Annual Bookworm Book Fair: Dec. 14-17

Bookworm Book Shop will host its annual book fair in the ASD main reception from December 14-17. Elementary students will visit the fair with their classroom teachers at a convenient time. Older students and families are welcome to browse throughout the day.

The ASD Elementary Library benefits by receiving 10 percent of total purchases in store credit at Bookworm Book Shop. Faculty and staff receive a 15 percent discount with their ASD ID card.

Timings for the fair are:

• Monday, December 14: 10:30 am - 4:00 pm 
• Tuesday, December 15: 8:00 am - 4:00 pm 
• Wednesday, December 16: 8:00 am - 4:00 pm 
• Thursday, December 17: 8:00 am - 12:00 noon 
• Faculty, staff and parents are welcome any time
  
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Brownies and Books: New Book Preview for Teachers

Earlier this month, we gave our Elementary School teachers a sneak preview of our new books. We created featured displays of various genres, authors and themes to encourage browsing. New Social Studies books were also highlighted.

Teachers were invited to peruse throughout the day in search of new teaching tools or suggestions for their students to read independently. We had a steady stream of visitors all day long. Dozens of books were checked out by our excited teacher readers!

Our teachers gave us lots of positive feedback about the event so we will definitely be hosting another similar opportunity this year. Thanks to everyone who stopped by to enjoy a reading treat and a sweet treat.

New Books, New Adventures

New books are here! We have more than 500 new titles of all kinds ready for check out. Come take a look at our new junior fiction, picture books, nonfiction, poetry, biographies, comic books and more.

Don't miss out on our new National Geographic Kids series and Time for Kids series featuring a variety of exciting nonfiction topics from horses to snakes to earthquakes and tornadoes.
Our new junior fiction includes the latest installments of some of our popular series such as Spirit Animals, Heroes in Training, Horrid Henry, Ivy and Bean, The Penderwicks and Mermaid Tales.

We also have several much anticipated sequels to some hot books including: Scumble, the sequel to Savvy by Ingrid Law; The Key that Swallow Joey, the final installment of the Joey Pigza series by Jack Gantos; the third book of Wondla, The Battle for Wondla, by Tony DiTerlizzi; and, Mr. Terrupt Falls Again by Rob Buyea, the companion to Because of Mr. Terupt.

We have some beautiful new biography picture books to inspire our readers and dreamers. Check out Girl Wonder: A Baseball Story in Nine Innings by Deborah Hopkinson, Wangari Maathai: The Woman Who Planted Millions of Trees by Franck Prevot and Enormous Smallness: A Story of E.E. Cummings by Matthew Burgess.

New graphic novels are sure to excite our readers. We have the latest hilarious adventures of Binky the Space Cat by Ashley Spires; Binky Under Pressure, Binky Takes Charge and Binky: License to Scratch. The popular Adventures in Cartooning, by James Sturm and team, also continues with Sleepless Knight. And, our silly friend returns in the latest Toon Book by Phillip Coudray, Bejamin Bear in Brain Storms!

Come on over a take a browse! We know you'll find something new to love. Here's a slideshow with just a snippet of our new books:

Welcome Back to the ES Library

We have started a brand new school year at ASD! We are off and rolling in the Elementary Library. Students, teachers and parents are back and the library is buzzing with stories of summer reading, new books and plans for a great year of learning.

Students are very excited about our new "no limits" concept for our book checkout. Students are encouraged to take as many books as they want and need, visit the library frequently and manage their own library accounts. So far, students are enjoying choosing a wide range of books each time they visit. We are working on building a healthy reading diet and enjoying the buffet of choices at our library. Bon appetit, readers!

Read Around the World: Summer Reading Challenge

Congratulations to our students who participated in our Summer Reading Challenge: Read Around the World. Over 70 students from K2-Grade 5 completed the challenge by reading 10 or more books representing regions around the world. Mr. Advento, Ms. Carly and I will continue to visit classrooms this week to present certificates to our participants.

 Student Self Checkout

We are thrilled to have started two student self checkout stations this week. Students are learning to enter their library number, scan and stamp their own books. We are trying to increase student ownership and decrease our wait time for checkout.

You will find the self checkout stations on both levels of the library with a quick 3-step guide to get you started. If you need a hand, any of the the library staff will be happy to help. So far, our students report that it is super fun!  Give it a try!

Back to School Night

We look forward to welcoming our ES parents to our library this evening at Back to School Night. Please see our handout below highlighting learning in the ES Library. Copies are available at the circulation desk.

A Fond Farewell to Ms. Santha

Santha Nair has given 36 years of dedicated service to the ASD Elementary Library. Her warm smile, gentle manner and kind nature have touched the hearts of hundreds of students, teachers and parents. 

From reading with students to helping find the perfect book to repairing our most loved books to perfectly setting up for each and every class, Santha's passion and commitment for her work shine through every day.

She will be dearly missed and the library won't be the same without her. We wish her all the best on her new adventure in India.

One School, One Book, One Hero: Salva Dut's Visit to ASD

Excitement was in the air on campus on Thursday, June 4. Salva Dut's visit marked an occasion to celebrate as a school. The hero whose story touched the lives of our community actually visited ASD. Our students, teachers and parents were brought together by the story of Salva's journey in A Long Walk to Water.

Salva spent his morning with the Elementary School, presenting to three groups about his work and life mission to bring clean water to the people of South Sudan, transforming lives one well at a time. Salva shared his work with Water for South Sudan and graciously answered many questions about his life. Salva's encouraged our students not to take what they have for granted. He urged them to continue to use their good fortune to help those in need. His message to work for peace and to help others was heard by our community of learners.

Representatives from the ES Student Council and Student Librarians gave a presentation to show Salva the work that was done in the Elementary School with reading A Long Walk to Water and planning for our ES Water Walk. Salva thanked the ASD students and community for their contributions to the Iron Giraffe Challenge and for changing the lives of people in South Sudan.

Middle School students from clubs SEENAH and GAIA also had the opportunity to present their work in raising funds and awareness through the Water Walk at DUCE in January. Salva then addressed the entire Middle School in an assembly where he received a standing ovation.

We ended our day with Salva, with a community celebration. Families were invited to a talk and reception with Salva. Once again, he generously answered all questions, shook hands and took photos with everyone who attended.

Salva is an example for us all. He is a person who lives by core values and who is dedicated to the pursuit of his dreams. He is a person that is changing the world for the better. Salva's visit marked a full circle for ASD's experience of One School, One Book. First the reading of a remarkable book as a community. Then the opportunity to work with Linda Sue Park who lit a spark in us as readers. And finally, the honor of meeting Salva, the hero himself. Salva's story, his work, his visit to ASD will be with us for a lifetime.

One School, One Book: Brown Girl Dreaming

Next school year, ASD will have a great opportunity to share Jacqueline Woodson’s 2014 National Book Award winner, Brown Girl Dreaming in a school-wide reading event, One School, One Book. 

In addition, we will celebrate Woodson's Newbery Honor picture book, Show Way, as a supplemental reading experience that will include even our youngest readers.

One School, One Book is a program designed to create a shared reading experience within a school community. Each grade level across the school will participate in voluntary activities to promote and enrich the shared reading experience.

The goals for ASD's One School, One Book event are to celebrate literacy, build community, encourage intergenerational conversation and promote our Visiting Author Program.

ASD students in Grades 4 through 12, staff and parents are encouraged to read Brown Girl Dreaming in anticipation of Jacqueline Woodson’s visit. In addition, we we encourage all of our community to read Show Way. We plan to offer a range of opportunities to allow community members to engage in discussion about these powerful stories.

Brown Girl Dreaming, recipient of the Newbery Honor and Coretta Scott King Award as well as the National Book Award for 2014, tells the story of Jacqueline's childhood, in verse. Raised in South Carolina and New York, she shares a poetic memoir of growing 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. Jacqueline reflects on finding her voice through writing stories, despite struggling with reading as a child.

Show Way is also based on Jacqueline's family history. "Show Ways”, or quilts, once served as secret maps for freedom-seeking slaves. This is the story of seven generations of girls and women who were quilters and artists and freedom fighters.

The libraries will have multiple copies of Brown Girl Dreaming and Show Way for check out and for sale next school year. Alternatively, community members can pick up their own copy over the summer. Stayed tuned for more information on how to participate in our One Book, One School event.

Visiting Authors 2016: Jacqueline Woodson and Steve Jenkins

ASD Libraries are thrilled to announce our visiting authors for the next school year. We will have the privilege to host awarding-winning authors Jacqueline Woodson and Steve Jenkins from March 13-24, 2016. During their 10-day visit, Woodson and Jenkins will engage our students from K1 through Grade 12, our staff and our parents in a series of workshops and presentations.

Jacqueline Woodson is the prolific author of 28 books for young people ranging from pictures books to young adult novels. Woodson has won the Newbery Honor three times, the Margaret A. Edwards Award for Lifetime Achievement and the Coretta Scott King Award. Some of her well know books include The Other Side, Locomotion, Show Way and Hush. Most recently, she won the National Book Award for Brown Girl Dreaming.

Steve Jenkins is the author of nonfiction 35 beautifully illustrated nonfiction science books for early and middle grades. A winner the Caldecott Honor and of many awards, Jenkins work brings animals, habits and nature to life through fascinating facts and intricate paper collage art. Some titles our students love are Actual Size, Creature Features and Eye to Eye. Jenkins' cowriter and wife, Robin Page, will also join him in presenting at ASD.

We look forward to working with these two talented authors next year. The libraries have multiple copies of Woodson's and Jenkins' books available for check out. More details about the authors' schedules and opportunities to purchase books for signing will be shared after the summer.

ES Student Librarians: Learning, Leading and Lending a Hand

Do you ever wonder where your friends are during recess and after school in 3rd, 4th and 5th grade? They are volunteering and making a difference in the ES Library and school by making sure the books are cleaned, shelved and many other important tasks. These students are providing community service to make the Elementary School at ASD a better place. If you are a 3rd, 4th or 5th grader interested in the Student Librarian Program next year, you will be eligible to apply in the Fall!

--Written by Sejal Mehta

The ES Student Librarian program began informally with a few keen students offering their time to help in the library. These volunteers’ dedication soon became noticed by other students who also wanted to volunteer. It became clear that the elementary library needed an organised system for scheduling and training students who were committed to the library.

The goal of the Student Librarian program is to give students leadership opportunities, to help students take ownership of their library and to offer students a place to obtain work experience while giving back to the school community in a meaningful way. The program offers a series of training sessions throughout the year for building library skills. Student Librarians assist the library staff in daily library operations and assist library visitors.

Student Librarians are expected to commit to at least one session per week and attend after-school training sessions. The Student Librarian Team warmly greet and help library visitors. They complete various housekeeping tasks such as front facing books, straightening shelves and organising magazines. As Student Librarians acquire more training, they also “read” shelves, shelve books, work at the circulation desk and manage iPads and Laptops.

The entire ES Library team is proud of this extraordinary group of students! We thank you for your commitment, continuous learning and the contributions you have made to your library and school.

-- by Ms. Carly Brown and Ms. Pollock

The ES Student Librarian Team:

Walaa Al Alamin
Hannah Caudill
Rania Harryanto
Nihal Khatwani
Sara Mitri
Alia Dasmal
Tyson McCarty
Fiona Knight
Lucia Franco
Sarah Elzein
Maya Abdel-Wadood
Sejal Mehta
Mashal Shaikhani

Read Around the World: Summer Reading Challenge 2015

Journey around the world with books this summer! We challenge ASD readers to explore and learn about regions of the world through a variety of reading experiences.

Track your voyage on the world map as you read books representing each geographic region. You can read any genre or format with a connection to the region including picture books, chapter books, graphic novels, information books, magazines, newspapers or ebooks.

A region can be represented in a variety of ways such as a nonfiction book, a folktale, a cookbook, a book created by an author or illustrator from the region, or a story that takes place in the region.

Challenge yourself to complete one of the following achievement levels:

Globe Trotter:

Read 10 Books - One from each region

World Explorer:

Read 20 Books - One from each region, and ten more from any region

Ultimate Voyager:

Read 30 Books - One from each region, and twenty more from any region

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  Use the provided World Map and Reading Log to record your reading journey.

• To receive a certificate from Mr. Advento, turn in your reading log to the ES Library no later than August 27. 

• Remember to explore the ES Library Summer Reading website for reading suggestions.

• Visit the eResources page to access our ebook collection and research tools any time, any where. Happy Reading! 

Talk Tuesday on Summer Reading: Join us on Tuesday, June 2 from 8:15-9:15 am in the ES Library for a discussion about the importance of summer reading. Leave with some practical ideas to keep your family reading as you travel around the world!

One School, One Book, One Hero: Salva Dut to Visit ASD

Our community has been touched by the story of Salva Dut. Former Sudanese "Lost Boy" Salva was the inspiration for our One School, One Book, A Long Walk to Water, by Linda Sue Park. Salva is not only the hero of this story, he is a hero in real life. We are thrilled to announce that ASD will have the unique privilege of a visit from Salva himself on June 4, 2015. 

Salva is the founder of Water for South Sudan (WFSS), a not-for-profit organization with a mission to transform the lives of people in South Sudan by providing clean, safe water. After

reading his story in A Long Walk to Water, Middle School SEENAH and GAIA student clubs were inspired to respond. From their 'Water Walk' at DUCE in January, the clubs raised money to donate to WWFS. Several ASD families also donated funds. Students proudly presented Linda Sue Park with $6,000 which she accepted on behalf of the organization.

The donation qualified ASD to enter WFSS's "Iron Giraffe Challenge" which encouraged schools to collectively raise enough money to purchase a new drilling rig. Eighty-one schools around the world participated and were put into a draw. The winning prize was a visit by Salva himself. ASD is the winning school!

Salva will spend a day engaging with our students on June 4. We are honored to have Salva visit us and look forward to learning even more about his inspirational work and humanitarian efforts. Details about Salva's schedule will follow soon.

Visit Water for South Sudan to learn more. Their mission is about hope and new beginnings: "Hope for a better life springs from a well. Children are healthier and can go to school, expanding their dreams and the possibility to fulfill them. Women don’t spend their days trekking long distances for water. Clinics can be built and sustained when there is a well nearby. Where safe water flows, life can blossom."

Talk Tuesday: InFlow Research Model K-12

More than 20 parents joined us in the Elementary Library this morning to learn more about the InFlow Research Model. The four ASD Librarians, Carly, Jill, Jenny and Natasha, presented an overview of the model demonstrated how students engage in research at ASD from K1 through Grade 12.

Our discussion included the importance of purposeful, intentional teaching of information literacy skills. Much has been written about the “digital native.” Our children, our students have never known life without technology at their fingertips. Adults often presume that this access to technology equates with a high level of skill. New research is revealing that, in fact, many of skills needed to use technology and to use information effectively must be purposefully taught and practiced.

Samples of students' research projects from Lower and Upper Elementary, Middle and High School helped to show how skills are developmentally built and purposefully taught through the grade levels.

Some of the key principles of the InFlow model are:

• K-12 common language, cohesive model for research.
• Engaging, learner-centered, individualized. 
• Authentic learning experiences, creative outputs.
• Process flows naturally from one element to the next, not isolated tasks.
• Elements can be undertaken in any order. 
• Not essential to use every element.
• Iterative: learners may return to each element several times.
• Learners engage with information in a variety of ways.
• Collaboration is important, also supports individual.
• Adaptable for different age ranges.
• Refined and adapted by learners and teachers.

We appreciate parents involvement in helping their children become adept researchers. Parents' knowledge of the InFlow research process will serve to support and extend their children's learning at home.