It's Wednesday! What's happening in the Sommer Library?

Happy New Year!  We've been getting back in the swing of things here in the library since winter break.

We had a bit of excitement last Thursday, when our midday read-aloud time ended with a delivery:

We received the furniture purchased with funds from our RRISD-awarded Innovative Learning Spaces grant!  The hardworking representatives from Worthington Contract Furniture spent many hours unpacking and putting the pieces together that day and this past Monday.  Mrs. Woodul and Mrs. Margocs spent some time rearranging afterwards, and here are the results:

Our learning area has been transformed!  Mrs. Daniel's fifth grade class was the first to use our new furnishings as they completed their mid-year library skills review with iPads.

There are twenty-four pie-shaped tables and fifty-six chairs.  The new tables have castors and can be rearranged easily; they even fit between our book shelves when we need room for presentations!  The chairs are really comfortable, and stack for storage.

On the other side of the library, in the Book Nook, we are getting musical as students listen to Drum Dream Girl: How One Girl's Courage Changed Music by Margarita Engle, illustrated by Rafael López.  

Drum Dream Girl tells the story of a Chinese-African-Cuban girl who dreams of being a drummer, but girls are not allowed to drum in 1930's Havana, Cuba.  Her father finally relents and sends her to a music teacher, who recognizes her passion and talent and gives her a venue to play her music.

We couldn't read a book about drums with a few of our own in the Book Nook, thanks to Ms. Nelson's and Mrs. Blazek's loans from the music rooms!

Mrs. Margocs added percussion sticks and blocks from her own collection, so every student had something to play and keep the beat while she read the book aloud.

One of our first graders pops into the library once a week to check out books for independent study.  He then makes a project to teach us what he's learned!  This week's project had to do with satellites:

Second graders are learning how to use our online catalog more efficiently, while first grade is enjoying a "check-out" week with more time to browse for books.  Third, fourth, and fifth grades are doing their mid-year library skills review, using a Nearpod lesson on the iPads.

Mrs. Margocs is busy planning the spring semester author visits!  We have Nathan Hale visiting with our third and fifth graders on February 22nd--be sure to get those book orders in by next Friday.

Attention third, fourth, and fifth graders: Bluebonnet signature pages are due THIS FRIDAY, January 13th, by 4PM!!  Students must read at least five Bluebonnet books to participate in statewide voting; if they read all twenty, they receive one of next year's Bluebonnet books to keep, and qualify to try out for our Battle of the Bluebonnets Team!

Our Spring Book Fair is coming up in February--stay tuned for details!