LCSS Media Festival

Thank you to all the media specialists, computer lab teachers, teachers, paraprofessionals, and parents that volunteered to judge for the Liberty County Student Media Festival.  A total of 329 projects were scored during the festival.  Of those projects, 203 earned a superior score of 96 or higher.  These projects will advance to the Georgia Student Media Festival, May 1st.

The project entries were diverse and utilized a variety of different technology skills.  Students demonstrated their knowledge on a number of subjects using tools like iMovie, Wixie, and Weebly.  A range of age groups participated.  Entries ranged from grades K-12!

Liberty County has a very active history in the festival.  In fact, Liberty County submitted more projects than any other county to the state festival last year! 

Congratulations Bradwell Insititute on another Georgia Helen Ruffin Reading Bowl Victory!

Bradwell Institute has done it again!  The reading power house captured first place in the Helen Ruffin Reading Bowl at the Georgia Children's Literature Conference in Athens, Georgia.

Another Successful LCSS HRRB!

Another Exciting Helen Ruffin Reading Bowl in Liberty County!

by: Jaime Rearley

Students in Liberty County are quick with a buzzer and even quicker to recall a detailed fact from one of the books on the Children’s Book Award Nominees list or Georgia Peach Book Award for Teen Readers list.  The ninth annual Liberty County Helen Ruffin Reading Bowl was held January 23 at the Performing Arts Center, and it was a day full of buzzing excitement!  

The bowls began with Dr. Valya S. Lee, Superintendent of Schools, welcoming families to the event. The Presentation of Colors by the Bradwell Institute’s Junior ROTC started the elementary bowl and Liberty County High School’s Junior ROTC started the middle/ high bowl.   Jaime Rearley, Media Coordinator/ITS, explained the procedures and rules for both bowls before the students were dismissed to their competition rounds.  

Students were quick to buzz in during the rounds.  With a total of ten questions asked per round, and each school competing in six rounds of competition, the bowl was exciting to watch!  The questions required students to recall facts from the books they read at a moments notice!  Many of the students prepared for months prior to the bowl! School Media Specialists coached most of the teams; however, teachers and paraprofessionals also worked with students to prepare for the bowl.  Parents, coaches, and principals sat on the edge of their seats as students buzzed in and challenged questions during the bowls.

The closing ceremony for both the elementary and middle/ high bowls began with the presentation of trophies by Board of Education Chair, Mrs. Lily Baker.  The second place elementary school team, Frank Long Elementary was announced.  Coaches, Mrs. Becky Busby and Ms. Laura Grandstaff, led the team to the stage.  Serena Burkart, Samantha Carter, Gabriella Day, N’Kiya Freeman, Seth Moye, Ashley Steward, Wyatt Swears, and Anasia Reynolds accepted the trophy from Mrs. Baker.  The first place team, Lyman Hall Elementary, was announced and cheers filled the air.  Coach Diana Anderson and Lyman Hall Elementary’s principal Claire Blanchard led Domonique King, Calib Rodriguez, Aaliyah Rodriguez, Connor Stephens, Lakeisha Levins, and Mia Lemke to the stage to accept the first place trophy.

At the conclusion of the middle school bowl, Midway Middle School’s team was called to accept the second place trophy.  Coaches Mrs. Cristina Dover and Mrs. Nancy Probst led the team consisting of Yazmyne Edwards, Taylor Jacobes, Joshua Malek, Tillman Norsworthy, Madison Wasdin, and Cameron Wheeless to the stage to accept the trophy.  Lewis Frasier Middle School was announced as the first place middle school team, and coaches Dr. Sandy Jennings and Ms. Tina Norris led the ecstatic students, Heather Beers, Patrick Underwood, Destany Thompson, Devonte King, Amber Lynn Mullins, Kayla Hutton, Monica Battle, Robert Martin, and Zachery Chenevert to accept the golden first place trophy.

The high school bowl concluded with Mrs. Baker awarding the second place trophy to Liberty County High School.  Coaches Mrs. Kate Gukeisen, Mrs. Kathy Shutts, and Ms. Mary Ann Scanlon led students Yvette Ortiz, Clayton Grant, Bryanna Brown, Vanessa Lewis, Tiona Mulligan, Zoe Ross, and Amanda McGrath to accept the second place trophy.  Bradwell Institute’s team was awarded first place.  The team coached by Mrs. Melissa McCallar, Mrs. Nikki Lukkarinen, and Mrs. Joanna VanBelkum took the stages with students Jordan Graham, Melissa Hawkins, Shelby Logan, Mara Holandez, Aliyah Kindley-Thomas, Abigail Smythe, Angelique Hutton, and Cailin Ingram. Bradwell’s team won first place at the Georgia Helen Ruffin Reading Bowl last year and are the reigning state champions!  

Chief Academic Office, Mrs. Mary Alexander, closed each bowl with inspirational closing remarks.  Students, families, administrators, teachers, media specialists, and paraprofessionals celebrated the reading accomplishments of the student team members!

The LCSS Helen Ruffin Reading Bowl is only the beginning for the first place teams.  They will all be advancing to the Southern Regional Helen Ruffin Reading Bowl to be held at Valdosta State University on February 7th!  From there teams will hope to earn the right to attend the Division II Bowl at Georgia Southern University.  If this year is like last, multiple teams from Liberty County will advance to the state level competition at the University of Georgia! We might even have a first place winner again!

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.