Author: Mr. X

from parts unknown, weight, unknown

Who Comes to the School Library?

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 IMG_0457more 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.

IMG_0017[1]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.

IMG_0110[1]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!

 

Library Closing, to be Replaced by District Hazardous Materials Testing Lab

In a move that surprised many, the Surrey School Board this morning passed a motion which will close all the school libraries in Surrey. The district was under pressure from the Ministry of Education and the provincial government to make this move.

The school library at Lord Tweedsmuir Secondary will be replaced by a Laboratory for the Testing of Hazardous Materials and Bio-Waste. Other schools will have their libraries replaced with different government and private facilities, such as a Motor Vehicles Branch at North Surrey, a Sewage Treatment Plant at Elgin Park and a Minimum Security Jail at Semiahmoo.

Said a provincial government spokesperson, “We had to. You got to find room for so much important government stuff.  And, like, you know, nobody reads anymore, so whatevs.”

Many students and parents have reacted with shock and anger. Efforts are being made to mount a campaign to fight this outrageous move.  Please be sure to phone or email the Surrey School Board and the superintendent’s Office of School District 36, your local MLA, the Minister of Education and the Premier to express your dismay and disagreement with this ridiculous decision.

Poetry Slam!

jrslamWe at the School Library Learning Commons were thrilled to host the 1st Annual Poetry Slam today at lunch.  Today the Junior category took place before a small but enthusiastic crowd! The poets shared some wonderful words with us.

Tomorrow at the lunch the Senior Poetry Slam features many more poets.  We are expecting that will also mean an even bigger audience.  Join us tomorrow at lunch for another Poetry Slam!

 

Teachers: Be Reading Role Models

There should be other adults in the lives of our students who are role models when it comes to reading. Sadly, for many of the kids in our schools, there may not be any adults who demonstrate the value of reading in everyday life. It is essential that teachers show our students that reading is a vital aspect of what it means to be a lifelong learner.

From Donalyn Miller’s Four Steps to Creating A School-Wide Reading Culture:

We hope that children have reading role models at home, but many don’t. We must surround children with reading role models throughout the school day – not just in Language Arts class.

Showing children that adults choose to read a wide range of texts for a variety of purposes sends a strong message that reading is important after formal schooling ends. Sharing your own reading life with your students and staff reinforces that you believe reading enriches your life. As much as possible, you should participate in the reading initiatives at your school, not only as a school leader, but also as a reader! Ask students what they are reading… take their book suggestions and share what you enjoy about the books you read.

For many of us, SSR is the best opportunity for us to demonstrate that we are readers. Teachers need to put away the marking and pick up books, magazines or other reading materials to show that reading isn’t just we do to pass tests or assignments at school.

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