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!

 

Flag Day

Animated-Flag-CanadaFebruary 15 is Flag Day in Canada. On this day we celebrate the establishment of our red and white Maple Leaf flag in 1965.  For most of Canada’s history, the Union Flag of the United Kingdom, the “Union Jack,” was official flag of our country, reflecting our status as a colony in the British Empire.  After Confederation Canada would fly the “Red Ensign” with the Union Jack in the corner, as Canada began to assert its unique status as a Dominion within the Empire. The government sought to establish a new flag in the 1960′ to more fully reflect our independence and standing in the world.  Many designs were considered. Ultimately the red Maple Leaf on the white and red flag won the day and is now amongst the most recognizable symbols in the world. For more on Flag Day:

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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Martin Luther King Day is January 20

In the United States, the 3rd Monday in January is a National Holiday in memory of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.. While it is not a holiday in Canada, Canadians and people all over the world will take some time today to acknowledge the tremendous legacy of Dr. King as a champion of freedom, equality and peace.   mlk

In the school library we will be taking the opportunity to view footage of Dr. King’s iconic “I Have A Dream” speech from the 1963 March on Washington. Please be sure to join us!

Learn more:

Guru Gobind Singh

KhandaSikhs in Canada and around the world observe the birthday of Guru Gobind Singh who was born on this day in 1666 in Patna, India. He was the 10th and last of the (human) Gurus of Sikhism. He established the Khalsa, the organization of men and women baptized into the Sikh faith. He also established the Guru Granth Sahib, the holy book of Sikhism, as the final Guru for the Sikh people. For more on Guru Gobind Singh and the Sikh faith, check out some of the following links:

Happy New Year

mmxivHappy New Year 2014!

Today is the first day of the year on the Gregorian Calendar and the first day of 2014 according the Anno Domini reckoning of years.

Of course, a “New Year’s Day” is an arbitrary notion and is celebrated at various times according to the traditions of different religions, cultures and nationalities. January 1st was adopted as the start of the year sometime during the era of the Roman Empire. During the Middle Ages, most European countries celebrated the New Year in the Spring. However, by the time the Gregorian Calendar began to be adopted by most Western nations, January 1st became the standard for celebrating the New Year.