CDE releases guidebook for reopening of schools

Uncertainty has been the biggest challenge during this time of social distancing in response to COVID-19. A document released this week by the California Department of Education helps to address this uncertainty. It’s called “Stronger Together: A Guidebook for the Safer Opening of California’s Public Schools.”

CalPoets relocates to Santa Rosa

Here’s a potentially exciting development in the realm of poetry in Sonoma County classrooms: California Poets in the Schools, a statewide literary nonprofit, has relocated to Santa Rosa.​ ​(Source: Press Democrat, Aug. 2, 2018.)

I am most familiar with this organization through the Poetry Out Loud national recitation contest. CalPoets co-sponsors Poetry Out Loud, with the California Arts Council.

(As former newspaper arts editor and volunteer-producer of an Arts Council newsletter, I used to follow and report on Poetry Out Loud in Lake County, California.)

High-school students memorize and recite a famous poem, beginning at the school-wide level. Doing so helps them to “master public speaking skills, build self-confidence, and learn about literary history and contemporary life,” according to the Poetry Out Loud website.

Local winners advance to regional/state competition and then to the national finals.

Within Sonoma County, according to the Press Democrat, “CalPoets reaches nearly 30 schools and 4,000 K-12 students, and within the state it reaches about 28,000 youth.

“With the move to Santa Rosa, CalPoets plans to extend its reach, with more poets in schools, more poetry booths at art festivals, and poetry in parks and parking lots.”

‘Little Free Library’ at Montgomery High School

I encountered this Little Free Library on Thursday, while at Montgomery High School. (I’m working there this summer for high-school credit recovery, offered by Santa Rosa City Schools.)

I love the community book-exchanges that little boxes like this facilitate — and seeing this little library brought an article to mind, which I’d read in the Press Democrat: several lending libraries are “sprouting up” in the area as part of recovery from last October's wildfires.

Students from MHS and other local high schools were involved in building the libraries. Construction was financed by United Way Women United and the Career Technical Education (CTE) Foundation Sonoma County, along with help from sponsors.

The PD article states, the project gave students “real-world experience working with clients,” and quotes Jared McGee, an MHS sophomore who aspires to be an architect:

“‘It’s the light at the end of the tunnel. … All the kids affected (by the fires) and the people affected can give back to the community and give books to the library and take books out if they need it. It was a really good feeling to give something to a community that was hurt.’”

Scholastic Book Fair merchandise arrives at SRCSA

Excitement is building for Scholastic Book Fairs at Santa Rosa Charter School for the Arts. Eleven cabinets arrived today, as well as a multitude of boxes. Here’s Scholastic driver Norman Miranda, bringing them into the library. Parents, check for recent communications about Book-Fair preview on Monday morning; each adult who drops in will receive a raffle ticket for each of your children who attends the school. And if school staff catches students reading ... I for one hope to give out many more tickets between now and start of fair.

SRCSA ‘Literacy Week’ needs volunteers

“Literacy Week” and the Scholastic Book Faire are almost here, and parent-volunteer Lissa Provost put up this attention-grabbing banner today at Santa Rosa Charter School for the Arts.

El desayuno y el almuerzo gratis para niños este verano

(En español / In Spanish)
Vía Santa Rosa escuelas de la ciudad: ​Los niños, 18 años y menores, comen el desayuno y el almuerzo gratis este verano.

(In English / En inglés)
Via Santa Rosa City Schools: Children, ages 18 and younger, eat free breakfast and lunch this summer.

Santa Rosa Charter School for the Arts

SRCSA’s ‘Narwhal’ logo

On May 12, 2017, I began work at Santa Rosa Charter School for the Arts. Its mission is to provide K-8 students from Santa Rosa, California and beyond with “an innovative, high quality education that focuses on the arts through a challenging, integrated, standards-based academic program.”

Santa Rosa Charter School for the Arts

I’ve accepted an offer of employment at the Santa Rosa Charter School for the Arts in Sonoma County, Calif. I’m intrigued by the emphasis on the arts at this charter school, having devoted much professional effort toward advocating for the arts.

Quinny & Hopper wins Beverly Cleary Children’s Choice Award

Results are in: Quinny & Hopper by Adriana Brad Schanen is the 2017 winner of the Beverly Cleary Children’s Choice Award, and was also top vote-getter among Bellview Elementary School students.

The Beverly Cleary Children’s Choice Award (BCCCA) is sponsored by the Oregon Association of School Libraries (OASL), formerly the Oregon Educational Media Association (OEMA). The award is named in honor of Beverly Cleary, the Oregon-born children’s book author.

According to a description on the BCCCA website, children of all ages vote each spring for their favorite title from the list of nominated books. Nominations include books targeted to the reading ability of second- and third-graders or transitional readers.

The idea behind the BCCCA began in the summer of 2001 when Jann Tankersley invited some OEMA friends to discuss the possibilities of creating a children’s choice award. Tankersley is a long-time OASL member and library teacher at Dayton Elementary School.

The group of friends decided to name the award after Beverly Cleary, who wrote for the age group that was being targeted. With Cleary’s permission, the award was created.

Suggestions are currently being accepted for the next award cycle.

Nominated books can be fiction or informational, but should be quality literature, published three years prior to the nomination year, and at a second-grade or third-grade reading level (taking into account vocabulary, graphic support and physical layout of the books).

The purpose of the contest is to encourage reading of books that students may not otherwise find on their own and are not necessarily the popular best sellers. Please send ideas to BCCCA Chair Libby Hamler-Dupras, at elfgirl@Q.com.

Schools recognized as Bicycle Friendly Businesses

Among the League of American Bicyclists’ latest round of “Bicycle Friendly Business” awardees, two elementary schools are the first to successfully apply. They are Ashlawn Elementary School in Arlington, Va (a new Silver BFB) and Oceano Elementary School in Oceano, Calif. (a new Gold). As someone who hopes to model bicycle-commuting to the children I come in contact with, I share pride for these schools’ accomplishments. I hope that many more schools (and businesses) follow their example.

Also posted to Librarian on a Bicycle

Oregon Battle of the Books: Next year’s list released

The complete list of titles has been released for next year’s Oregon Battle of the Books (OBOB), which means I compiled an updated census of what’s available in Bellview library.

Kiwanis Club purchases books for Bellview library

To punctuate Ashland schools’ return from spring break, here’s an “attitude of gratitude.” The books shown here -- nominees in various “reader’s choice” awards that Oregon students can vote on -- were purchased for Bellview Elementary School library using money that was donated by the Kiwanis Club of Ashland, Oregon. Local groups and volunteers enrich our schools so much, and I am deeply appreciative.

‘Stories Alive,’ student writings in Bellview library

A beautiful bound collection of students’ writing, circa 2016, can be read in Bellview library courtesy of “Stories Alive.”

Patricia Gallagher Picture Book Award

In Bellview library, I’m drawing staff attention to the Patricia Gallagher Picture Book Award. This year’s nominated titles are available in Bellview library, with voting open until April 30.

Ashland schools open, in spite of snow

In spite of snow that accumulated overnight, all Ashland, Oregon schools are running as scheduled and on time today (Feb. 23, 2017). That's according to a 5:37 a.m. update to the district’s “School Closure & Delayed Start Info” page. “Our Director of Transportation spent the early morning hours driving the bus routes to verify that buses can safely transport students to school. We encourage all staff, parents and students to drive slowly and use caution when traveling to school campuses this morning.” Shown: the view from our apartment’s back window from the perspective of our cat Starfire.

For Bellview science fair: pay a visit to ‘507’ in library

In Bellview library, teacher-librarian Matt Damon has been reviewing the Dewey Decimal classification system for shelving “informational” books: in order numerically, starting with 000 and continuing to 999. Each number corresponds to a subject, with similar subjects grouped in categories.

‘Stories Alive’ at Bellview school

The “Stories Alive” story-collecting machine is at Bellview Elementary School, and will accept students’ contributions throughout the month of February.

Stories Alive transforms students’ creative writing into artistic performances. Throughout February, writer’s workshops are offered at Bellview for students in grades 2 to 5. Kindergarteners and first-graders are invited to writer’s workshops at the Ashland Public Library.

Actors will perform several students’ work during a school assembly on Tuesday, March 21. Students’ creations will also be compiled and published in a book.

‘Ashland Reads’ returns to local schools

“Ashland Reads” is taking place again in Ashland elementary schools, courtesy of the Rotary Club of Ashland. One of the highlights of classrooms’ library time this week was a first-grade teacher reading to her students, one of this year’s “Ashland Reads” selections.

As explained by “SOU Honors College” in a post last May to Facebook, some teachers and members of the Rotary Club chose seven hardcover picture books. Each of the nine first-grade classrooms in Ashland received a set of the books.

What happened last school year is happening again, right now; Ashland School District first-grade teachers are reading to their students from this year’s set of books.

Yo-Yo books in Bellview library

During the second half of the school year at Bellview Elementary School, the staff promotes special activities for the students to pursue. With a new activity or set of activities each month, it helps keep things fresh and interesting. For January, the emphasis is on Yo-Yo and Kendama.

To encourage students with January’s activity, Bellview library has books about Yo-Yo techniques available for check-out: Awesome Yo-Yo Tricks by Shar Levine (796.2 LEV), Yo-Yos: Tricks to Amaze Your Friends by Ingrid Roper (796.2 ROP) and You Can Yo-Yo! by Bruce Weber (796.2 WEB). Our informational collection includes books about many other fun activities; I’m encouraging Bellview staff to have their students give ’em a try.

Bellview Elementary School library ‘Top 10’

Bellview Elementary School library ‘Top 10,’ Jan. 10, 2017
from Cynthia M. Parkhill on Slideshare

Back at work this week after snow-day closures delayed my return from winter break: I decided to do things a little differently with the Bellview Elementary School library “Top 10” for January 2017. I filtered results in our Follett-Destiny online catalog for the most often checked-out picture books during the previous 90 days.