Ms. Donnelly Reads

"A Reader Lives a Thousand Lives" George R.R. Martin

So, being a crazy new librarian with TONS of stuff on the cooker, OF COURSE I’ve decided to create a themed bulletin board. Each month, a different theme will be represented with books that relate to the theme. This month, we’re working on BUILDING RELATIONSHIPS! With all of the violence happening in my school’s neighborhood, it’s more important now, than ever before, that kids get to know one another and understand that everyone is struggling with something. You gotta be a friend in order to have a friend.

In a world where you can be anything you want, be kind.

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September books (all descriptions come from Amazon):

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1. Wonder by R. J. Palacio- August Pullman was born with a facial difference that, up until now, has prevented him from going to a mainstream school. Starting 5th grade at Beecher Prep, he wants nothing more than to be treated as an ordinary kid—but his new classmates can’t get past Auggie’s extraordinary face. WONDER, now a #1 New York Times bestseller and included on the Texas Bluebonnet Award master list, begins from Auggie’s point of view, but soon switches to include his classmates, his sister, her boyfriend, and others. These perspectives converge in a portrait of one community’s struggle with empathy, compassion, and acceptance

 

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2. The Lions of Little Rock by Kristin Levine- As twelve-year-old Marlee starts middle school in 1958 Little Rock, it feels like her whole world is falling apart. Until she meets Liz, the new girl at school. Liz is everything Marlee wishes she could be: she’s brave, brash and always knows the right thing to say. But when Liz leaves school without even a good-bye, the rumor is that Liz was caught passing for white. Marlee decides that doesn’t matter. She just wants her friend back. And to stay friends, Marlee and Liz are even willing to take on segregation and the dangers their friendship could bring to both their families.

 

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3. Esperanza Rising by Pam Munoz Ryan- Esperanza thought she’d always live a privileged life on her family’s ranch in Mexico. She’d always have fancy dresses, a beautiful home filled with servants, and Mama, Papa, and Abuelita to care for her. But a sudden tragedy forces Esperanza and Mama to flee to California and settle in a Mexican farm labor camp. Esperanza isn’t ready for the hard work, financial struggles brought on by the Great Depression, or lack of acceptance she now faces. When Mama gets sick and a strike for better working conditions threatens to uproot their new life, Esperanza must find a way to rise above her difficult circumstances-because Mama’s life, and her own, depend on it.

 

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4. Brown Girl Dreaming by Jacqueline Woodson- Raised in South Carolina and New York, Woodson always felt halfway home in each place. In vivid poems, she shares what it was like to grow up as an African American in the 1960s and 1970s, living with the remnants of Jim Crow and her growing awareness of the Civil Rights movement. Touching and powerful, each poem is both accessible and emotionally charged, each line a glimpse into a child’s soul as she searches for her place in the world. Woodson’s eloquent poetry also reflects the joy of finding her voice through writing stories, despite the fact that she struggled with reading as a child. Her love of stories inspired her and stayed with her, creating the first sparks of the gifted writer she was to become.

 

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5. Escape from Mr. Lemoncello’s Library by Chris Grabenstein- When Kyle learns that the world’s most famous game maker, Luigi Lemoncello, has designed the town’s new library and is having an invitation-only lock-in on opening night, he’s determined to be there! But the tricky part isn’t getting into the library—it’s getting out. Because when morning comes, the doors stay locked. Kyle and the other kids must solve every clue and figure out every secret puzzle to find the hidden escape route!

 

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6. Wishtree by Katherine Applegate- Trees can’t tell jokes, but they can certainly tell stories. . . .
Red is an oak tree who is many rings old. Red is the neighborhood “wishtree”―people write their wishes on pieces of cloth and tie them to Red’s branches. Along with a crow named Bongo and other animals who seek refuge in Red’s hollows, this wishtree watches over the neighborhood.
You might say Red has seen it all.
Until a new family moves in. Not everyone is welcoming, and Red’s experience as a wishtree is more important than ever.
Funny, deep, warm, and nuanced, this is Katherine Applegate at her very best―writing from the heart, and from a completely unexpected point of view.

Well… the time has come for the BIG REVEAL!! There are still many things that need to happen and I’ll post those updates once they’re tightened up. I’m working on creating a “donations” section with all of the books that you donated to my library ❤️ thank you to Lisa Balandes Donnelly for painting the bookcases and Maddie Schmidt for giving me so much of your time this summer to paint the walls and bookcases, Dodi Wians and Lisa Komorowski for donating posters from their shop to decorate the tops of the bookcases, Michelle Radice Nelson and Margaret Foggin for encouraging me through the program, Michael Dufner and Tom Barry for urging me to create an Amazon wishlist to bulk up the shelves, Tony Zungrone for hosting the Donors Choose (which was fully funded!!) for new tables and chairs, Mary Lou Rowan-Harrington and Kristin Kramer Dube for the boxes of books, and so many others for every ounce of support and encouragement through this process! I appreciate it more than you know!70155948_10220415498201362_3824123667860684800_n69937458_10220415497881354_4601449917360111616_n69635305_10220415498041358_3403236758551265280_n69349526_10220415497561346_4693399476335804416_n69353643_10220415498561371_3938273607846723584_n69304386_10220415498801377_5554856129344831488_n

HUGE news! A few weeks ago, I held my breath, made a wish, and put it out into the universe. And, guess what?! The universe answered! It sent me wonderful humans that understand that children need to read and explore in order to grow and mature. By the way of personal library donations, an actual library donating 3 jam packed boxes of books and almost 40 purchased off of my Wish List! Can you believe it?! Yeah, neither could I!!

There are more than what’s been photographed, but those bad boys are all labeled and ready to go to their new home tomorrow!! I’m making a shelf dedicated especially to all of the generous donations! The books will don book plates listing the donors’ names.

I’m a firm believer in what you put into the world, you will receive. I’ve been at this teaching gig going on 19 years now… And, I’ve put a lot of effort, blood, sweat, and tears (so, SO many tears) and I’ve been treated to some really wonderful paybacks- my children, former students who stay in touch and tag me in Facebook (say what you will, but it’s nice to know they never forgot me… I’ve got a Winnie the Pooh complex, sometimes). When I’ve asked for things for my students, and once a huge ask for my son, I’ve been met with nothing short of  pure, unadulterated generosity. That is no joke. I LOVE to exaggerate and basically live in a hyperbolic state, but this is legit.

So, what else is there to say other than…  THANK YOU!!!!

7/13/19

Hello Book Dragons,

In addition to revamping the actual library space, I also need to beef up the collection. Over the last five weeks, I’ve literally put my hands on every single book in the library and find that while it’s decent, most of the books have been there for years and there’s not too much that’s fresh and new for the kids.

Again, with the advice of smart and supportive friends, I put together a “Wish List” from Amazon that will breathe life into my collection. AND, Amazon Prime Days are around the corner!

So, if your kind heart is so inclined to help build up my middle school library collection, trust that I am forever grateful to and for you!

Live a thousand lives,

Sarah Donnelly

Roosevelt Jr. High Library Wish List

7/11/19
Well, I forgot that today was free Slurpee day. Wanna know why? Because I’ve got a whole lotta stuff on my mind. Let’s start here…
Since the last day of school, I’ve been in the junior high library 3-4 days a week for 4-5 hours a day. I know what you’re thinking… “WHY?!” Well, as some of you may (or may not) know, I am the new RJH librarian! It’s a HUGE move for me. I’ve spent the last 18 years in the classroom. But, my love of reading and cultivating a reading atmosphere is all consuming and I needed to find a place where my sole focus is READING.
That may sound very boring to some of you… And that’s because you just never found your book. The book that speaks to you and captures your imagination and heart. The book where you relate to characters in a way you never thought possible. THE BOOK that changes the way you see the world and the people around you. George R.R. Martin, author of the Game of Thrones novels and HBO series, once said, “A reader lives a thousand lives before he dies. The man who never reads lives only one.” It’s true, friends.
So, I’ve spent the last FIVE WEEKS in the library cleaning and clearing it out. Cleaning shelves, relabeling books, painting (YES! I said painting!!), and figuring out how to change the vibe so it FEELS like a place to come and read, think, and dream about things.
My hope, of course, is that you feel the difference when you walk in. Because every single thing I’ve done to that library has been for you. No one else. Just you. Because you deserve to have a soft place to land. And read. Don’t forget about the reading part.
So, let’s begin our adventure of a thousand lives!
Yours in reading,
Ms. Sarah Donnelly

My district has used the Accelerated Reader program for as long as I’ve been there (18 years) and probably longer than that. It’s an easy, but ineffective, way to make sure kids are reading their library books.

The gist:

  • Accelerated Reader, or AR, is a computer program that monitors students’ independent reading that schools began using in 1986. Since then, the program has undergone name changes and program upgrades. The latest version is called Accelerated Reader 360™.
  • Each book, and there are over 180,000 in the catalog, is assigned a certain number of points based on the reading level. Since the learning is individualized, it’s thought that children will be more invested when they’re successful on the tests which will create a love of reading.

The nuts and bolts:

  • Students take the STAR Reading test, also owned by Renaissance Learning, to determine students’ reading scores and their AR goal is set from those scores
  • Once students know they scores, they can choose their own books based on interest and/or reading level
  • After they read the book, they take an online test with 5, 10, or 20 questions depending on the length and content of the book
  • If a student scores 60% or below, they do not receive any points for that book. Scores of 70%-95% are awarded a percentage of the total points. Only a score of 100% will earn a student full points for the book

“A parent’s guide to Renaissance Accelerated Reader 360.” Renaissance. https://www.renaissance.com/2016/09/09/parents-guide-renaissance-accelerated-reader-360/. Accessed 29 January 2019.

The cost in both time and dollars:

  • The program’s developer recommends using Accelerated Reader™ during in-class time dedicated to reading practice for at least 35 minutes
  • Teachers can use points to set goals for the quantity and quality of reading practice for each student. Point accumulation, as well as other optional teacher-provided rewards, are intended to motivate student learning (though the program does not explicitly suggest giving external rewards)
  • Accelerated Reader™ and Accelerated Reader 360™ are sold on an annual, per-student subscription. Additional cost information is available from the distributor (I’ve seen the numbers vary from a one-time $1,500 fee and $4/student to the cost being flexible depending on the district’s contract

U.S. Department of Education, Institute of Education Sciences, What Works Clearinghouse. (2016, June). Beginning Reading intervention report: Accelerated Reader™. Retrieved from http://whatworks.ed.gov.

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None of these numbers surprise me, because they all validate my argument against AR in the schools. All too often, a district gets stuck in a rut and stays there simply because it’s easier than finding something that truly fits in with the makeup of their students.

The last few years I’ve forced myself into making friends with technology and social media in my classroom. I developed a website for my students, started using Remind to stay in contact with them, and created an Instagram account for my classes (that, though, was short lived. I didn’t want there to be any trouble with postings or comments).

In reading 9 Ways to Use Social Media in Your Classroom, there were several items that I may try next year. I liked the idea of focusing on ONE social media component a month. School is overwhelming for students and teachers. There are so many demands, so laying them all down at their feet the first month of school is premature and they won’t have any connection to it in May. And, by having them zoom in on one social media topic, they can really flesh out the uses and distractions of each program.

Getting Social: everyone, including the teacher, needs to pick a platform and follow it for the month. Once a week, everyone checks in with what they’ve learned, terms they’ve come across, and information they’ve found for academic purposes.

Blogging: Teacher sets up a blog platform for kids. They write about a topic and provide meaningful feedback to each other (sound familiar)? The accounts are password protected, so it’s private for the class. Students can go on to use this work for their portfolio.

Twitter: Have kids create Twitter accounts (if they’re old enough) and populate their account with topics in class, post their homework, or start a #TrendingTopic for the class to discuss.

Scoop: It’s ok. But, teachers need to pay $7/month for a subscription. This may put educators off because they already spend SO MUCH of their OWN money every year.

Tumblr AND Pinterest: Curate pages for classroom topics with images and/or websites that are relevant. There are so many ways to use these two platforms in a classroom! It’s a less messy way to create collages 🙂

Flickr: Document what’s going on in school: field trips, class projects, presentations, etc. Alongside Twitter, this is another place to create a #TrendingTopic that deals with the classroom.

Skype: What a wonderful way to connect with people! Bringing experts into a classroom without having to do anything other than set up a connection. Students are exposed to a great number of people, places, and ideas that they may have never experienced before.

Time It: A great history class tool. Kind of like Google Hang Outs, students can be in a document at the same time to create timelines. It can be used in other classes, too. Also, students are able to comment and critique other students’ work.

 

9 WAYS TO USE SOCIAL MEDIA IN YOUR CLASSROOM
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