Category: Holidays & Observances

Drop Everything and Read for BC School Library Day

Today is BC School Library Day. Help celebrate the day, and more importantly the power and joy of reading, by rising up to the “Drop Everything and Read” Challenge.

Students, teachers and all staff at Lord Tweedsmuir are challenged to take at least 20 minutes during Block A this morning for recreational reading. That means put away the textbooks, take a break from the lessons, set aside the homework, end the conversations, put your phone in your backpack, and sit back for some silent, uninterrupted reading.

Read for fun, read to escape, read to be scared, or to laugh, or to learn something you want to learn about. Read something you choose because you will enjoy it. Read for reading’s sake.

If parents or somebody asks you why you were reading for fun instead of doing school work, you can tell them, you were doing both. Students who read more for fun do better in school.

Horror

Halloween is coming up soon.  This is a great time to check out our display of Halloween related books, including both fiction and non-fiction.

The DEAR Challenge is Coming Soon

Once again the BC Teacher Librarians’ Association, in conjunction with the BCTF, has issued its annual DEAR Challenge: Drop Everything and Read, on BC School Library Day, Monday, October 26th. 

All students and staff in are challenged to read for 20 minutes in Block A on October 26th. Put aside the textbooks, put away the phone, turn off the computer,  and don’t worry about the homework or the marking.  Just sit back and enjoy 20 minutes of silent, uninterrupted reading.

Read something that you have picked because you want to read it, for whatever reason.  Maybe you want to laugh, or cry, or be scared, or thrilled, or simply want to escape from this world for a while. Or maybe you want to learn something, explore a topic you are interested in, or discover something new.

Whatever it is that you pick, enjoy the time to read. And as a bonus, you can know that students who spend more time reading for fun, do better in school.  Recreational reading is one of the best ways to improve academic performance and is one of the best predictors of academic success. You read for enjoyment and for school success– it’s win-win.

The DEAR Challenge and BC School Library Day are a part of Canadian Library Month and International School Library Month.

 

Thanks on Thanksgiving

What are you thankful for in your life?  You can take time on any day of the year to consider how much you have for which to be thankful.  However, Thanksgiving is the day especially set aside for it. Enjoy the day off, and if you are fortunate enough, enjoy some family time and a big meal together.  In addition to that, if you can, be sure take some time on Thanksgiving, and even the days leading up to it, to consider all the things in your life that are worthy of gratitude.  Everyone’s situation is different.  And honestly, this has been a tough year for people, really tough for some. However, you might find that life looks a bit better when you can take some time to stop and consider that for which you can give thanks.

October: Time for Libraries to Flex

October is a big month for School Libraries.  October is International School Library Month.  Not only that, October is also Canadian Library Month. More still: October 16 is Canadian Library Workers Day. As if all that wasn’t enough, October 26 is BC School Library Day, with the annual Drop Everything and Read Challenge.

Look for more information about all these observances and events throughout the month of October, as we celebrate the essential role of Libraries, especially School Libraries, in our society.

Orange Shirt Day

Today we observe Orange Shirt Day in recognition of the terrible history and ongoing legacy of Residential Schools in Canada. Listen, read, watch, discuss and learn about the impact of Residential Schools on Indigenous Peoples and on all of Canadian society.  Encourage all Canadians to join together in the attempt to follow a path of Reconciliation.

Come down to the School Library to browse through our collection of materials related to Orange Shirt Day:

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You can also browse through this Destiny Collection on your computer, phone or other device by clicking here.

Orange Shirt Day is September 30

source: orangeshirtday.org

Orange Shirt Day is September 30th.  Plan now to wear an orange shirt next Wednesday, in recognition of the terrible history and ongoing legacy of Residential Schools in Canada.  Listen, read, watch, discuss and learn about the impact of Residential Schools on Indigenous Peoples and on all of Canadian society.  Encourage all Canadians to join together in the attempt to follow a path of Reconciliation.

From the official Orange Shirt Day website:

The annual Orange Shirt Day on September 30th opens the door to global conversation on all aspects of Residential Schools. It is an opportunity to create meaningful discussion about the effects of Residential Schools and the legacy they have left behind.  A discussion all Canadians can tune into and create bridges with each other for reconciliation.  A day for survivors to be reaffirmed that they matter, and so do those that have been affected.  Every Child Matters, even if they are an adult, from now on.

The date was chosen because it is the time of year in which children were taken from their homes to residential schools, and because it is an opportunity to set the stage for anti-racism and anti-bullying policies for the coming school year. It is an opportunity for First Nations, local governments, schools and communities to come together in the spirit of reconciliation and hope for generations of children to come.

Find out more about Orange Shirt Day: