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

Our first full week of the new semester, and we are back to read-alouds and lessons!

Kindergarten:  We are learning that sometimes helping a friend doesn't mean fixing their problem; sitting quietly, listening, and staying with that friend through their discomfort can be the best help of all.  Rabbit is this friend for Taylor in The Rabbit Listened, by Cori Doerrfeld, a Texas 2x2 book.  It fits nicely with our emphasis on social-emotional learning this year.

First grade:  Letter-writing, patterns, and what animals (and humans!) need to thrive is discussed as we read Can I Be Your Dog? by Troy Cummings.  It's a Texas 2x2 and one of our RRISD Armadillo Readers' Choice books.

Second grade:  Our Depth and Complexity icons of Multiple Perspectives and Ethics (in this case, empathy) are covered with humor in We Don't Eat Our Classmates by Ryan T. Higgins, another Armadillo Readers' Choice.

Third graders are taking the district student climate survey using our iPads this week, providing input on school safety, homework, classroom, social emotional, cafeteria, bus, and library topics.

Fourth and fifth graders will be brushing up on email etiquette as they email their teachers using appropriate letter format.  They will be taking the survey soon as well.

These deadlines are coming up fast:

• Bluebonnet signature pages are due this Friday, January 24th for third, fourth, and fifth graders participating in the reading program!  All you need is five to vote, so be sure to turn in your paper to your teacher or the library!

• Schlitterbahn Waves of Pages reading program will be wrapping up on February 10th.  Record your ten hours of reading for a free ticket to Schlitterbahn, and turn your paper into your teacher no later than February 14th!

In other news:
The Texas Association of Future Educators at Round Rock High School is having a book drive for students in Ghana, West Africa.  The donation box can be found outside our library doors until the end of January.  Please donate your gently used books!

Our local PBS station, KLRU, is hosting their annual Kids Writers Contest once again!  Entries can be sent now through March 31st.  Visit their website for more information.

Our library displays this month are fairy tales, folk tales, myths, music and musicians, and the Lunar New Year.  Gung hay fat choy, or gong xi fa cai!  Wishing you happiness and prosperity!