CynthiaParkhill: March 2019

Sunday, March 31, 2019

National Library Week, April 7 to 13, 2019

Promotional banner for National Library Week, divided vertically into two fields. The left field, which occupies roughly three-fifths of the total banner, displays buildings and a stack of books with a group of human figures standing atop the pile of books. The caption above them reads, 'Libraries = Strong Communities.' The right quadrant consists of white text against a yellow-orange background that reads, 'Celebrate National Library Week, April 7-13, 2019'

National Library Week is being observed from April 7 to 13. It, along with “School Library Month,” which is observed in April, is an opportunity to reflect on the significance of libraries.

School Library Month in April 2019

Every April, the Association of School Librarians observes School Library Month. The 2019 theme is “Everyone Belongs @ Your School Library,” and the 2019 spokesperson is Dav Pilkey. Learn more at http://www.ala.org/aasl/advocacy/slm.

Sunday, March 24, 2019

Reverse applique on ‘Big Bang Theory’ shirt

Dark blue 'Big Bang Theory' shirt depicting the hand gestures for 'Rock-Paper-Scissors-Lizard-Spock,' arranged in a five-sided configuration with directional arrows indicating which gesture is the 'winner' during a match. The neckline and sleeves have been decorated with reverse applique, the T-shirt fabric cut away to display a row of three squares of floral fabric in patterns of blue, white, and red

Sonoma County crafters, who else has visited The Legacy near downtown Sebastopol? It’s a great thrift-consignment shop that features crafting supplies.

Came away from my first visit to The Legacy with some great floral-patterned fabric, which I used to create a reverse applique for my “Big Bang Theory” T-shirt.

(Yes, even something as awesome as this shirt, depicting “Rock-Paper-Scissors-Lizard-Spock,” can become even more awesome through the marvel of customization.)

Best of all, the “fabric” was a no-longer-used cushion cover — thereby diverting something for repurposing that may otherwise have had no further use.

The Legacy is located at 789 Gravenstein Highway South. The merchandise has been donated, and it’s run by volunteers for the Sebastopol Area Senior Center.

‘Juana and Lucas: Big Problemas’

Fun, engaging story about a young girl, which was based upon author Juana Medina’s childhood in Bogotá, Colombia.

In this series installment, Juana is coping with changes that are brought by her mother's new relationship.

I see this book helping young readers who might face similar circumstances: Juana’s Mami becoming engaged, getting married, and moving the family to a new home.

Some especially nice touches: Juana’s preference for wearing pants instead of dresses is presented as valid.

(“Girls who want to climb trees without scraping their knees and girls who want their legs to be warm would much rather wear pants.”)

Juana’s relationship with her loyal dog, Lucas, is a stable constant in her life, and the book reassures that Mami will never stop being Juana’s mami, even if she does remarry.

I received an ARC of this book through LibraryThing “Early Reviewers”

Friday, March 22, 2019

STEAM books in SRCSA library

Countertop display of books arranged upright on stands, their titles facing outward. To the left, a handmade sign out of colorful letters against black-and-white patterned contact paper reads, 'Salute to S.T.E.A.M.' There are yellow borders, darker polka-dots against a lighter-yellow background, above and below the lettering of the sign. From left to right, the books on display are 'STEM Careers: Civil Engineer,' 'Careers if You Like the Arts,' 'STEM Careers: Chemist,' 'Design, Animate, and Create with Computer Graphics,' 'and STEM Careers: Software Engineer.'

One of this month’s highlights was a STEAM fair at Santa Rosa Charter School for the Arts. Here’s a display I put out in the library at SRCSA ... a variety of books on the subjects of Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts, and Math.

Sunday, March 17, 2019

SRCSA library, graphic novel collection grows

Red, four-level book shelf, viewed from right, partial-side, angle. Three of the shelves have graphic novels of varying sizes shelved with spines facing outward. They occupy half-, to three-quarters, of shelf space. A stuffed figure of Clifford the Big Red Dog is arranged on the top of the cabinet, as if looking down toward the collection.

One of the books I’m reading, The Creativity Project (edited by Colby Sharp), features a fantastic argument for the validity of reading comic books and graphic novels.

Friday, March 8, 2019

FOSS hands-on science kits, prepped for delivery

Six sets of large boxes, mottled black-and-white, arranged in a row in library. One box from each set is on a library counter, with two other boxes from that set, grouped on the floor just below and in front of it.

The latest delivery of fresh curriculum from Santa Rosa City Schools brought Full Option Science System (FOSS) Kits to Santa Rosa Charter School for the Arts.

Saturday, March 2, 2019

Successful end to Scholastic Book Fair

Top-two shelves of a book cart holding books, in front of Scholastic Book Fair cabinets that are piled with book-fair boxes

Another successful conclusion to Scholastic Book Fairs in the library! The books and merchandise are back in their boxes and cabinets at Santa Rosa Charter School for the Arts. Here’s a book-cart holding new books for the library, purchased with Book Fair dollars.

Of $4965.18 earned this past week in Scholastic Book Fair dollars, $3596.92 has been invested back into our school. (Figures supplied by Lissa Provost.) The money has gone to student Raffle prizes and books for teachers’ classrooms, as well as books for the library.

Thank you to everyone who made Literacy Week possible; you are greatly appreciated.

And what an experience for SRCSA students in fourth- through eighth-grades: an author visit and book-signing by Armand Baltazar (Timeless Diego and the Rangers of the Vastlantic). You’ll find copies of his book in all of the fourth- through eighth-grade classrooms, as well as in our library, thanks to the School for the Arts Community Organization.