École Sperling Library

French Program classes have now signed up for preview times in the library during the week of the fair.  English Program classes will be coming to the library for a book exchange that week.  All are invited to visit the fair, which will be open after lunch for students, at 2:30 for parents, and for everyone from 3:00-4:00 daily (3:00-3:30 Friday).

A big thank you to those parents and students who expressed interest in volunteering for this year’s Book Fair.  Please look for confirmation of your volunteer schedule in the coming days.  Together with your help, we can make this fair a wonderful success.

See you at the fair soon!

The non-fiction and fiction clubs are now meeting every Thursday afternoon in the library.  The non-fiction club meets at 2:00 pm and the fiction club meets at 2:30 pm.

Students began borrowing Red Cedar books in mid-November and have begun setting personal goals for themselves in order to be eligible to vote for their favourite book in the spring.  The general goal for each member is to complete reading logs for a minimum of 5 books in their club.

In order to be selected to join a club, students must show strong reading comprehension and read fluently at an inferential level at or above grade level.

Students must be able to concentrate and stay on task in class, be able to express in writing his/her thoughts and ideas about what has been read, and be willing to participate in class or group discussions. They will be required to complete a group project on time and present this to the class. Students must also be able to attend book club meetings regularly, arrive on time and be prepared with all required materials.  They will understand that by joining these clubs, they are responsible for independently catching up on any missed classroom homework or assignments.

For more information about the Red Cedar Awards, please go to http://www.redcedaraward.ca/index.php?s=15&id=9999

To view this year’s nominees, choose the “Bookcase” tab on the top right.

Roll the mouse over the book for a review. 

Students in Grades 4-7 have been invited to join the YRCA Club and to review a minimum of 2 books in order to be eligible to vote for their favourite title in the spring.

Did you know…?

• YRCA is the oldest children’s choice award in North America – founded in 1940
• Nominated titles need to have been published 3 years prior to the award year
• Over 40 000 students voted across British Columbia, Alberta, Washington State, Alaska, Idaho and Montana last year
• Last year’s winners were Cabin Fever (Jeff Kinney) and The Son of Neptune (Rick Riordan)

2014-2015 Junior Nominees:

Wonder by R.J. Palacio

Ungifted by Gordon Korman

Whatever After:  Fairest of All by Sarah Mlynowski

Chomp by Carl Hiaasen

The One and Only Ivan by Katherine Applegate

Who Could That Be At This Hour? by Lemony Snicket

Starry River of the Sky by Grace Lin

Three Times Lucky by Sheila Turnage

2014-2015 Intermediate Nominees:

The Reluctant Journal of Henry K. Larsen by Susin Nielsen

Cinder by Marissa Meyer

Son by Lois Lowry

Liar and Spy by Rebecca Stead

The Raven Boys by Maggie Steifvater

Drama by Raina Telgemeier

Shadow and Bone by Leigh Bardugo

Good luck to all nominees and happy reading!  J

Congratulations to everyone who participated in this year’s program, “Risky Business”!  This year, over 70 Sperling students completed 50 days of summer reading and received both a medal and a certificate to mark this achievement.  These individuals will also recognized at an upcoming Celebration of Learning in early December.

Our annual Home Reading Program began the week of October 6 and so far, it has been a great success! To give you an indication of how time has flown, November 24 marked the earliest day that a student could have reached 50 days of reading.

Students were given record sheets to track their reading and are responsible for check-marking a box for every day they read for 15 minutes or more. Only one box can be marked per day. Sheets must be signed by a parent or guardian before they are handed in to the library. Students who complete 200 days of reading by the end of May will earn a book prize.

There are a variety of ways students may choose to read: at school or at home, independently, and/or with a friend, classmate, teacher or family member. Students may read picture books, easy or regular fiction and non-fiction, graphic novels, comics, magazines, newspapers and (with parent consent) online information. Reading can be done in any language, but students are always expected to choose materials that are age and grade-level appropriate.

We thank you sincerely for your continued support in helping reinforce the importance of lifelong literacy and appreciation for reading.

Students will get the chance to vote for their favourite Red Cedar book today in class. The group presentations will start on May 3 and will finish on May 19th. We will plan our end of year celebration on that day too, and the party will take place pn May 17th. Happy reading, everyone!

Family Literacy day is January 27, and families can celebrate in a variety of ways. To learn more about this event and some fun activities to do as a family to promote literacy, visit www.FamilyLiteracyDay.ca .

La Journée de l’alphabétisation familiale sera le 27 janvier. Pour en savoir davantage, visitez www.fld-jaf.ca .

The next Scholastic Book Fair will be held from December 5th to 8th, 2011. We will be open from 12:15-1:00 and from 3:00-3:45 from Monday to Thursday.

Check out the new Red Cedar books on the virtual shelf on this blog. Roll the mouse over the book or click on it to see a review of the book.

Students signed out their last library book for this school year, and these are due between Tuesday, June 7th and Thursday, June 9th. Please return all items to the library as soon as possible so that Ms. Hunger can start the inventory process.