Preparing for Tammi Sauer's Visit

Our school is preparing for an amazing author visit! I have been reading two or three books per class per week for the last 2-3 weeks and talking about the plot, lesson, and characters in the stories. Students are in love with the books!

We had an author visit from Nikki Loftin last week, and I will post about that as soon as I have time. I just wanted to post a few cute pictures that students have made for Tammi's visit.

Here are a few!

I hope you all enjoyed the pictures! I'll write about Tammi's visit some time next week. It's going to be AWESOME!!!

Duck! Rabbit! GRA15 Rosenthal Author Study

Our library is taking part in the Global Read Aloud this month by doing an author study on author, Amy Krouse Rosenthal. We are reading books by Ms. Rosenthal and learning about things like point of view and perspective.

We compared the book Duck! Rabbit!, with a Mo Willems book, Don't Let the Pigeon Drive the Bus!, to determine "who's telling the story?", and from whose perspective the story is being told.

After we read both books, and discussed point of view and perspective, students were given white boards and markers and asked to draw which animal they thought was portrayed in the book, Duck! Rabbit!, and to tell which animal they thought the character was (duck or rabbit) by using the text in the book. Here are some great pictures of them at work!

Kinder Learning in the Library

Kindergarten students have been reviewing their letters and letter sounds in the library the last week or so. We have sung the "ABC" song, read a book called Al Pha's Bet, and even formed some letters with our bodies! Here are some pictures to show the letters!

A

B

C

D

E

F

G

That's as far as we had time to go! The kiddos really enjoyed singing and figuring out how to make a letter with their body!

Gone Fishing...a Sequoyah Nominee

I haven't posted in a long time, but this book spurred my desire to write again.

Gone Fishing is a book by Tamera Will Wissinger and illustrated by Matthew Cordell. I showed my students the author interview on the Perma-Bound video made by our wonderful Brown Brothers this past week! Tamera's stories of going fishing brought back many happy memories for me because my Dad used to take my sisters and me fishing when we were kids. He still enjoys this hobby all these years later.

Tamera's use of different poetry forms to tell the story of a boy, his dad, and his sister's family fishing trip is inspiring! At the end of the book, she lists all the forms of poetry she used in the book so that kids (or teachers) can go back and reference the poetry forms as well as poetry techniques she used.

Teachers could use this book as a read aloud and show some images and videos to kids to build their knowledge of fishing as a hobby. Then they could use the techniques and forms Tamera discusses in the back of the book to have students write their own poems about their hobbies.

I can think of about a dozen ways I plan to use this book in my library lessons this year. Here is a picture of me and my sister, Cindy, when we got back home after a fishing trip. We sure look proud - maybe as proud as Sam and Lucy in Gone Fishing!

New Books in the Kerr Cougars Library!!!!

We were extremely excited to have Christmas again after returning from Christmas break! My assistant, Mrs. Holcomb, and I agreed that getting new books was just like getting Christmas gifts. We received 9 heavy boxes of new books and slowly went through each and every one, labeling and marking them for Reading Counts quizzes and lexile levels. It took us all of the first week back and some of the next week before we got them all done. WHEW!

Because of testing being done in the library for Kindergartners, I wasn't able to hold regular classes in the library last week. I did the next best thing, which was to take the library to the students! I loaded up a little shelving cart with all new books and did multiple booktalks in every classroom. Boy, are those kids thirsty for the new books! This week, we've hardly been able to keep a new book on the shelf. We made it easy for kids to find the new books by locating them in a central shelving area for circulation. It's fun to have students come in and excitedly ask for certain books by title.

This week during classes for 1st-3rd grades, I've done booktalks on a couple of my favorite author/illustrators whose books we purchased for the library. Now, the kids are chomping at the bit to get these books!

Wonderful books illustrated and/or written by Dan Santat.

We can't wait for new books by Tammi Sauer!

Musical Kids at Kerr Elementary School

Kerr Elementary has a band program done by our band teacher, Ms. Thrun. I was sitting in the library before Christmas and heard band music. I was completely impressed by the students' playing ability at only the halfway point in the school year! Here are a couple of pictures I took of the students playing their instruments for a Kindergarten class. I hope to attend a band concert soon!

More Book Fair and Bob the Elf News

Yippee! The book fair has ended and we made our sales goal! I am hoping that we will be able to have enough money to invite an author to visit either in the spring or next fall. We had a couple of generous teachers who purchased books for other teachers on their wish lists and even helped out a few students that were short on a few cents to buy their books. We also had a wonderful volunteer from Reading Partners, Klarice Dant, who helped out at the book fair: setting up, breaking down, and assisting children with book selection and purchases!

I tried to get lots of teachers and kids to purchase these sweet stuffed animal characters, but only convinced myself and one little girl. I bought Fly Guy!

Bob, our resident Elf on the Shelf, has been busy watching over students and teachers this week.He showed up in the cafeteria one day and yesterday he was in the gym!

 Ms. Hoskins even found him today!

Bob the Elf and the Book Fair

Our book fair is in full swing and Bob (our Elf on the Shelf) was looking over all the students and parents who attended yesterday from his perch high above! If you are wondering how Bob got his name, it is simple. Our school is named after a famous Oklahoman, Robert S. Kerr. We shortened his first name to Bob, and we love it!

One little girl came with her mom and she couldn't wait until they got home to crack open her new purchase!

We are looking forward to a fun book fair week at the Kerr Cougars Library!

Kerr Cougars Library Book Fair!

We are open and ready to go and the Kerr Elementary School Cougar Library! Bring on the parents! Bring on the students! Bring on the teachers! If you'd like to donate to our school library, I have created a wish list on our online book fair. If you want to purchase anything for students or other teachers at our school, just check out the wish lists here.

I am so grateful to have a large library and we will be able to have circulation during the book fair.I can't wait until the kids start coming next week!

Becoming a Knight at Kerr

It was with much excitement that I attended my school's monthly student assembly where outstanding students are recognized. I had heard that a man came dressed as a Knight and actually "knighted" students who were chosen. Little did I know that I would be so emotionally affected!

Students were called up to the front of the assembly, they hugged their teachers, and then sat on the stage. The Knight touched the shoulders of each child while they kneeled down in front of him. He told why the child was being recognized in a booming voice and my silly sentimental tears flowed!

At the end of the assembly, he cried out, "Knights do what?" and the kids answered back, "DO RIGHT!" It was fantastic! This was the best "student of the month" assembly I've ever seen. I hope our community knows how impressive the service the Knight provides to our children.

Stone Soup

We are so very lucky to have our library near the Kindergarten classrooms. Last week, they read Stone Soup. Then, they felt sorry for us having to smell the delicious aroma wafting through the hallways! Here's our reward for that:

YUM!!!

A New Librarian Means New Library Procedures and Arrangements

Since I started working here at Kerr Elementary School, many changes have occurred in the library. One way it has changed is the way the library was arranged. This is the fourth library I have served and I enjoy setting up my teaching and learning spaces in a way that are sensible and useful to me. I don't like to come into a new place and just turn it topsy-turvy for no reason at all, though. I waited a few weeks before I started making any changes because I wanted to see how the library was being used before I made any changes.

Quickly, I learned that the way the library was arranged was confusing for me and areas could be arranged for better use by more people. For example, We now have all of our Everybody picture books in just two sections of the library vs. being shelved in several different areas.We also moved our sign-in station to a cart next to the E section (pictured below on the right). This alleviated the congestion at the library door when students were coming and going.

Everybody section with Nonfiction section behind it on the wall

The rug area below is now called the Cougar's Den. I like to have a cozy story area where children can sit or lay on a carpet or rug and listen to lively stories and learn new things. The bookcases surrounding it are filled with books that are below the 350 Lexile level books (old AR 1.9 and below levels). This makes it easy for Kindergartners, 1st and 2nd graders to find books that are just right for them to read.Older kids who are reading and learning on those levels don't have to feel weird about going to those shelves because we've made it a cool space from which to choose your favorite book.The kids love this area! I foresee many fun activities in our future.

Cougar's Den with the Quiet Room and Fiction sections behind it

 Books that are young adult theme or Lexile level are placed in what are now known as the Tween Shelves.

I've enjoyed working in my new library home and hope that the new arrangements and sections make it easier for everyone to find just what they are looking for!

Veterans Day Studies at the Kerr Cougar Library

All of our students enjoyed watching the "History of Veterans Day" video published by the History Channel or listening to Ms. Sloggett read a nonfiction book about Veterans Day. We were lucky enough to have plenty of books about armor, military equipment and transportation, and veterans to go around for the last couple of weeks.

Our PE teacher, Sgt. Bodden  and Corporal Nease, Ms. Sloggett's son-in-law, let us display their dress uniforms. Mr. Bodden's is the green Army coat on the left and Mr. Nease's is the black Marine coat on the right. The students were extremely impressed with the medals these heroes earned while in the service of their country.

Students learned how to recognize a veteran, why Veterans Day is important, and how to thank a veteran. Many students shook hands with Mr. Bodden and another veteran who works at our Kerr, Captain Johnson.

Several of our students attended the Veterans Day Parade held in Tulsa on Tuesday, November 11th. We wish to thank all veterans for their service and we are proud to have them represent our country.

Halloween and Drug Awareness Week at Kerr

Last week was extraordinarily busy at Kerr Elementary. We had a dress-up day every day to try and inform our students about the dangers of drugs and alcohol. One day was "Super Heroes Don't Do Drugs" and many students dressed up as superheroes that day. Here are a couple of pictures of visitors in the library:

In addition to Drug Awareness Week, it was Halloween. Someone on our staff started "Boo-ing" people with a cute little gift and note. Mrs. Holcomb and I both were "booed" and received nice gifts from an anonymous source which was really a spirit-lifter! Here is the gift basket I received and a picture of the little ghost sign that I had to put out on the library door so that others would know that I had been "booed". Such a fun tradition!

At our school, the staff belong to support groups that have been developed to support each other and to encourage all of the staff at our school. One support group came around and posted positive and encouraging quotes on our doors. Here are the two that were placed on the library door for me and Mrs. Holcomb. We were surprised and cheered to have these placed in our honor. Thank you!

Kerr Cougars ROCK!

A New Beginning at Kerr Cougars Library

I have been settling in as the new librarian at Kerr Elementary School in Tulsa, Oklahoma. I have been welcomed by the library assistant (golden, by the way), principal, teachers, staff, and students here at the school. My very first week, I celebrated my birthday in style by wearing my birthday crown and found out that two other girls in one of the classes that visited had the same birthday!

The library here at Kerr is about 6 years old and has a separate, glassed-in, reading room which is used all day by various small groups and story-time for younger grades. We have a large collection of books of all kinds and it is continually being assessed for use by students and faculty. We have a work room/office with storage closets, a computer area with a dozen desk top computers, and a learning area with a SMART board. I think I'm in heaven!

This week I have started lessons on various topics such as Jamestown, using atlases, dictionaries and call numbers, and listening skills. First graders are listening to Creepy Carrots, discovering fun characters throughout. Second graders are listening for alliteration and rhyming in The Runaway Pumpkin.

We are celebrating Red Ribbon Week here at Kerr, so I will probably have some fun pictures to share later this week. 

I am looking forward to a fun, wacky, and wonderful week at the Kerr Cougars Library!