Celebrate America Recycles Day!

Thanks to Liberty Recycles and Jamie Rearley for coming to several Liberty County schools to share how important it is to recycle!   We played games, read a story and sang a song to learn about the 3 R's: Reduce, Reuse and Recycle!

Celebrating Children’s Literature throughout the Month of November

Tacky clothes, tie-dye t-shirts, pajamas, and books?... What do all of these things have in common?  They are just some of the fun ways schools in Liberty County are celebrating children’s literature during the month of November.  The tradition of celebrating quality literature for children dates all the way back to 1919 when the first Children’s Book Week was established. Although nationally the event was moved to May in 2008, many of the elementary and middle schools in Liberty County celebrate during the month of November. 

The Liberty County Pre-K Center started off the month of November by encouraging students to wear crazy socks, mix-matched clothes, favorite sport’s team jerseys, and hats to get student excited about reading.  In addition to dressing up, students and teachers decorated their classroom doors and pumpkins to illustrate favorite children’s books.  The celebration culminated in students dressing up as their favorite storybook characters and parading around the school and board of education.

Students at Liberty Elementary are being challenged by Mr. Anderson, the school principal, to read over 6,000 books during the week of November 18-22.  If the cubs can meet the challenge Mr. Anderson and Mrs. Mock will trade places and come to school dressed as one another!  In addition to the reading challenge, the school hallway with the highest percentage of 100%s on Accelerated Reader quizzes during the week will earn a free dress down day.  Throughout the week, each teacher’s door will also be decorated with student-created book covers.  The week of fun will begin at LE Monday, November 18^th with a reading train in the hallways at 8:40 AM.  November 21^st students and teachers will be coming to school dressed as their favorite story characters, and the week of fun will conclude with a school-wide Trading Places assembly, if the reading goal is met!

If your child goes to Joseph Martin Elementary, the fun will begin Monday, November 18^th with CRAZY sock day. Kindergarten students will have a special story time visitor to teach the importance of recycling.  Tuesday, November 19^th students will be encouraged to wear hats to school because it will be “Hats off to a Good Book Day.”  Wednesday, November 20^th students can wear camouflage to get lost in a good book, and the week of fun will culminate in students parading around the school dressed as their favorite storybook characters Thursday, November 21^st.

Students are Taylors Creek Elementary will be going HOG WILD for books all week.  The fun will start Monday, November 19^th with students wearing tacky clothes to prove “books are SO NOT tacky!”  Tuesday, November 20^th will be Peace, Love, and Books Day!  Students may wear tie-dye clothes and hippie gear.  Students will want to come to school dressed as their favorite book character Wednesday, November 20^th.  Thursday, November 21^st will be a special challenge day for students.  In addition to dressing up in farmer-style duds, students will be challenged to earn 1,000 AR points!  If it can be done, Mrs. Byers, the school principal, will KISS a PIG!  The teacher of the top reading class will also have to pucker up for a kiss!

Students are Waldo Pafford Elementary will enjoy a special story read by Dr. Lee, the Superintendent of Liberty County Schools.  All day Monday, November 18^th students can earn double Accelerated Reader money if they tell Mrs. Lee, the school media specialist, “I Love AR!” after passing a reading practice quiz.  Author Tracy Cox will visit WPE Tuesday, November 19^th to share the wonders of writing with grades K-5.  Students may also wear a hat to school this day.  Parents get ready to relax and read with your children at school Wednesday, November 20^th, because you are invited to a fun day of reading. Students may wear pajamas and slippers to school, but students don’t forget a pair of street shoes too.  Thursday, November 21^st will be “Get Lost in a Good Book Day” to celebrate students may wear camouflage and soldiers will be coming to classrooms to share books!  Friday, November 22^nd the week of fun activities will culminate with students dressing as their favorite book character and parading around the school at 8:20 AM.

Students at Lewis Frasier and Midway Middle School will also be celebrating during the week of November 18^th-22^nd.  Sixth grade students at LFMS will enjoy visits from a local author, sponsored by the Live Oak Public Library, and a school-wide treasure hunt.  Also during the week sixth grade students will have a special story program on the theme of recycling.  Student at MMS will find a variety of artistic and curriculum related activities open to their classes during the week. Teachers will be encouraged to bring their classes to the school media center for book cover creation crafts, character analysis using art, Library BINGO, Library Basketball, lessons on how to use the Dewey Decimal System, and eBook access workshops.  Mrs. Dover, the school media specialist, will present book talks throughout the week on some of the Georgia Children’s Book Award Nominees.  Every classroom will be encouraged to get into the spirit by decorating its door to illustrate a favorite piece of middle school literature. 

School media specialists, teachers, and principals look forward to reminding students of the joy found in a good book during the festivities!

  

Bradwell Institute is named an Exemplary Media Program!

Media specialists, Nikki Lukkarinen and Melissa McCallar, of Bradwell Institute attended the annual Georgia Council of Media Organizations to receive the Mabel Wyche Underwood grant to promote ebooks in the media center.  However, they were pleasantly surprised to find out they also earned the statewide honor of being named the 2013 Georgia Exemplary Library Media Program for High School!

Food, Family, and Fun... Lyman Hall Elementary Welcomes Families to a Book Fair Picnic!

What is better a grilled hot dog or a good book?  Families at Lyman Hall Elementary had the chance to enjoy both October 1^st and 3^rd at a book fair picnic.  Principal, Claire Blanchard, greeted parents and children as she helped to hand out hot dogs.  Several teachers volunteered to distribute lemonade and snacks.  Even Clifford the Big Red Dog was on the scene for hugs and line dancing.  Media Specialist, Diana Anderson, facilitated the event and was pleased to have over 500 picnicking readers on the scene! 

Liberty Elementary is Awarded a Target Grant!

Students at Liberty Elementary will be brimming with excitement to read and develop their literacy skills!  Media specialist, Kristi Craven, applied and won a grant from Target Department Stores for a sum of $2000.00.  The awarded funds will be dedicated to providing students with rich media experiences such as, special reading events, guest speakers, and book donations! 

Students have always looked forward to the fall Pajamboree at Liberty Elementary.  For years students have come to school the evening of the event dressed in their cozy pajamas to read with their families and enjoy cookies and milk.  In addition, this event has provided students a chance to quiz their comprehension of the books using the Accelerated Reader program. 

Now with the new funding, every student attending the Pajamboree will be receiving a free book and additional events will be added to the calendar for Liberty Elementary students!  Magician, Chad Crews, will be visiting students to kick off the week-long celebration of children’s literature in November.  Mr. Crews’ performance will highlight the importance of reading and inspire students to use their library even more!  Another literacy event now possible with the Target grant will be a guest visit from author/ storyteller/historian, Annette Laing for the fourth grade students at Liberty Elementary.  Dr. Laing, a former Georgia Southern University professor, will share stories and artifacts supporting the Common Core curriculum. 

With 97% of the students at Liberty Elementary participating in the Accelerated Reader comprehension program, it is easy to see they are excited about reading!  The additional events and visitors will only increase their desire to read!  The goal is to see 99% of the students participate in the reading comprehension program and for the level of students earning an average of 85% or high on their quizzes to reach 60% of the student population!