BoB update

Battle of the Books practice is well underway. We currently have over twenty 6th, 7th and 8th students who regularly attend weekly after school practices. Students are required to read BoB books, write practice questions for each book they read and share the plot and characters with their fellow teammates. The most popular titles amongst our students so far are The Lightning Thief by Rick Riordan, Artemis Fowl by Eion Colfer and The Boy in the Striped Pajamas by John Boyne. Students will be reading through their holiday break in order to prepare for the BoB test on January 15. Students who make the team must have a strong knowledge of BoB books, have a good attendance record at practices and be good representatives from DRMS.

To read along with our students, check out the titles on this year's list and post your comments about what you're reading.

-Ms. Z

Knowing your readers . . . even teachers!

I love when people share their excitement about a book they've just read. It doesn't matter if it's a student or a teacher or even what genre it is. When someone tells me about a book they love, it makes me want to jump into the story with them. I just finished reading the book Stargirl by Jerry Spinelli. I was immediately drawn into the story, especially after the character, Stargirl was introduced. I still think of her as a real person and gained many insights into life from reading about her.

Now, there are certain books that I read that I immediately think of someone else who would enjoy it. Sometimes, it's a student; sometimes a teacher. Such was the case for Stargirl. About halfway through, I discovered this would be a perfect "Elaine book" (she's one of our 6th grade teachers). This teacher always gets excited when I've discovered a book I know she'll enjoy. My track record so far has been 100%, meaning, every book I've recommended she read, she ends up loving it as much as I think she will.

What an amazing role to play in someone's life. To know your patrons well enought to be able to point them to literature that is the perfect fit for them. This is such a rewarding part of being a media specialist. :-)

-Ms. Z

P.S. Several other "Elaine books" include Flipped by Wendelin van Draanen, The Boy in the Striped Pajamas by John Boyne and Jeremy Fink and the Meaning of Life by Wendy Mass. Read one of these great titles and post your thoughts.

Catching up . . .

Time has passed, but not without the hustle and bustle of students and teachers using the media center. Today, 6th grade students participated in a wax museum. Students portrayed various historical figures as classes of students toured the "museum" to hear about people's lives and find out interesting facts.

Earlier in the week, students searched for facts on winter holiday traditions from around the world. Students searched for facts in books and used the Holiday and Christmas pathfinders we created to help direct them to great online resources.

New library books have been ordered and should arrive right around the holidays. Students will be able to check out these new treasures sometime in January. Be on the look-out for information about an all-day book showcase in early 2009 featuring these new arrivals.

-Ms. Z

We're home again!

After almost a 2-week absence of media services, WE'RE BACK and loving it! The media staff has worked tremendously hard moving out of our "home" and then, once carpeting was installed, putting everything back together again. Sometimes pictures speak louder than words, so here are a few taken over the past 2 weeks:

Today, we had a normal, busy day of circulation and assisting students and teachers. It feels great to be back in the shiny and sparkly media center!

-Ms. Z

New Carpet is Coming....The Before Photo...

Our media center has been covered and prepared for the dust that will explode from pulling up 15-year-old carpet. We are excited about a new look, but it's sad to see no computers and plastic sheeting over all the books. We'll re-open next Wednesday

(Nov. 5) so check back then to see the "After Photo." : )
~ Mrs. M.

Termites!

Sorry for the lack of posts! The media staff has been overwhelmed with the busyness fall seems to bring. As always, we have news to share. In September, we noticed one of the bookshelves was falling down in the ELL section and, upon further exploration, discovered termites living in the shelf. Mrs. V immediately moved the books from that section of shelving to several rolling bookcarts. The termites not only enjoyed the wood shelving, but also took a liking to at least one of our books (the media ladies are still a little squeamish and haven't gotten up the nerve to look at the remaining books that were near the infested area). The disruption didn't even phase one of our sweet "regulars," an ELL student who speaks absolutely no English. He came in smiling the next day and gladly helped himself to the new, temporary location of his beloved Spanish-language books.

Looking ahead, the media center is scheduled to have the carpeting replaced at the end of the month. We've put together a two-page preparation plan (yes, we are planners) and will be closed to students and staff for several days. The carpet installers tell us it will take 2 1/2 to 3 days to complete, but the prep work before and putting everything back afterwards will close the media center for about a week. Look for pictures in the coming weeks!

Classes continue to come in for research - - - everyday seems to bring a new subject area and variety of topics. Today, Mrs. D's classes are researching US Presidents. Later this week, Mrs. M's classes will return to complete their inquiry project research on plate tectonics, volcanoes and earthquakes. They've been busy inputting their information into their CrocsInquiry wiki so they can share their findings with others.

Signing off for now . . . . .

-Ms. Z

Diving into research

Sixth grade, track 3 science students are deep into researching answers to their Great! inquiry questions. Students used computer resources last week and were introduced to media center books today. I think many of our tech-savvy students were surprised at how much information they could find in "old-fashioned" books! Students found detailed before and after photos of earthquake destruction, pictures of volcano eruptions and many charts and maps showing plate tectonic movement.

I spent each class period hopping from student to student as they explored media resources and gathered valuable information. This was the scene as I passed one row of shelves - - a collection of research tools left by two students in search of additional information. This month-and-a-half-long inquiry project will culminate in mid-October, when students will share their findings with their classmates and other DRMS 6th graders.

-Ms. Z

Special Collection

The DRMS media center recently received a monetary donation to purchase health-related library books in memory of our principal's sister, who recently passed away. Each book contains a special book plate dedicated to her memory.

Several titles from this special collection include Careers for Health Nuts, Rachael Ray Yum-O Family Cookbook, Your Ultimate Manual for Good Nutrition and Top 100 Health-Care Careers. This collection will be well-used by science, health and PE classes for years to come.

-Ms. Z

In memory of . . . .

In memory of September 11, 2001, several 8th grade classes completed a reflective project. Students viewed a 9/11 Memorial video, brainstormed their thoughts about the tragic events and developed interview questions to find out more information from an adult's thoughts and feelings from that important day in American history. (By the way, these 8th graders were only in 1st grade in September 2001.)

A visual portion of this lesson was the following word collage:

This was created using Wordle. Text from students' brainstorming sheets were entered into this online program. The larger the word = the more often it was written on students' papers. This visual representation serves as a powerful teaching tool that led to some dynamic and thought-provoking discussion. I learned a lot from these insightful 8th graders!

-Ms. Z

Voicethread and English Language Learners

On Tuesday, Mrs. Myers worked with Mrs. McTernan's English Language Learners class and helped them to use Voicethread to talk (in English) about the endangered species they had researched. Prior to class, Mrs. Myers had scanned in the photos the students had drawn and they became part of Voicethread as well. It was a very rewarding experience for the students and the teachers.

Shakespeare with a Twist

One of my favorite web pages belongs to the Bettendorf Public Library. While browsing through the web page I saw the words "Shakespeare Remakes." I thought it would be a great theme for this month's window display. After checking our collection for books that retold Shakespeare's tales, I discovered some very interesting titles.

The Wednesday Wars by Gary Schmidt

On Wednesday afternoons seventh grader Holling Hoodhood must stay in Mrs. Baker's classroom while his classmates attend religious studies. Lessons about middle school life are learned while studying Shakespeare.

The True Prince by J.B. Cheaney

Newly apprenticed to Shakespeare's theatre company, Richard and Kit are drawn into a series of crimes involving the members of Queen Elizabeth's court.

Shakespeare's Scribe by Gary Blackwood

In plague ridden 1602 England, a fifteen-year-old orphan boy, who has become an apprentice actor, goes on the road with Shakespeare's troupe, and finds out more about his parents along the way.

Romiette and Julio by Sharon M. Draper

Romiette, an African-American girl, and Julio, a Hispanic boy discover that they attend the same high school after falling in love on the internet, but are harrassed by a gang whose members object to their dating.

Romeo and Juliet - Manga Shakespeare

A graphic novel adaptation of William Shakespeare's classic tragedy about Romeo Montague and Juliet Capulet, two young people whose love for one another is doomed by the long-standing feud between their families.

-Mrs. V

Author Visit 21st Century Style

Author Kerry Madden, known for Gentle's Holler, Louisiana's Song and Jessie's Mountain, visited Ms. Stephens' language arts 8th grade/track 1 class today via a technological chat. Mrs. Madden graciously gave us a few minutes of her time, despite being under a tight deadline to edit her forthcoming book, a biography of Harper Lee.

You can visit Mrs. Madden's site online at www.kerrymadden.com .

Newbery Club is about to begin!

What: Newbery Club

When: Informational meetings Thursday, September 4 and September 11 during lunch periods

Where: DRMS Media Center

Who: 6th, 7th and 8th grade students are invited

Why? Because it's fun!

We've been busy behind the scenes preparing this year's collection of Newbery Club books. These are newly published (2008) titles that are exclusively available for Newbery Club members. Students can choose to read those books that most interest them, write a review of the book and determine if it's worthy of receiving the Newbery Medal. The REAL Newbery Medal is awarded in January, so there's still a lot of time to read some of these great contenders!

The DRMS media staff is reading along with students, and have already previewed several of these great titles. Waiting for Normal is our current favorite. Stay tuned for future reviews . . . .

-Ms. Z

good to Great!

Today was such a Great! day in the media center. With all of their belongings in tow, sixth-grade science students headed straight for the media center at the very beginning of each class period. Mrs. Myers and I were ready and waiting (in our matching blue inquiry t-shirts) to guide students from good question writing to developing Great! questions that they will choose from during this collaborative project. After students took Cornell Notes on the definition and examples of inquiry and project requirements and expectations, they dove into brainstorming everything that came to their minds about plate tectonics, earthquakes and volcanoes onto large sheets of paper. These ideas became their guides as they wrote good questions about the topic that most interested them. Allowing students choice in an assignment or project is such a powerful motivation tool!

After writing several questions, Mrs. Myers and I showed several "good" question examples and explored how to make them Great! By the end of the class period, many students had transformed their own good questions into Great! higher-level questions that will challenge them as they research the answers as this project progresses.

I'm eager to read each student's reflection from today's lesson detailing what they learned and what new questions they have. This is a journey not just for these students, but for me as well!

-Ms. Z

Alternate Definitions

Today, I worked with Mrs. Myers and her 6th grade science classes. Students completed a pre-assessment before starting a collaborative unit on earthquakes, volcanoes and plate tectonics. Can you answer the following question?

What is a wiki?
a. something small or tiny
b. a fruit
c. small creatures with big hair
d. crazy

Do you have a guess? Actually, the answer is "none of the above," but each of the above answer choices were DRMS student answers submitted on today's pre-assessment. The correct answer is: a collaborative collection of webpages that can be viewed or editted.

Other questions asked students about inquiry, Cornell note-taking, Internet website vs. electronic database distinction and basic science-specific questions on this unit of study. On Thursday, students will begin working on this project in the media center and will journey through inquiry on their quest for Great! questions. Look for future blog entries on this exciting project!

-Ms. Z

Olympics

Goodness! It's been awhile since we've posted to the blog. As many of you know, readers will stop visiting a "stale" blog, so we will be sure to keep updating often! Our media calendar is quickly filling up with dynamic lessons and projects through the rest of August and into September. We'll be sure to detail them in future blog posts.

Wednesdays are "Dolphin Day." As DRMS students and staff know, this time allows an extra class period for remediation and enrichment. Classes that come to the media center during their Dolphin period are often involved in creative, enriching research assignments. Today, two of our three classes worked on projects having an Olympic theme. There are so many great Olympics websites, some of which are searchable. Check this one out: www.olympic.org . You can actually search specific athletes from Olympic Games of the past and read biographical information on them, as well as see which medals they won. More detailed profiles of over 300 athletes are also available on this great site. Go team USA!!

-Ms. Z

A flurry of activity!

The media center has been a flurry of activity today! Of course, you'd never guess that since, at the moment, there's not a soul in here except me. It's truly "feast or famine" around this place - either a bustling place with lots of students researching and looking for books, or no one in sight.

Today we've had 6th grade science students exploring plate tectonics video clips, including online animations of plate movements and where earthquakes have occurred. The website they used is http://www.teachersdomain.org/. It's a wonderful resource with a variety of science-related topics.

Several classes came through for circulation and even stayed a bit for some quiet reading time. I've been very impressed with how well many of our students have caught on to using the new library catalog. They're successfully finding books and are excited to check them out.

Lunchtime brings students carrying blue media center passes in search of books . These students enjoy visiting the MC during their Team Time (right after their lunch period). For our sixth graders, it's their introduction to "free library time" in middle school. Upon arrival, students stamp their blue pass into the "stamper clock." This imprints the date and time onto the pass and makes a loud noise when it stamps. Some students appear frightened to use it for the first time!

Today, lunchtime also brought several 8th grade Social Studies students who are busy working on their Colonial Newspaper project. Mrs. M was able to help a small group of students by giving them more individualized attention on their specific project.

Every day = something new. I wonder what tomorrow will bring?!

-Ms. Z

"Media Center savior"

"Thank you! You're a media center savior!" -a quote from a 7th grade student upon being told that the book he reserved had come in and was ready for him to check out.

The media staff is still learning new tricks and features of Destiny. We're now confident in our abilities to place holds on items. Students, if a book you're interested in happens to be checked out, come to the circulation desk and we'll put a hold on it for you. That way, you'll be next in line for checkout once it's returned.

-Ms. Z

MTAC

Tuesday afternoon was the first meeting of the DRMS Media and Technology Advisory Committee (MTAC). This committee consists of educational technology visionaries who see technology as a daily learning and teaching necessity, not just a bunch of cool "gadgets" to show-off once in awhile. The majority of the meeting was spent reviewing our current Technology Plan. This document contains goals and a timeline to introduce and implement 21st century learning tools. We're excited about the many updates to the plan and look forward to sharing it with the rest of the staff!

The committee is excited about the addition of new tools, such as StarBoards, document cameras and student response systems. A sales rep will be at Durant to present to MTAC and other interested staff on Thursday, August 21 at 3:00pm in the media center. Mark your calendars now! I saw his presentation on 21st century tech tools earlier this week and it's so exciting to think of these types of resources being implemented here. You don't want to miss it!

-Ms. Z

8th Grade Track 1 Colonial Newspaper Project

Mrs. Dempsey's 8th graders are continuing to research their colonies. They are using the colonial pathfinder to do their research, which is available on Blackboard and on the media center web site. These students are doing a great job with their Cornell Source note sheets. They will be working on their bibliographies next week.
~ Mrs. M.

North Carolina Dialect

On Monday, Mrs. M. taught track 1/8th grade about NC, its dialects and the literature set in our state. Students enjoyed learning about the various regions and the differences in them. They learned several new words, such as "dingbatter," which means someone not from the Outer Banks of NC and "jasper," which is a person not from the NC mountains.

~ Mrs. M.

Researching scientists

Today, I worked with Ms. Daniels' students on a scientist research project. Archimedes, George Washington Carver, Jonas Salk, Jane Goodall and Ptolemy were a few of the famous people who graced computer monitors throughout each class period.

The goal of this project is for students to discover important facts about their scientist by finding information using quality web resources. Students have two days to gather biographical information and details about important accomplishments. They are required to use one website resource and one electronic database source.

Like many projects I help students with in the media center, I've learned interesting tidbits of trivia throughout the day. My favorite fact from the day was finding out who invented white-out. I'm looking forward to discovering new information tomorrow as students complete their research. These tid bits of trivia are sure to help me win on a gameshow one of these days!

-Ms. Z

BoB Questions Needed!

In which book is a man paid for his work with a pig and a pound of sugar?

In which book does a boy watch ghostly hands push a box of books off a stain on the floor?

In which book do church bells toll without ceasing until the mayor orders them to stop?

Even though Battle of the Books practices don't begin until November, the media center staff has combed through files in search of practice questions. Most of the questions for BoB practices come from our very own DRMS staff members. During practices, students answer questions pertaining to the plot, characters or setting of one of the books on the list. These questions are similar to those used at the county competition where our students will compete in February. Some books are repeated from one year to the next, so we're fortunate to already have questions for about 2/3 of the list.

But, we need your help! Students, staff and parents can get involved! This is not just for Language Arts teachers! :-) Please let Ms. Z. know if you can write a few questions for one of the following BoB titles:

• The Boy in the Striped Pajamas by John Boyne
• Children of the River by Linda Crew
• Elijah of Buxton by Christopher Paul Curtis
• Good Masters! Sweet Ladies! Voices from a Medieval Village by Laura Amy Schlitz
• The Lightning Thief by Rick Riordan
• My Life in Dog Years by Gary Paulsen
• Tangerine by Edward Bloor
• Treasure Island (unabridged) by Robert Louis Stevenson
• The Wright 3 by Blue Balliett

We have copies of all of these titles in the DRMS media center. See Ms. Z. if you're interested in helping out.

-Ms. Z

P.S. For those of you interested in a little trivia, the answers to the above questions are 1. Dovey Coe by Frances O'Roark Dowell; 2. Something Upstairs by Avi; 3. Fever 1793 by Laurie Halse Anderson

Selection

How are books selected for the media center?

Even though we only place book orders a couple times a year, selecting materials is a 12-month, continual process. The media staff subscribes to three library selection journals: VOYA, School Library Journal and Library Media Connections. We read reviews and indicate those titles best suited for the school curriculum, student interest, and needs or gaps in the library collection. This is just the start; our ears are always open! You'll find scraps of paper in our offices with scribbled notes containing the names of new titles and authors that were mentioned on a website, posted on a blog, mentioned by a colleague, recommended by a student, heard about on television, saw in a display at the bookstore over the weekend, etc. Our sources for selection are endless . . . and creative!

We always welcome student and teacher suggestions. Suggestions from students and staff typically move right to the top of our selection priority list! A selection box is located on the circulation desk and students are encouraged to recommend titles to add to the media center collection.

We're busy behind-the-scenes organizing and sorting lists of titles to purchase this school year. Books will be ordered during the fall and should arrive by December. Keep reading the blog for updates on the arrival of new books within the next few months!

-Ms. Z

6th graders invade!

Over 350 book check-outs into the new school year and we've seen all track 1, 2 and 3 sixth grade students. It was a joy to meet these new "Dolphins" and I look forward to working with them this year! Students first viewed an 8-minute video powerpoint presentation detailing media center policies and procedures.


They then ventured to the computers to complete a self-guided scavenger hunt through Destiny, the new library automation software. Once they finished their tour, their completed green answer sheet was their "ticket" they turned in to their teacher or media specialist that allowed them to look for and check out books. This 15 minutes of library "free time" was most students favorite part of orientation.

Below are scenes from one of students' favorite section in the media center - the comic books, graphic novels and drawing book section:

before . . . .

after . . . .

Messy bookshelves are our favorites because it's evidence that many kids have been there. We're looking forward to seeing our 7th and 8th graders next week!

-Ms. Z

First day of school

I love the beginning of the school year. Squeaky new shoes, the smell of new notebooks and pencils and a positive outlook toward new possibilities. Students were eager (and a bit nervous!) as they ventured down the hallways to meet their teachers this morning. I always enjoy the wide-eyed enthusiasm of our new 6th graders as they take everything in for their first time as a middle schooler. Today is a momentous occasion for them!

We saw several groups of sixth graders escorted into the media center as a preview before their orientations later this week. One student immediately spied the magazine collection and asked if he could check one out. All 6th grade students will be able to check out library materials this week! Many of today's visitors gravitated toward the dolphin collection, which showcases 40+ dolphin statues we've collected over the years.

We're looking forward to meeting our new students and reuniting with our veteran 7th and 8th graders. We'll see you in the media center!

-Ms. Z

.....the end

We made it! The last day of school in the media center is a bit lonely. Once in a while, a student will rush in to return an overdue library book or a teacher requests a video to be started or a poster to be laminated. We were fortunate to have an art class use the computers during 4th period. Students watched online videos of cake decorating and architecture clips on the PBS website. They were actively engaged in this enrichment activity. What a refreshing lesson for the last day of school!
For most of the day, Mrs. M and I have been working behind-the-scenes on preparations for the 08-09 school year. Today, I've been preparing packets for new staff members who will arrive next week. Mrs. M is updating the DRMS website in preparation for the new year. Be sure to check out the "new look" next week! It looks really good! Our media center annual report was completed this week. If you'd like a copy, please post a reply and we'll be happy to give you one.

We're excited about new possibilities and opportunities for 08-09! See you next school year!

-Ms. Z

Ending 07-08...Beginning 08-09

We're busy preparing to end this school year and beginning a new one. These students are building some carts for the media center. Mrs. M. is very, very grateful.

~Mrs. M.

Mrs. V. is smiling

Beep . . . . beep . . . . beep . . . . . These are the sounds you heard when you visited the media center today. It's time for book inventory! The media staff literally puts their hands on EVERY book in the media center and scans it. Upon completion, there are a variety of reports we can run that show us which books are missing, which are on the shelf that have not been checked in, etc.

This year's book inventory began with Mrs. V reminiscing about her first library inventory experience back in 1973 (we won't mention how old Mrs. M and Ms. Z were at that time - *wink*). Thirty-five years ago, it took 10 student assistants and 4 librarians three weeks to complete book inventory! One person held a card catalog drawer in their lap, calling out book numbers, while their partner checked the number in each book. Several card entries for each missing title had to be removed by hand (remember subject cards, title cards and author cards?!). I joked today that by the time they finished inventory, it was probably time for them to start over again!


Now, in 2008, scanners and the computer replace tedious searches through card catalog drawers. Mrs. V is smiling!

-Ms. Z

Calling all books!

Where are those missing library books? Under your bed? On your bookshelf? In your locker? The Book Mobile was seen roaming the 6th grade hallway this morning during homeroom. Be on the look-out this week to turn in your books. If you miss the Book Mobile, stop by the media center anytime to drop off items you need to return.

-Ms. Z

Jennifer Kogler

Today we were fortunate to spend the day with author Jennifer Kogler. Her new book, The Otherworldlies, was released today, which coincided perfectly with her visit to Durant. 6th, 7th and 8th graders attended grade-level assemblies in the auditorium where Ms. Kogler read an excerpt from her book, shared stories about her journey as a writer and had time to answer student questions at the end of her presentation. Three brave students volunteered to attempt teleporting to a destination of their choice. Unfortunately, today was not a successful day for teleporting (even while wearing Fern's special sunglasses!). All volunteers remained safely in the auditorium, but did receive "Teleporter in Training" t-shirts for being such good sports.

Fifteen students were chosen to eat lunch with Ms. Kogler in the media center. Their teleporting story contest entries were original and creative! Students shared their stories with the group, played "2 truths and 1 lie," and had their stories autographed by Ms. Kogler before returning to class.

It's not too late for students and staff to purchase a personalized, autographed copy of The Otherworldies. See the media staff for an order form. Hardcover books are $17 each. The deadline for purchases is this Friday, June 20!

Thank you to Jennifer Kogler for her inspiring messages of holding close those people who encourage you and never letting others tell you that you can't do something. Today was a great day for reading!

-Ms. Z

Math Scavenger Hunt

Name the tallest building in the world. Write the height in feet and yards.
Whose portrait is on the $1,000 bill? Calculate how many quarters are in $1,000.
Which planet has the largest moon? What is the radius and circumference of this planet?

Today, 7th grade, track 3 math students scurried around the media center to find the answers to these and other math-related questions. Students honed their searching skills to find the data, then performed math computations using the numbers they discovered. Oh, and did I mention they could only use PRINT resources?! I was very impressed with the way students used the library catalog to find titles, found them on the shelf and used keywords and indexes to discover the answers. This is the perfect motivational activity to culminate concepts students learned in math class this year.
-Ms. Z

New Videos

Come check out several new videos just added to the collection today:

• It's Your Call: Playing It Safe Around Guns
• McGruff on Gun Safety
• The Day of the Dead: A Celebration of Family and Life
• Island of Hope~Island of Tears: The Story of Ellis Island

We'll see you in the media center!

~Mrs. M.

Summer Reads

We love summer! It is the perfect time to read. Summertime gives everyone a sense of freedom to read what they are really interested in. Remember that book you thought looked so interesting but you had an assignment to finish? Well now is the time.

Our Summer Reads display has no theme. These are books that never make it back to the shelf.

Mrs. V.

EOGs and lots of other happenings...

The school year may be winding down, but we are busier than ever in the media center. We're helping to administer and proctor EOG testing this week. We're also gearing up for book inventory and putting the finishing touches on the 2008-09 media center orientation.

Yesterday after EOGs, I taught a propaganda lesson to Mrs. Loehr's 7th graders. On Thursday I'll be visiting Ms. DeMarco's 7th graders and talking about the same topic. The new social studies textbook adoption teacher materials continue to come in. The 8th grade teacher print materials are in and processed already. Mr. Wright was the first teacher to checkout the new stuff. 7th grade print materials are here and I'm in the process of preparing them for checkout. We're still on the lookout for 6th grade materials.

Additionally, Ms. Ziller and I are busy planning for National Boards and our June 2009 European Adventure. We attended a National Boards meeting yesterday and we are eagerly anticipating the receipt of the BOX.
Mrs. M

Teleporting

If you could teleport anywhere at any time, where would you go, what would you do and why?

Want to speak with author Jennifer Kogler in a small-group setting the day of her visit to Durant? Enter this contest by answering the question above in at least four typed sentences. Entries must be creative and original. Students, please include your name, track, grade and homeroom teacher's name in the top right-hand corner of your entry. Winners will eat lunch with author Jennifer Kogler on Tuesday, June 17 in the media center where they'll share their teleporting entry. (Note: Students must provide their own lunch).

Hurry! Entries are due to the media staff by Thursday, June 12.

Apple IIc

You never know what "treasures" will be discovered in school cabinets at end-of-year clean-up time. Today's gem - an Apple IIc desktop computer (circa 1984). When loading an Apple program floppy disk into the disk drive (the 5 1/4" disk - a true FLOPPY disk), the glowing green sceen prompted the user to enter today's date. I guess the IIc's of the future were not meant to include the 21st century since the 2008 date we typed in kept reverting to 1996.

Mr. C was thrilled with the discovery and quickly whisked the machine to his classroom where it's sure to be the source of much discussion (and play).

-Ms. Z

Megaphone in the Media Center!

Today was a first. I have never experienced listening to someone speaking through a megaphone in the media center! The days of *shushing* in the library are certainly a thing of the past. The energy this afternoon felt more like a pep rally than a place for quiet reading and research. That's what makes the media center such a fun and exciting place to be! Something new and different every day . . . . .

With only one day left until the end of the school year, the 7th grade, track 1 team used the media center this afternoon to share several year-in-review videos. Students "ooo'ed" and "ahhh'ed" as clips of their friends filled the screen. Teachers danced across the screen, pop music blared through the speakers, but students were the showcase in this end-of-year treat. Congratulations to these soon-to-be 8th graders!

-Ms. Z

Destiny Available At Home

Our library catalog, Destiny, is now available 24/7. Access it at home or anywhere else away from school. This truly gives new meaning to the term "Virtual Library." Check out the link and be sure to bookmark it!

http://destiny.wcpss.net/common/welcome.jsp?site=203

Propaganda Lesson

On Wednesday I had the pleasure of teaching propaganda to Mrs. Speaks's track 1/7th grade language arts classes. It was a lot of fun and I incorporated some retro commercials into the lesson to clarify the different types of propaganda. In true collaboration style, Mrs. Speaks created a worksheet that fit the lesson perfectly and could be included in the students' writing portfolios. For a group of 13-year-olds about to track out and become 8th graders, these students were wonderful.

~Mrs. M.

Wax figures invade!

Today, the media center was transformed into a living wax museum. Historical figures, such as Albert Einstein and Marie Currie, as well as contemporary celebrities like Ellen DeGeneres and Oprah Winfrey were in attendance. Eighth-grade students culminated their Social Studies unit by presenting biographical information they researched about a famous person. Many "dressed the part," presented a backboard detailing facts about the person's life and memorized a one-minute speech that they shared when participants pushed their "start" button. Parents, teachers and Social Studies classes from throughout the school visited the museum to learn about each individual.

-Ms. Z

Tuesday feels like Monday . . . .

Four-day weeks always throw me a little off balance. At a time of the year when everything seems to be in fast-forward, a shorter week only heightens that feeling. Although fewer classes are visiting the media center these days, there's a flurry of activity behind the scenes. End-of-year report data collection, preparations for June and July "closing down" and "opening up" procedures and the continued transition from Athena to Destiny (and all of the new *quirky* findings we are discovering) are a few of the back office duties being attended to. The media staff's favorite *quirk* of the day is the mysterious issuing of refunds to students and staff. Some records have shown refunds upwards of $25.00! Another teacher had 3 televisions checked out at once! We're editing records as these cases arise and are humored in the process.


In year-round, the transition between school years is certainly fuzzy. Each year blends into the next, and although the calendar says May 27, the 08-09 school year has already sent signs of it's arrival. Today, a bundle of new Social Studies textbook teacher resources arrived for cataloging and processing. These resources will be used with next year's students. New books always excite me, as I think of the many new things our students will learn by using them over the coming years. Today's textbooks include so many information-rich products and technology-integrated materials. Students literally have the world at their fingertips. Ready . . . . set . . . . . LEARN!


-Ms. Z

Finding our Destiny...

After years of using our library software Athena, on April 30, 2008 DRMS said good-bye to it and found our Destiny--our new library software. DRMS was fortunate to be one of the first 20 schools in the county to pilot this fabulous web-based program. Because we are currently still learning more about its many components, we plan to give our teachers and students a crash course at the start of the 2008-09 school year. We are excited about this new technology.