Calgary Flood 2013 - St. Monica School Survives!!

 

Thank goodness, our school St. Monica, was not flooded!  We are affected nonetheless, because we are still in the "Emergency" or "Red" zone, so power, gas  and water are still turned off. 

The school will NOT re-open this school year (for the end of June 2013 only).  Please check the Calgary Separate School District website for further details.  Check the CSSD Website here.

Be careful everyone and stay safe, even during the cleanup and restoration stage!

Thank you Calgary and Calgarians for being so, SO, amazing!!

Keep them reading this summer!

Well, summer break is almost here and many school kids will have 2 months off. One way to keep their brains functioning during this period is by encouraging them to read.  And the best part about summer is that they can read what ever they want!!!  Not a text book for one of the their courses, not an assigned novel selected by their English or French (or Spanish, etc) teacher.  They can, and you should encourage them to, read anything they want!

By letting them choose what they want,  it will be of specific and particular interest to them, and it won't be considered a chore!  Let them read magazines, graphic novels, an informational book on digital photography perhaps, something they can use on their summer break. 

There are so many genres: Fantasy, Romance, Adventure, Mystery, Humour.  There are children's story books and novels, poetry books, "YA" (young adult) fiction, classics, non-fiction/informational books.  What kind of hobbies do they enjoy?  There is probably a book about that!

Encourage them to read a book that has been made into a movie, when they are done you can rent or borrow the movie so they can watch the audio visual version.  Ask them which one they like better and why?  Have them explain a couple of the major differences between the two versions.

Kids can sign up for local summer reading programs.  Check out your local library and see what they have to offer.  There is usually a theme and participants can win prizes for signing up and keeping track of their reading.  My children did this for many years and loved it.  They enjoyed reaching the milestones set out by the library, and at the end of the summer getting a small prize (usually a book).  It kept them busy, and they had fun doing it!

Our students here at St. Monica had a visit in June by one of the Calgary Public Library staff, who told them all about the summer reading program they are offering, and about all the things you can do at, and borrow from the Calgary Public Library.  Now's the time to take them to the public library and get them to sign up for the summer reading program, and have them check out all the great things the library has to offer! For more information click on the caption below.


Calgary Summer Reading Program



The Human Connection to Digital Resources and Academic Success

With so many people becoming "Internet Experts" are libraries really that important any longer?  And what about librarians?  Do they add any value to schools, students and learning?  Read the interesting article below from the "Independent School Magazine."  See how the human connection can make a difference:

The Human Connection to Digital Resources and Academic Success

Elisabeth Abarbanel; Sarah Davis; Dorcas Hand; Matthew Wittmer

Summer 2013

Page Content

Without question, the Internet has changed the way we think and learn, and will continue to do so as our technology evolves. In particular, the ability to access enormous amounts of information at any time from almost any place is forcing schools to redefine the idea of a classroom and the way we approach teaching. It is also reshaping the notion of school library services — what libraries look like and how they and librarians best serve schools.

Increasingly, we hear the questions: “Are libraries necessary today? Isn’t everything on the Internet? Can’t we use the library space for better purposes?” We read about prominent independent schools that have chosen to eliminate most or all of their print collections in favor of digital resources. Other schools have replaced trained librarians with technologists who are expert at connecting students with digital tools and websites, but not at maintaining and expanding the carefully curated and already owned print and digital collections. Some independent school librarians are being asked to dramatically weed their print collections to accommodate a move to a space smaller by half or more. More than a few school leaders see this as a good time to cut library funding in order to save money in the overall budget. Clearly, a popular impression out there is that the plentiful free information on the open Internet will answer all academic needs.

We respectfully disagree — and the research is on our side.

Read the rest of this article here.

The human touch, the connections between the school librarian and staff, teachers, students and parents can make all the difference to a school community's success. Let's continue to support school librarians and all that they do!!

Article Source: http://www.nais.org/Magazines-Newsletters/ISMagazine/Pages/The-New-School-Library.aspx

Lisa Bu: How books can open your mind [TED Talk]

Here's an interesting 7 minute TED Talk. Enjoy!

Click Here