Why SSR? (Reason #6 of 3,487,659) The more you read, the better you get at it. When you get better at something you want to do it more. The more you do it, the better you get at it. And so on. SSR helps you read better and SSR helps you want to read more! You will get to the point where you sometimes have a book you just can’t put down.
Of course, even better: (Reason #1) Reading for fun is fun.
On this day in 2003, the infamous “Bartman Incident” took place at Wrigley Field in Chicago during the National League Championship Series. As much as sport can bring out the best in us, it sometimes can bring out the worst. Lifelong Cubs fan Steve Bartman found himself fearing for his life after his interference in a play late in a Cubs’ playoff game. To learn more about this sad chapter in sports history, check out the amazing documentary, “Catching Hell,” part of an excellent series of sports films called “30 For 30.” Read more about the Bartman Incident.
The United Nations has declared October 11 to be the International Day of the Girl Child. The day was first celebrated in 2012, as an opportunity to recognize the rights of girls, to raise awareness about the challenges that they face around the world, and to celebrate our daughters, sisters, friends and students. Sadly, girls around the world daily face discrimination, violence and the violation of their human rights.
The theme for 2014 is “Empowering adolescent girls: Ending the cycle of violence” – See more at the United Nations page on International Day of the Girl Child.
We can be thankful that Canada is amongst the leaders of the world in protecting the rights of girls.Yet even here there is more work to be done, and certainly we must continue to fight for the rights of girls around the world.
“Empowerment of and investment in girls are key in breaking the cycle of discrimination and violence and in promoting and protecting the full and effective enjoyment of their human rights”
-United Nations Resolution 66/170
Lord Tweedsmuir students and staff are wearing purple today to show their support for World Mental Health Day. The day was established with the goal of raising awareness about Mental Health issues, to promote Mental Health initiatives, and to fight against the stigma of Mental Health problems. Find out more:
World Federation for Mental Health
Canadian Mental Health Association
The 5th Wave is one of the books nominated for the Surrey Teens Read Book of the Year competition. Check out the other titles here at your school library. Find out more about Surrey Teens Read at surreyteensread.weebly.com
Who comes to the School Library? That is an excellent question. The short answer: We get hundreds of people visiting each day, and tens of thousands of visits each year.
Some of our visitors are people who come multiple times a day, every day. Some come more casually. Some students come down when their classes are booked into the library. Many 
more come down as drop-in students, either during class or during “study blocks” or “free blocks.” And many more again make their way here before school, at lunch, and after school.
We have class bookings from virtually every department and grade in the school. While it is most typical to have Social Studies or English classes come in, we have had classes and small groups of students come in from Science, Math, LST, French, Spanish, Planning, PE, Woodwork, Cafeteria, ELL, Hockey Academy and more.
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We have hosted a multitude of special events, some that come every year, such as Safe Teen, Food Safe and International Games Day. We have been delighted to showcase our local talent with such events as the LTS Poetry Slam and Library Unplugged. We have hosted guest speakers such as war veterans, poets, writers and more.
We host meetings of all sorts, including meetings of Department Heads, the Parent Advisory Council, the Scholarship Club, sports teams and more. We host immunization clinics, photo sessions, book displays, contests and more.
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Students come here looking for a place to do research, study, work on projects. Some want to work alone, some prefer to work in small groups. We offer space for both.
Students come here looking to borrow from our growing collection of PlayAway Audiobooks, DVDs, eBooks and other alternatives to print media. Our magazines and newspapers draw in many visitors. Students also want to make use of our growing collection of board games and table games.
Students and staff come here looking for good books to read. Students and staff come here looking for a quiet comfortable space in which to read. We are delighted to do what we can to make that happen!
Whatever the reason, we get hundreds of visitors each day. If you haven’t been in to your school library lately, we hope to see you here soon!
Why SSR? (Reason #4 of 3,487,659) Reading for fun improves your writing. The more you read, the more you see what good writing looks like (and bad writing too!) You can read about writing, but more importantly, whatever you read, non-fiction or fiction, you see examples of writing. You learn from the examples to make you a better writer. The more you read, the more you are exposed to a wide variety of writing genres, styles and methods. The more you read, the more ideas you get for your own writing.
Of course, even better: (Reason #1) Reading for fun is fun.
Join in with students from all over the district in reading, discussing and voting on the best novels of the year. Go to Surrey Teens Read to find out more. Come down to the school library as we have multiple copies of all this year’s nominated books!
Happy World Teachers’ Day! In 1994, the United Nations (UNESCO) established October 5th as World Teachers’ Day, a day to recognize and celebrate the vital role that teachers play in the lives of all people, especially children and youth.
“There is no stronger foundation for lasting peace and sustainable development than a quality education provided by well trained, valued, supported and motivated teachers.” (UNESCO)
Why SSR? (Reason #14 of 3,487,659) Reading for fun increases your concentration. There are so many things that distract us all day long, requiring divided attention for shallow thinking. Reading longer texts for sustained periods requires greater levels of concentration for deeper thinking. The more you read for fun, the more you will be able to concentrate on other things for longer periods of time.
Of course, even better: (Reason #1) Reading for fun is fun.
The Reading Buddies program at the Surrey Public Library is looking for volunteer reading buddies. Reading Buddies is a great volunteer opportunity where you can develop your mentorship skills. Being a “big buddy” is a rewarding experience, and counts towards CAPP hours. For more information, check out surreylibraries.ca. You can download an application form there. You can also contact the Youth Services Librarian at the Cloverdale Library to ask questions, and to apply.
The Orientation and Training Session at the Cloverdale Library takes place on October 15.
In addition to the fact that October is ISLM (International School Library Month), October is also Canadian Library Month! As Canadians we enjoy and benefit from some of the best libraries in the world. Canadian Library Month is a chance to celebrate all of our libraries, including Public Libraries, School Libraries and more. Go to the Canadian Libary Association’s CLM page to find out more!
Lord Tweedsmuir Secondary School Library 