What does peace mean to you?

In honor of International Peace Day on September 21, the ES Library partnered with the Service Learning team to create a community project centered around the theme of peace. Students and teachers were invited to create a peace flag to add to our community installation.

As class groups we shared The Peace Book by Todd Parr and I Am Peace by Susan Verde and Peter Reynolds. The books gave us inspiration for designing our peace flags. If you haven't already, please visit us to design your very own flag to show what peace means to you. We will display the peace flags in the library. All contributions are welcome.

This month our library also added a new learning space. The Peaceful Place is a quiet, reflective zone for learners. Soft lighting, over-sized bean bags and rocking chairs help set the mood for peace and quiet. Our students and teachers have enjoyed stopping in to take some time and space for themselves.

A highlight of our Peace Day celebrations was sharing I Am Peace set to music by Emily Arrow. Mr. Advento and Ms. Strate even joined in for some of the peaceful fun! 

To enjoy the singing and yoga poses, view the video below:

First Days in the ES Library

We have enjoyed welcoming our new and returning students to the Elementary Library over these first few weeks of school. Our Elementary students have jumped right into their library routines! Students are visiting the library to borrow books, read together, build, create and explore.

Our goal is to help foster student agency in the library. Students practice self-checkout and self-monitoring of the number of library books borrowed each week. We know that, with practice, students will learn to manage their own library accounts and will learn what kind and how many books they need and can manage.

We continue to practice finding "just right" reading books, but also encourage students to take home books of interest that may need to be read aloud at home. Parents, please remember that picture books are appropriate and valuable for all ages. A variety of books is encouraged to help build a healthy reading life - just like a healthy diet requires a variety of foods!

Our library staff is here to help! Please visit if you have any questions or need some suggestions for reading. We are also happy to help you get logged into our digital resources available through the ES Library website.

It was our pleasure to welcome parents at Back to School Night on September 19. We are excited to work as your partners in learning throughout the school year. Please see our handouts from BTSN below if you were not able to visit the ES Library.