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200 Nights of Reading

Home Reading Club: It’s hard to believe, but On April 13th we will reach 200 nights of reading!   Students and staff will be recognized at our Celebration of Learning assembly on April 27th.

Why is reading for fun important? Here is an excerpt from the International Reading Association position paper on leisure reading:

“Research shows that leisure reading enhances students’ reading comprehension (e.g., Cox & Guthrie, 2001), language (e.g., Krashen, 2004), vocabulary development (e.g., Angelos & McGriff, 2002), general knowledge (e.g., Cunningham & Stanovich, 1998), and empathy for others (e.g., McGinley et al., 1997), as well as their self-confidence as readers, motivation to read throughout their lives, and positive attitudes toward reading (e.g., Allington & McGillFranzen, 2003; Eurydice Network, 2011). The benefits of leisure reading apply to English learners (ELs) who read in English as well as in their native languages.”

You can read more here: http://literacyworldwide.org/docs/default-source/where-we-stand/leisure-reading-position-statement.pdf

 

Pick up your forms any time from the library. Thank you for participating and keep on reading

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Scholastic Book Fair Feb 19-22

The Scholastic Book Fair will be back Feb.19-Feb.22 and will be open during student led conferences on Thursday. Parent volunteers are needed! Please sign up on the sheet outside the library or speak to Mrs. Araujo.  

Come and visit the fair to find a great read and support your school library!

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Literacy Week 2018

Literacy Week January 22nd-26th : What did we do during Literacy Week?

We started things off at our assembly on Monday. We were treated to a special Readers’ Theatre performance by the South Slope staff who performed The Little Red Hen.

Our school-wide read this year was Draw the Line by Kathryn Otoshi. Many classes also read her other books One, Two and Zero in the library.  Students made many connections to Otoshi’s messages about tolerance, acceptance and friendship.  All week classes read and responded to Draw the line in the library and in classrooms. Have a look around the school to see what’s been happening.

On Tuesday the fun continued with the Book Swap. Thank you to everyone who donated a book or more!

On Wednesday everyone was invited to dress up.  Some of us dressed up as their favourite character from a book and others wore t-shirts we could read.

On Thursday, we had special guest readers and ASL storytellers for every classroom from the Burnaby School district and the community. Guest Readers: Gordon Li, Tanis Anderson, Pietro Calendino, Patricia Finlay, Raj Chouhan, Victoria Lee, Shirley March and the Burnaby Fire Department.  ASL Storytellers: Dorothy Crombie, Peggy Fee, and Eileen Edgar.

Throughout the week there was Book Trivia and Drop Everything and Read (DEAR).

Finally, we had PJ Day and a wrap up assembly on Friday. BCSD Staff performed One by Kathryn Otoshi.  Our leadership students performed their own reader’s theatre of Little Red Riding Hood.  Division 15 from BCSD also shared a great movie they made retelling Draw the Line in ASL. Finally, we also watched a short slideshow of the week’s events.

What a great week! Thanks so much, everyone!

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Reading Club reaches 100 nights!

 On January 3rd we reached 100 nights of reading.  152 students and staff completed 50 and 100 nights of reading and all were recognized at our Celebration of Learning assembly on Jan 22nd. Pick up your forms any time from the library. Thank you for participating and keep on reading!

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And the winner is…

Well, the votes are in and we have chosen our Canadian Picture Book of the Year.  South Slope has selected We found a Hat by Jon Klassen as the winner! 

We chose this book because…

  • The pictures can tell the words and because the eyes of the turtles can make me laugh.
  • The author made unique illustrations because he made the turtles shell patterns different from each other.
  • It makes me feel like that other turtle who wants the hat to tell the truth of why he really wants the hat!
  • The pictures match the words and the pictures tell the story on their own. I also think it is very funny. (I like it very very much!) 
  • It makes me feel happy because it reminds me of my dad since he always wears a hat. 
  • It has powerful words.

In close second place was Town is by the Sea by Joanne Schwartz and pictures by Sydney Smith. 

We chose this book because…

  • It makes me a little sad. I go to the graveyard to visit my grandfather, my father’s father.  He was a miner, too.
  • It reminds me that my town is by the sea.  And it is a peaceful book. 
  • It has unique and creative illustrations.  It makes me remember that I used to live by the sea.
  • I feel that I’m in the book and it repeats. 
  • The pictures make me feel calm.  

We enjoyed reading and talking about the other books as well.  When we were Alone was recently voted a winner in the Governor General Literary Awards. The Snow Knows was named the Marilyn Baillie Picture Book of the Year.  

We look forward to reading more great Canadian picture books next year! 

 

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Canadian Picture Book of the Year

For the past few weeks several classes have been reading some fabulous Canadian picture books.  The books were chosen from the nominees for the Marilyn Baillee Picture Book of the Year as well as the Governor General’s Literary Awards nominees.  We created criteria to help us decide on what makes a great picture book. Then we read a different book each week and discussed how the book met the criteria for us.  Finally we will vote on our favourite.

Stay tuned for the announcement of the winner! 

 

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Let’s celebrate 50 nights of Reading!

On November 14th we reached 50 nights of reading. So far 148 students and staff have handed in their forms!  Our assembly is this Thursday so there is still time to hand in your Reading Club forms and be recognised.  There will be book draws, too! Come and see me in the library any time to ask about the Reading Club and to find a great read! 

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Author Shane Peacock visits South Slope/ BCSD

On October 30th author Shane Peacock visited our school. He told us that as a young child he didn’t really like to read, but he loved stories. He told us to read what we’re interested in and also write what we’re interested in.  We also learned about an amazing Canadian, The Great Farini, and how he crossed Niagara Falls. Mr. Peacock read his picture book, The Artist and Me, to some of the classes.  He also read from Death in the Air, the second in the Boy Sherlock Holmes series, and left us wanting to hear more. Come and check out his books from the library!

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DEAR Day Success!

What a great day we had: pajamas, stuffed animals and reading! Thanks to everyone for participating.  Reading is a beautiful thing!