SCHOLASTIC BOOK FAIR 2012

We are very excited to have our annual Scholastic Book Fair next week from Monday, November 19th to Friday, November 23rd.  The Book Fair is a wonderful opportunity to support your Library and Literacy.

On Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday Grade 1 to 8 classes will be visiting the Book Fair to create a wish list.  Students can bring either cash or cheque (made out to Florence Meares Pubic School) on Thursday, November 22nd and purchase their items during the day.

Our Kindergarten students will not be visiting the Book Fair as a class to create a wish list as this can be overwhelming for them.  However, parents are welcome to bring their children at any time during the days of the Book Fair for viewing and purchasing.

If you wish to accompany your child for purchasing, or to come in to purchase yourself, we will be open Monday 1:30 p.m to 4:00 p.m., Tuesday & Wednesday 8:40 a.m. until 4 p.m., Thursday 8:40 a.m. until 8:30 p.m. and Friday from 8:30 a.m. until 12:00 p.m.

Of course there is no obligation to purchase.  Thank you so much for supporting our Book Fair!

What Can I Do With My Library Barcode?

Students in Halton are fortunate to have access to a multitude of online resources, many of which can be accessed at home.  This week Library barcodes were distributed to all of the students at Florence Meares.  The big question of the week was "What Can I Do With My Library Barcode?".  The answer is, access awesome online resources at home.  Some of the fantastic resources students can access at home include:

-BookFlix
-HDSB audiobooks and ebooks
-Grolier Online (search 8 constantly updated encyclopedias)
-Funk & Wagnalls New World Encyclopedia
-Kids Search (popular kids magazine database)
-Searchasaurus (kids online encyclopedia)
-Primary Search
-Canadian Reference Centre
-Canadian Student Research Centre
-Career Cruising
-History Reference Centre
-Science Reference Centre
-Literary Reference Centre
-Universalis (French encyclopedia)

Many of the above resources can be accessed through Elementary Internet Tools and the Information Databases page on the Halton District School Board Library Website.  Try one of the above resources today and see what you've been missing.

If you have any question, please send Mr. C an email.

WELCOME BACK!!

We have had a wonderful first month back to school in the FM Library.  The books have been flying off the shelves.  It has been exciting to welcome all of our new Full Day Kindergarten students to the Library.  Our Grade JK to 4 students have weekly scheduled book exchange times. You can see your child's Library Book Exchange time listed on the FM Library Calendar.  Please ensure your child returns their library book on a weekly basis to ensure they can sign out a new book every week.  We have been going over a number of important Library routines including:

-the magic ruler (helps to keep books organized in the Library)
-the magic line
-the circulation desk & book drops
-parts of the Library
-how to care for our books

Library visits are an exciting time and we look forward to lots of books coming and going from our Library this school year.

Our Grade 5 to 8 students enjoyed a friendly game of Jeopardy on our SMART Board while learning about the parts of the Library and what G.A.P.S. is (Halton's Research Model).  Our Grade 5 to 8 students may visit the Library, to exchange their books, during periods 1 or 2 or during 1st Break.

Homework Club for Grade 6, 7, and 8 students has started once again.  During 1st Break, students come to the Library for a quiet place to finish their assignments.  Our 4 Library computers will be available to complete homework and assignments.  Mr. Cann will be available for help on Tuesdays, Mrs. Eggers will be available on Wednesdays and Ms. Cullen will be available on Thursdays.

Please send me an email if you have any questions.

WEDDING BELLS FOR PRINCESS AND BUZZ!!

The wedding took place in the Florence Meares Library on June 22, 2012. Princess (assisted by Alex M.) wore a delicate handmade veil. Buzz (assisted by Owen R.) looked handsome in his bow tie and crown. Sura, Shreya and Leah tossed flowers down the aisle, while bridesmaids Madison and Marija carried fragrant hand bouquets. The two ring bearers, Ashley B. and Joshua M., brought the rings to the lovely couple. Pirate, Princess' dad, (assisted by Liam Mc.) escorted Princess down the aisle. Yoda presided over the ceremony with help from Raiya, Sarah, Keegan and Mr. Cann. The wedding guests included Mrs. Dietrich's Grade 3 class and Ms. Markuci's Grade 4s. Madison R. was the lucky girl who caught Princess' bouquet. Everyone enjoyed refreshments after the service, graciously provided by Mrs. Dietrich. As always, Puppy was Princess' faithful pet. Special mention goes to the Design Crew in Mrs. Dietrich's class who hand crafted all the bridal and grooms men's wear, as well as Yoda's bow tie. 

THE WEDDING PROPOSAL

THE HAPPY COUPLE WITH YODA

THE HAPPY COUPLE

By, Mrs. Dietrich's class

FM LIBRARY SUMMER TOP TEN!!

The year has flown by and we have had another amazing year in the FM Library.

I want to thank all of the volunteers who helped out this year:  Mrs. Mowder, Mrs. Jarvis, Mrs. Dawe, Mrs. Kavanagh, Mrs. Boyle, Mrs. Turnbull, Mrs. Smolenaars, Mrs. Varasso, Mrs. McDonald, Mrs. Jones, Mr. Glassford, Mrs. Hammill, Mrs. Kelly, and Mrs. Johnstone.  A special thank you to Ms. Mills who does innumerable things behind the scenes to help make our Library run smoothly.

I hope during the summer you'll take the opportunity to rest, relax and especially enjoy some great reading material this summer.

Here's the FM Library Summer Top Ten for 2012:

10. Download an audiobook or ebook from the Halton District School Board Digital Library.  Our Digital Library is open all summer long 24/7.  All you need is a compatible device and your Library barcode (email Mr. C for that).

9. Visit your local Public Library wherever you may be.  The Tansley Woods branch of the Burlington Public Library is open all summer long.  Check it out!  If you are in cottage country, see if there is a local Library in your area. Some even lend fishing equipment!!

8. Read a book from Ms. Fink's Hot Reads :-)

7. Find new reading possibilities in the Novelist K-8 Plus database.  Email Mr. C for Library barcode information.

6. If you are a Primary (Gr. 1-3) student at Florence Meares, participate in the "Florence Meares Cuddle Up And Read Summer Reading Program 2012".

5. Join a Book Club this summer.  Whether it's the TD Summer Reading Club or Scholastic's Summer Challenge,  joining a club will give you the motivation you need to read a ton this summer:-)

4. Read a book online!  Tumblebooks, BookFlix and RazKids are not the only online book resources.  Check out the "Find a Book" Section of the FM Library website.  There are lots of hidden treasures waiting to be discovered.

3. Friends and family love being read to.  Pick one of your favourite books and read to a friend or family member.

2. Exchange favourite books with a friend.

1. Try a new hobby or craft this summer and get books that will help your learn more about your topic of interest.  The 700 section (Arts) of the Library is jam packed with lots of interesting topics from knitting to football.

I want to wish everyone a fun and safe summer.  Keep reading this summer and I can't wait to hear about all of your summer adventures!

If you have any questions, don't hesitate to send me an email.

SHARON JENNINGS, AUTHOR OF "C'MERE, BOY!", VISITS FM!

Last year one of the most memorable books of  the OLA Forest of Reading 2011 that we enjoyed here at FM was "C'mere, Boy!".

On Thursday, June 7th, Florence Meares had the pleasure of a visit from Sharon Jennings.  Our Kindergarten to Grade 4 students had a wonderful time hearing Sharon share her experiences as an author and some of the many stories she has written.

Right after 1st Nutrition Break our Kindergarten students had a chance to hear Sharon read "C'mere, Boy!"  It was super exciting to hear from a real live author.

Our Grade 1 to 4 students heard Sharon present in the Library.  It was amazing to hear that Sharon has ghost-written many Franklin books.

Thank you so much for visiting our school Sharon.  You are a very talented author and we love your stories.

SHELLEY SAUNDERS, AUTHOR OF "RACHEL'S SECRET", VISITS FM!

On Wednesday, May 23rd, Shelley Saunders visited Florence Meares.  What a wonderful visit it was and our Grade 5 to 8 students were rivited to Shelley's story.  Shelley shared about her experiences as a new author, inspiration from her grandmother, and Jewish persecution in turn of the century Russia.  Thank you so much for your visit Shelley!

STANLEY CUP FINAL HERE WE COME!!

Here at Florence Meares our school community is filled with many hockey fans.  As you can imagine the FM Library is filled with many books on the subject of hockey.  I was even able to make a display of some of our favourite hockey books to mark the start of the Stanley Cup Playoffs!

In honour of the Stanley Cup final we have been reading a number of hockey books.  Last week I had the chance to share "Clancy With The Puck" with our Kindergarten friends.  Clancy is a very skilled hockey player and is acquired by the Hogtown Maple Buds.  With Clancy's help, the Maple Buds make it to the Stanley Cup final.  Will the Maple Buds win it all?  Will Clancy score when his team needs it most?  We sure had fun guessing the outcome.

ONLINE BOOKS AT THE FM LIBRARY

At Florence Meares we have a multitude of reading resources at our fingertips.  One of the most exciting resources is BookFlix by Scholastic.

Recently, I had the opportunity to share the following books, through BookFlix, with our Kindergarten to Grade 4 students:  Inch by Inch by Leo Lionni (Kindergarten), Planting a Rainbow by Lois Ehlert (Gr. 1), The Curious Garden by Peter Brown (Gr. 2), and Miss Rumphius by Barbara Cooney (Gr. 3 & Gr. 4).

BookFlix, puts books in unique categories.  Books are then put in pairs:  one fiction book along with one non-fiction book.  Text is displayed and highlighted, as the fiction books are read, to help younger readers following along.  Email Mr. C if you need login information for home.  Recently, BookFlix has been licensed for use in all publicly funded schools in Ontario.

For more information check out the Ontario Software Acquisition Program Advisory Committee website.

For more Online Books to explore, be sure to check out the "Find a Book" Section of our FM Library website.  If you have any questions please send Mr. C an email.  Happy reading everyone :-)

SMALL SAUL

Nominated for a 2012 OLA Blue Spruce Award, our Primary students have been loving this book about Pirate antics on the high seas.  At the start of the story we are introduced to Small Saul who is too small to join the Navy.  Pirates, not being so picky, welcome Small Saul aboard.  If you like Pirates you'll love "Small Saul" by Ashley Spires.  Small Saul is an inspirational story that reminds the reader that differences need to be celebrated and not thrown overboard.

MY PRIVACY AND ME

Every year, the Privacy Commissioner of Canada hosts a contest where you have to create a video about online safety and privacy. This year students from FM entered the contest for the first time and created amazing videos. These videos covered a variety of topics including privacy, mobile devices, gaming, and social networking. After watching all the videos and voting to decide which ones to enter in the contest, we ended up with four great submissions to send in.

By Katherine

You can have a look at our submissions here:  My Privacy and Me!

If you are interested in entering the contest check out the Privacy Comissioner's website here:

My Privacy and Me Contest!

IS YOUR BUFFALO READY FOR KINDERGARTEN?

Buffaloes are big, hairy and clumsy. You think that a buffalo wouldn't belong in a Kindergarten class. Our Kindergarten students learned that buffaloes are good for many things including hide and seek. Even though we come in many shapes and sizes, everyone has a place in Kindergarten. Don't miss this awesome book with a fantastic message.

We can be afraid of many things in life: sharks, snakes, elevators . . . .

We had fun this week with Bob Shea's I'm a Shark. The Shark in this story is awesome and tough. However, our Kindergarten friends soon discovered that Mr. Shark was actually afraid of spiders! Good thing he lives in the ocean.

Check out I'm a Shark. It's awesome just like Mr. Shark.