Celebrating Children's Book Week

Schools in Liberty County School System look forward to celebrating Children's Book Week each year.  Established in 1919, Children's Book Week is the longest running national literacy initiative in the United States!  Once held in November nationally, many of the schools in LCSS still celebrate in November.  The national celebration, sponsored by Every Child A Reader and The Children's Book Council, is now held the first week of May.  Whether the event is held in November or May, it is a celebration of quality children's literature and according to Fredric Melcher a time to remember "a great nation is a reading nation."

This year for the first time, Liberty County School System's media centers will participate in the Savannah Children's Book Festival, November 15th!  Look for Mrs. Rearley by the fountain in Forsyth Park.  We will create some fun and zany Mad Libs using iPads!

The events described below will begin November 17th and conclude November 21st.

Liberty Elementary

Mr. Anderson and Dr. Faircloth are challenging students to read 6,000 books during the week.  If students can reach this reading goal, Mr. Anderson will eat a BUG!

Monday, students will have fun creating grade level stories using the Story Wheel app, and students and staff will participate in a school-wide reading train!

Tuesday, grade levels will gather in the media center to listen to the stories they created!

Wednesday, students will enjoy a visit from a guest reader.

Thursday, everyone will cozy up to a good book in their PJs during the reading lock in.

Friday, students and staff will dress as their favorite storybook characters and parade around school.

Joseph Martin Elementary

Students in grades 3-5 will pair with students in grades K-2. These peer reading buddies will enjoy reading and sharing books together!

JME teachers are using Accelerated Reader to set short-term reading goals for the week.  Students that reach their reading goals will recived a special treet at the end of the week.

Students and teachers will dress up as their favorite storybook characters Friday for a grand storybook parade around JME!

Taylors Creek Elementary

Dr. Mobley is challenging students to earn 1,800 AR points during the week.  If this challenge is met, the top AR point earner will throw a pie in Dr. Mobley's face!

Students are being challenged to create a colorful display featuring their favorite book!  A winner will be selected from each grade level!

Teachers and students will be tuning in daily to the TCE morning news for a new student book talk each day.

Classes are invited to story time each day of the week in the media center.  Friday, a guest reader will share a story.

Students and staff will dress up as their favorite book character for the school-wide character book dress up day, Wednesday, November 19th!

Waldo Pafford Elementary

Dr. Crow and Mrs. Lee are challenging students to read 5,000 books from Monday to Thursday.  If this superhero challenge is met, students will enjoy a superhero faculty member performance in the gym!

Monday, students can earn double AR money when they pass a quiz and say, "I Love AR!"

Tuesday, students and staff will get lost in a good book while wearing camouflage attire.

Wednesday, don't forget your favorite character costume!  At 1:00 students and staff will parade around the school in a Book Character Parade!

Thursday, students will relax and read in their PJs, and participate in fun reading activities.

Friday, come to school dressed as your favorite super hero!

Midway Middle School

Classes will participate in lessons on how to access audio and eBooks using Destiny. Throughout the week classes will play Library Basketball and learn different library skills!  Classes will sign up to play Library Bingo and learn some library lingo!  Throughout the week, students can show they are "sticking" to books by leaving short notes about their favorite books or characters in the media center.  Students can stop by the media center to create a bookmark, and take part in a fun Facebook contest!

Monday, students will lose themselves in a good book while wearing camouflage!

Tuesday, students will team up with a great book while wearing a jersey or team attire.

Wednesday, students will show they have re(a)d a good book by wearing red to schools.

Thursday, staff and students will show they are crazy about books by wearing crazy socks and hair!

Friday, remember to dress as your favorite book character and participate in the best group or individual costume contest.

Celebrating America Recycles in Our Media Centers

Each year elementary schools in Liberty County celebrate National America Recycles Day with a fun story and hands-on activities to remind students how important it is to reduce, reuse, and recycle.  This year the story will be Just a Dream by Chris Van Allsburg.  In the beginning of the story the main character doesn't understand the significance of recycling, planting trees, or taking care of the world around him.  However, during a restless night of sleep, the protagonist dreams of what the future will hold if community members do not take care of Earth.  He dreams of smoke stacks crowding the sky, large landfills covering the land, treeless fields, and natural wonders crowded with hotels.  The little boy awakes to realize it was all just a dream, and decides to start being more mindful of his own actions. 

After listening to Just a Dream, students will participate in recycling relays and learn more about how they can recycle, reuse, and reduce waste.

This year, elementary schools in Liberty County will also have a chance to win an eco-sculpture for their media center!  Each elementary school is challenged to create a book display featuring books on the topics of recycling, reducing, and reusing.  The Keep Liberty Beautiful Board will award up to fifty points to the most attractive and creative display.  Students at each elementary school will also be challenged to read books on the topics of reducing, reusing, and recycling.  Each Read for Recycling Program book log completed between November 8th through 15th will earn the school five points!  Once all logs are turned in and points have been tallied, the elementary school earning the most total points will win an eco-sculpture made from recycled materials for display in the media center.  The media specialists will win a gift card, and participating students will be entered to win a Barnes and Noble gift card raffle. 

The media programs in Liberty County recognize how important community involvement is and value the support of Keep Liberty Beautiful!

The Read for Recycling Program Reading log is available at this link: bit.ly/1w8Tl66

Exemplary Media Programs in Liberty County

The Georgia Library Media Association and Georgia Library Association sponsor a yearly recognition for exemplary media programs across the state of Georgia.  Locally each school’s media committee is required to evaluate their school's program using a rubric.  The goal is to identify outstanding media program(s) making a difference in student achievement each year.  Selected media programs are encouraged to apply for the Georgia Exemplary Media Program honor. 

It is my pleasure to announce Bradwell Institute, Midway Middle School, Liberty Elementary, and Taylors Creek Elementary have been named Exemplary Media Programs by the Liberty County Media Committee for 2014.  All of the listed programs have met the exemplary criteria and will be honored at the LCSS June 10th board meeting. 

Since Bradwell Institute and Midway Middle School have already been selected for the exemplary state-wide honor, neither school is eligible to apply for the 2014 selection process. However, both Taylors Creek and Liberty Elementary will complete the application process for statewide consideration. 

The selected programs excel in their level of instruction and influence on student achievement.  The level of technology integration is exceptionally high.  The staffing for each of the programs is optimal.  The facilities, level of access, and provided resources support the needs of staff and students.  The level of administrative support is evident for each of the programs listed, and the media specialists are engaged in professional development while providing opportunities for growth in their school setting. 

Students are the Stars at the LCSS Media Festival Celebration

The Georgia Student Media Festival began in 1976, and it has steadily grown over time to incorporate the work of thousands of students across the state in grades kindergarten through twelfth.  Liberty County has been a consistent presence at the festival, submitting hundred of projects each year.  In fact, this year Liberty County submitted more projects than any other county in the state.

Media specialists, computer lab teachers, classroom teachers, and instructional technology specialists work together at the schools in Liberty County to equip students with the tools to plan, research, organize, and create quality technology-based projects.  The festival provides a unique vehicle for project-based learning.  It is exciting to see the variety and quality of the work created.  The curriculum standards are evident in the information presented, writing process, and studens' creation and selection of visual media.

The level of support for the festival has enjoyed a steep increase in Liberty County.  This is due in part to the recent tradition of honoring students whom earn a superior score at the Georgia Student Media Festival with a red carpet premiere of their projects and awarding Oscars to individual project. Group projects of five students or less earn individual trophies, and classroom teachers are presented with a trophy for projects created by more than five students.  School media specialists, teachers, and administrators have made it a point to attend the celebration of work. Families and students enjoy gathering together for this unique event.

In the past, superior projects from the state level festival could be submitted into an International Student Media Festival.  However, the future of the international festival is bleak.  The professional organization which sponsored the event stopped funding the festival.  Last year a group of dedicated volunteers rallied to provide a festival.  Unfortunately, it does not appear that an international festival will occur this year.

As the Media Coordinator of Liberty County School System, I think the process of producing media festival projects is more valuable than the tangible rewards.  The festival provides students with a rich, engaging, and challenging task.  I am proud of all the students that dedicate their time and energy to the process.  All of the student participants are winners in my book!

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!