Alpha Library Learning Commons

April is National Poetry Month in Canada and the theme this year is resilience. Check out the League of Canadian Poets website for more details on how to celebrate the month and virtual events that are going on. We also have a display of poetry books and verse novels on display in the library.

The website sums up this months theme with the following:

What does it mean to be resilient? We meet resilience in every corner we’ve been backed into, every hardship that we endure. Resilience is geographical, spiritual, historical. It’s the fight against climate change, the inner battle with mental health, the outcry for human rights and an end to systemic racism. Resilience is the backbone of generations of trauma, the silence at the dinner table, the bow to culture’s violin. Resilience is the courage to start each day anew. This NPM 2021, we celebrate, reflect on and respect the resilience that has made us who we are.

The Vancouver Writers Fest’s annual youth writing contest is held in spring every year and is open to all students enrolled in grades 8-12 in British Columbia. The 2021 contest is now open and will conclude on May 31, 2021. Winners will also be published in our online newsletter, Books & Ideas, which has a readership of over 17,000. 

For more contest details visit the website here.

Below are a few podcast recommendations from the School Library Journal Article: Eight Podcasts About Black Changemakers. These short and sweet episodes all highlight a different important Black figure from history. Enjoy during Black History Month, or really any other month of the year.

Encyclopedia Womannica. “Warriors: Rosa Parks”

This I Believe. “Muhammad Ali: I Am Still the Greatest”

Ted Talks Daily. “Using Your Voice Is a Political Choice” – A talk by poet Amanda Gorman

At the end of last quarter we had a grade 8 English class in the library to create book spine poetry. After searching the space for interesting book titles, they stacked the books to create a poem. This was a fun activity which allowed students to be creative and to get to know the books in the library better. Below are their creations.

Prev

1of6

Next

Take a tour of Alpha’s Library Learning Commons in our newly created video for the 2021 Open House. As parents and prospective students can’t come check out the space in person, we wanted to ensure that they could see everything it has to offer from the comfort of their own homes. Enjoy!

Want to learn more about famous Black Canadians? Check out this cool interactive Periodic Table of Canadian Black History. Click the link to hover over the “elements” to learn more about each incredible person. The table highlights Black activists, artists, musicians, athletes, writers and more.

During Black History Month in February, take a look at this online exhibit that offers more than a glimpse into the history of Black pioneers in British Columbia, and how they helped shape our province. Put together by the BC Black History Awareness Society.

A friendly reminder as pandemic fatigue continues to set in, books are a great way to pass the time and to go on adventures in our minds when we can’t physically go anywhere! Stop by the library to check out up to 5 books. If you don’t know what to read, ask Ms. Haigh the Librarian and she would be happy to give you a recommendation (or two).