Diana Anderson is Liberty County School System's Teacher of the Year!

Congratulations to Mrs. Diana Anderson for being selected as the 2015-2016 Liberty County Teacher of the Year.  "Mrs. Anderson is AWESOME," in the words of her school's staff and students!  According to her principal, Mrs. Claire Blanchard, Mrs. Anderson works diligently to "empower her staff and students." 

The Results Are In...Reading for Recycling is a Success!

America Recycles Day was November 15th, and Joseph Martin Elementary, Liberty Elementary, and Taylors Creek Elementary celebrated by participating in a book display contest and student reading log competition, sponsored by Keep Liberty Beautiful.

The results are in! All of the schools did a great job of getting students to read and learn more about recycling!

Liberty Elementary’s Recycling Committee worked with Mrs. Kristi Craven in the media center to create a winning display, featuring books about recycling and examples of reused crafts! Students at Liberty Elementary did a terrific job completing their Reading Recycling Logs! A total of 50 logs were completed!

As a result, Keep Liberty Beautiful awarded first prize to Liberty Elementary! The media center received a lovely dolphin statue created by an artist in South Carolina. The statue is made from recycled materials. The media center was awarded a gift card for Target. Mrs. Lily Pope, the reading teacher with the highest student participation in the reading log competition, was also awarded a gift card.

One student winner was drawn from all the completed reading logs by Mrs. Sara Swida, the Director for Keep Liberty Beautiful. Kayla Walls from Liberty Elementary was the winner of this drawing and received a gift card to Wal-Mart!


Joseph Martin Elementary’s dynamic media duo, Mrs. Elaine Walker and Mrs. Kristin Stone, created an informative book display featuring items that could be recycled. Students in Mrs. Judy's class completed Reading Recycling Logs also!

Joseph Martin Elementary received an honorable mention from Keep Liberty Beautiful for participating in the contest and a gift card to Target.

Mrs. Mary Peacock, the media specialist at Taylors Creek Elementary illustrated how to recycle and had several books on display. Keep Liberty Beautiful awarded Taylors Creek Elementary an honorable mention award and a gift card from Target also.

 

Ms. Pitts' second grade class enjoyed learning about reducing, reusing, and recycling!

 

The media programs in Liberty County are very grateful for the opportunity to participate in the contest. Thank you, Keep Liberty Beautiful! All of the students’ reading logs have been mailed to the Georgia Recycling Coalition to take part in an additional student competition.

Liberty County School System Joins Literacy Lane at the Savannah Children's Book Festival

Authors, illustrators, public library employees, volunteers, and families converged on Forsyth Park in Savannah, Georgia November 15th for the 11th annual celebration of children's literature.

Children from numerous counties enjoyed the day by participating in hand-on literacy crafts and activities.  Multiple authors and illustrators were on site to discuss their work and share stories, including Newberry award winner Lois Lowry! 

Prior to the festival students created original artwork and poems to enter in various contests for the festival.  An LCSS student, Dustin Snelson won first place in the Young Author's Contest for his submission, “A Day at the Buffet."  He is a 2nd Grader at Joseph Martin Elementary. You can read more about the contest winners at this link: <http://www.liveoakpl.org/SCBF/guests/2014-young-writers-contest-1.php>.

This year, Liberty County School System was represented by Jaime Rearley and Elaine Walker on Literacy Lane.  Families enjoyed stopping by the LCSS table on Literacy Lane. Children took turns using iPads provided by Taylors Creek Media Center to create silly imaginative stories using the free Mad Lib app.

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!