny how on some days the tasks complete themselves.  One of the things on my to-do list was to check on the delivery of books that we have been waiting for.  Well, I walked into the office and there was the box! So Nineteen Minutes and Hitler's Canary have arrived at long last!  Then another order arrived...all of our mending tape! I also had a bonus delivery. I recieved a box of books from Junior Library Guild!  It felt just like Christmas!

I also have my PO number for Borders so that we (the library staff!) can go shopping!  I already have an order of YRCA books waiting for me.  I also want to take the book club kids shopping!  Speaking of he book club, we had about 10 students come to our first meeting.  What an amazing group of YA readers!  They know their stuff!  We agreed to read Hunger Games.  We are meeting again tomorrow to discuss the quick read.   I wonder what they will pick up next????

On Thursday is another webcast.  I love to tune in and get booklists of the hottest books.  This one is from School Library Journal and focuses on "Christian Lit." for teens.  This is an area that intrigues me so I am going to tune in and see what it's all about.  Perhaps I can find some new books!

So now my problem only continues to worsen!  How do I find the time to read everything out there?  I haven't even read the Dan Brown novel that I bought a couple of months ago when it came out.  I haven't even purchased Grisham.  Horrible!  I know, I know!

Any suggestions??????
And Mrs. W. thinks I have time to write my own novel!  Shsseessh! :)  At least Grisham made me feel better when he said that the first short story out of the seven in his new book has been kicked around for 20 years!  There is hope for me yet!

Come on Baby, Let the Good Times Roll...

Today I have song tunes running through my head.  Ms. A. came by and mentioned how she was making posters of song quotes for her room.  That got me thinking of all my favorite tunes.  Here is my current favorite:

Life's a dance you learn as you go
Sometimes you lead, sometimes you follow
Don't worry about what you don't know
Life's a dance you learn as you go
          -John Michael Montgomery

When I arrived at work today, I had a huge present waiting for me.  Mrs. M gave me an awesome painting of a kitty that she created.  I can't even begin to describe it so you need to stop by the library and take a look! Mrs. W received one too.  It is wonderful to work with such creative talent!  THANK YOU!!

Tomorrow is the first meeting of the Sprague Book Club.  Mrs. M and I created a fun little literary quiz and have some snacks ready.  I really hope a nice group shows up!  I have been working on a huge book order, and I want some input from students on what is HOT! and what is NOT!  I also want to take a trip to Borders and let the students buy books for the library.

I am working my way through a truck load of books by Mr. L.  He has an amazing collection that he is sharing with me.  If I don't have one of the books in the library, then I read through the book, check the reviews, see if it is in other libraries, and then decide whether or not to add it to my library order.  Each day, he brings in more so I need to keep busy reading.  It is like getting Christmas presents every day!

Did I mention that I love my job?
.

TGIF!

Nothing new as I am home again.  Hopefully all will be well by Monday.
Tonight is the homecoming parade and game.  My son was at football practice and saw the Sprague Manga Club marching in the parade.  Yeah!  I am so proud of them for showing up. Too bad I was not able to be there and take pictures!  We need some great pictures for the yearbook so we don't end up with pictures of all the same people not even in manga activities like in last year's book! :(
Next week will be busy with Health classes in the lab.  The library will be closed after school for a staff meeting on Thursday as teachers and counselors meet to discuss our Freshman class and how to best serve them.  I will be gone to a TurnItIn training to help curb plagiarism and to strengthen students' writing.
I look forward to shopping at Borders for some new books.  I am also preparing a large order from Baker & Taylor.  If you have any ideas for new books, please don't hesitate to post!

Flu, Influenza, H1N1, Sick is Sick No Matter the Name

 Been home battling illness for two days and a third tomorrow.  Cross your fingers, knock on wood, whatever it takes to ensure this is it for the year!
So let's catch up!
Attended my first Authors! Authors! Authors! class on Tuesday night.  Met Sharon Creech.  I enjoyed the background information she shared about her books, but I did not like the reader's theatre presentation.  She had people from the audience read parts of her books.  I have read the books so I didn't need to hear them.  I can to listen to her.  The best part?  I had her sign her newest book, The Unfinished Angel.
Even though I am home, I work on my laptop in my PJs on the couch with my feet up.  I keep up on all the school emails, schedule computer labs, research new books, watch new book trailers, etc. Today I attended a YABookBuzz webinar on new books to look for in the winter and spring.  I am most excited about a new graphic novel from Jane Yolen, her first.  It is called Foiled and is due in May 2010. A few other books to be on the lookout for:
The Caretaker Trilogy Book 3: Timelock by David Klass
"In its own Al Gore Meets Grand Theft Auto way, [the Caretaker Trilogy] delivers a heartfelt and intelligent ecological warning." —The New York Times Book Review
 The Gardener by S. A. Bodeen, author of The Compound
The Miles Between by Mary Pearson, author of The Adoration of Jenna Fox

Survivor Thursday

If yesterday was spot-on, today was simply "A Terrible Horrible, No Good, Very Bad Day" even at Sprague.  I definately feel like a survivor.  Just lots of little things all piling up making me question my librarian status.  Funny thing is I was actually rejuvenated at a library meeting after school!  I love it when meetings are worthwhile.
So let's put the day behind us and plan for tomorrow...
I was surfing through my library websites when I came across a few up and coming titles that look interesting.  I read about the National Book Award Nominee Stitches. It is a graphic novel written for adults, but it has crossed over to the YA scene.  The buzz questions is: Should it have been nominated in a YA catagory?  Was it nominated at the YA level because graphic novels have a better shot of winning at the lower level?  Hmmm...gotta get my hands on it.  I love controversy!
Another book I want to read is coming soon, Hush, Hush.  Looks creepy and luscious and scary and page-turning and controversial. See the trailer and judge for yourself!  It is definately on my to-buy list.
I posted the beginning of Viola.  I want to read that one too.
Then there is the huge list I have been gathering from the conference presentations, my own browsing, Mr. L's daily deluge of amazing books, and recommendations.
If only I could have a full-time job doing nothing but reading.  Even then there would not be enough hours in a day.  Maybe I need to take a speed reading class!
Any suggestions???

PSAT Wednesday

I love Ms. W.  She is always raising the bar.  Since she added color to her blog posts, I guess I had better keep up with her and do the same.  Today was a "Red Letter Day!"
PSAT testing! All of our sophomores across the district were required to take the test.  A few juniors signed up as well.  While they were testing in room across the school, I did a HAPPY Dance because the library was FREE!  The schedule was shortened to a half-day, and if you weren't taking the test, you were cycling through a shortened version of Periods 1-4.  The BEST part of the day was when Mr. C. and Ms. S. brought their 60 humanities students to the library for period 2.  I enjoyed watching them team teach covering topics from Mrs. O'Leary's cow to Jesus!  What a ride!
After the students left the building, the teachers had a short inservice on Cornell Notes...similar to double column note-taking.  Mr. Scholl handed out thumb drives to all the Crystal Apple Nominees. He welcomed a new English teacher and said good-bye to Mrs. S. who will be leaving Sprague to work at the disrict level.  I will miss her.  She is not only nice, but she is ultra organized!  She always has the answers! :)  The English dept. said their good-byes after school at the French Press.  I was unable to attend because I had to rescue my son and take him to the orthodontist.  He did something and tweaked the contraption in his mouth so wires were sticking out!  Sigh...It is always something.  To make up for missing a yummy white chocolate mocha, we had our next best...sweet tea from McDonald's!  At $1 for a big ol' cup, I will take tea with my sugar water any day!
The freshman health classes are starting their big diversity project.  Mrs. M and I have been scrambling over the last couple of days to find enough fiction books with "diverse" characters.  That is quite a challenge when you have four class of 30 plus students all at once!  We had to borrow from other schools, but we did it!
I love it when they come in the the library for three days and complete a project with me using all of the libary's online resources. I wish that I could work with EVERY class that visited the lab.  It would be so much more productive.  In the meantime, I will happily take one class at a time.
One more exciting bit of news, I have been approved to go to a Best Books for Young Adults workshop in November with Mrs. M.  We have gone together in the past, and we always have a BLAST!  We learn some great ideas and come home with a wish list for new books a mile long! 

I'm B..A...C...K...!

So the downside of keeping a blog is that when things get hairy, writing the blog post is the first thing that goes!  So as you can see I have been busy!
The 2009 Oregon Association of School Libraries Conference at the Salem Conference Center has finally come and gone.  As the conference chair, I have been running mock 3 with my hair on fire! Here is a basic rundown of the cool events! It was all about Graphic Novels!  Authors Gene Luen Yang and Derek Kirk Kim were amazing! Britt White from NYC came.  She is a Youth Services Librarian in charge of purchasing GN and Manga for New York.  She is a part of http://www.getgraphic.org/ that posts lists of GN as well as lesson plans.  She was the keynote. It was because of her that many of the conference participants came with doubts and left craving to read a graphic novel and use them in their classrooms!  YIPPPEE!!  We also had Gail Carson Levine.  She was a hoot!  Another role model for me when I reach 60!
Daletta Gonzales and I ROCKED!  We did an awesome three-hour presentation on the Best K-8 books for 2009.  We used book trailers and U-Tube videos to enhance our presentation.  Love the Skippyjon Jones Webisodes...see sample above!  We had enough books to give one away to every participant in our session! We had over 85 people.
The highlight of the conference for me was the Sprague Manga Club members who came on Friday and Saturday in cosplay!  They were a tremendous help.  Several people commented on how fun it was to have them there to greet and help out where needed!  Way to go!!!  I am proud of you!  Thanks!
As for Sprague Library News...
The Spanish workbooks are finally here!  Yeah!
Mrs. W. is really sick. She never misses a day, but she had to go home today.  I hope she gets well soon!  We miss her!  I also must add that she had a GREAT turnout to her Saturday NaNoWriMo session at the conference.  There were many positive comments about her and the information she presented.
Mrs. M has been a wonderful addition to our library.  However, it pains me that several students have been taking advantage of her.  She brings candy for our aides, and students have been taking it, eating it, and leaving the mess behind!  GRrrr..I had to send out the message today to remind teachers to talk to their students about appropriate library behaviors!
The basic gist is to "Treat others how you want to be treated and CLEAN UP after yourself!"

TGIF!

What a long week!  My son woke up this morning feeling sick.  My hubby called and asked if I could come home and take over because he had a meeting at work.  So I left school at 10:30 a.m. Poor little guy spent the day on the couch with flushed checks and an upset stomach.
Before I went home, I met with my advisory students.  They worked on goals for the year. They complained about having to set goals in each classroom.  That surprised me.  I haven't read the results, but I really hope they took this seriously.  I had the chance to meet with about 1/2 of the group one-on-one to look at their grades on InTouch so far. A few are already falling behind.  Although they are sophomores, they still have not learned to get their assingments from their teachers when they are sick and to actually make up the work in a timely fashion.  I am frustrated about how to get them to keep track of their assignments and follow through.  At least, those with the low grades seemed genuinely concerned and appear to want to bring the grades up.  I had a chance to chat with a new student.
Mrs. W's cancer board is awesome.  I can't wait to see it when it is all done. She is so creative, and her boards always look professional.  I hope a lot of students and staff participate by posting a ribbon representing a friend or family member dealing with cancer.
One last note, Spanish workbooks are finally on their way!  YIPPEEE!

Banned Books Week-Celebrating the Freedom to Read!

This week has been interesting.  We put up a couple of displays about books that have been banned or censored at some point. I handed out pins that say "I read banned books." I love the conversations this starts between students.  Some get angry when they see their favorites on the banned book wall or behind the glass displays.  Some ask the big "WHY?" question.  Most just discuss the books or want to read them!  Today we had an incident that was the icing on the cake.  I can sum up the entire Banned Book Week in two words: Naked Boobs.
Now for the rest of the story...
My library aides placed a few books in a display case.  They cut out letters and taped them on the glass.  The result read: Banned Books.  Some very creative souls rearranged the letters to spell Naked Boobs.  Considering that many of the books are banned due to the mention of sex and body parts, I think the little pranksters hit the nail on the head with their new little message!
Needless to say, the signage has been corrected.