|
A message from our President
|
Greetings to all with news of a very busy Fall with many completed projects and several awards which have come our way. Our first distributions have been held at all of our sites with reports of many exciting and innovative activities which accompanied the book selection by the children.
>
Students could hardly wait for RIF to happen. Due to scheduling, our distribution spread over a two week time
frame. During their library class, students were able to select their books. As the students entered the library, they saw "orange, orange, orange" because orange paper was used for the puzzle packets each student received.
Prior to the event, "top secret" envelopes and clues were placed on the school walls to peak students' curiosity before the distribution days. On the two "mystery RIF" days, three Detective Captains (teachers) went to each classroom and told students that we needed their help solving a mystery.
The students were all practicing architects at our first RIF of the school year. We focused on architecture and engineering. The library was transformed into nine mini construction sites.
Winter 2008 Newsletter
Barcroft
"Thankful for Books "
It was a dark and stormy day, but inside our library, every tabletop was bright with new books for our RIF distribution on November 15th. To support our theme, students prepared a hallway display advertising RIF Day and the many genres of books available.
During library classes the week preceding the distribution, students discussed genres, previewed some of the RIF choices, and placed their names on the display under the genre that interested them most.
At the close of the school day, the sun was shining and 330 students were beaming with new books.
South County Health Center
"Books and Bears"
Books and Bears" was the theme for our Book party on October 15, 2007. In addition to selecting RIF books, children listened to bear stories, songs and raps. They made paper bag bear puppets and colored RIF posters.
Our new bilingual English/Spanish stories were especially popular. RIF publications in Spanish were useful as volunteers spoke with parents about the importance of reading to their young children.
Refreshments included bear crackers and apple juice.
Tucker Elementary School
"Room to Read with RIF@Tucker"
This year our school is combining two great programs that promote the love of reading and the joy of owning books - Reading is Fundamental (RIF) and Room to Read.
Tucker students will share the joy of reading with their reading buddies at Tucker and through the Room to Read program with children in India. Room to Read partners with local communities throughout the developing world to establish schools and libraries.
On RIF day, students spent the first half hour of the morning reading with each other in their Reading Buddy class and then chose a RIF book to keep.
This year's theme is India. Students will learn about India and each RIF day, a different aspect of the Indian culture will be featured.
For our first RIF distribution on October 26th, the Mini-auditorium was decorated with posters showing the countryside and people of India. Indian dresses and musical instruments were on display. Indian music played while the students selected their RIF book.
Thanks to parent volunteers Abbie Freeman, Petra Jenkins, Tara McIlwain, Derek Smith, Robin Smith, Fran Lucente and Stephanie Scharnweber who replenished the tables of RIF books and kept the day going smoothly, and Schree Pillai who shared so many beautiful items and posters from India.
Our students had a wonderful taste of India, found a book that was just right for them and raised $200.00 to ensure that children in India would have good books to read, too.
John Adams Elementary
"Give Thanks for Books"
Our RIF distribution was held on Monday and Tuesday, November 19th and 20th in the library. As part of the event, children wrote poems about being thankful. The teacher of each class then chose one student's poem as the "best in class" and that student received an additional book as prize for their efforts.
We talked about the different ways we use reading in our lives, besides just reading books. The students recognized that they read signs, menus, newspapers, magazines, and games, making reading a FUNdamental part of their lives.
Students were so excited about being able to choose their own book. Some even picked out a book they could read to a younger sibling. Having the event right before the Thanksgiving break afforded the kids time to enjoy their selection over the holiday weekend.
Bel Aire Elementary
"Winter Holidays Around the World"
On our RIF day, our students were given a brief description of Christmas, Diwali, Hanukkah, Kwanzaa, and Ramadan. They were shown where the holidays began on a world map and objects used during the celebrations. Students were given an opportunity to share how they celebrate.
After students selected their books, they made an activity booklet to take home. Kindergarten, first and second graders put together a coloring book (one page for each holiday) and then added a front Cover with the names of the holidays.
Third, fourth and fifth graders put together a puzzle booklet with word puzzles for each holiday.
Randolph Elementary
"Children's Book Week"
Our first RIF book distribution for the 2007-08 school year was on the morning on November 14th. Our theme was "Children's Book Week." Teachers at Randolph Elementary were encouraged to read their favorite children's book to their class.
All children were excited to get books they are sure to enjoy. Popular selections included the Magic Tree House books, Junie B. Jones, and lovely picture books. A parent volunteer was on-hand to discuss book choices with children. RIF book distributions always bring an air of excitement, and our first book distribution of the year was no exception!
|
|
Swan's Creek Elementary
"Wild West"
Howdy Partner! A "Rootin-Tootin" good time was had by all at our RIF distribution on October 2nd and 3rd. We had a cowboy/cowgirl theme of the wild west. Our story room was decorated with giant cactus and huge banners. We put up "Readers Wanted Posters." We even had silly cowboy poetry posted on the walls.
We dressed the part in our cowboy hats, boots and bandanas. When 625 buckaroos arrived they were excited and eager to choose a RIF book.
After books were selected, the cowpoke could choose wild west bookmarks, crossword puzzles, word searches, color pages and mazes.
In the end, we rounded up those buckaroos and headed them back to class to enjoy their new books
Key School
"Get Fired Up for Reading"
Get Fired Up For Reading was the theme of our first RIF distribution. Clifford, the Big Red Dog, visited Key School in the morning. He was a huge success at his yearly appearance. In honor of National Children's Book Week, students wrote the titles of books they read that week on a dragon scale. All scales contributed to a very long dragon.
All the children enjoyed coming to the library to choose a book. They also received a Get Fired Up For Reading bookmark. We had wonderful parent volunteers who worked together as Clifford and Clifford's helper. Parents also directed children in the library, stamped books, and wrote names in books for the younger children.
Graham Road Elementary
"Falling for a Good Book"
Our first RIF distribution was held late in August. The students all were very excited that RIF came so early in the new school year. Our theme was "Falling for a Good Book."
We decided to do our distributions as early as possible so we would not run into problems like snow! (Last year we rescheduled at least four times before we could get our second distribution done.)
Different colored leaves were cut with the Ellison Press and students wrote the title of their book they had chosen on the leaves. The leaves were placed on a bulletin board near the library. By displaying the leaves, the students were able to see what other students were reading.
George Mason Elementary
"Sharing A Good Book"
Retired George Mason teacher, Pam Walhup, was the guest reader for grades 2 and 3. Although she prepared to read several books, she saw "More Thank Anything Else" written by Marie Bradby on one of the distribution tables and decided to share the book with the students. Mrs. Walhup explained to the students that she had taught with the author's sister at another school in Alexandria.
The subject matter was not appropriate since it was about Booker T. Washington who wanted to read "more than anything else."
Other teachers, including the RIF liaisons, read to other grade levels.
Yorkshire Elementary
"Reading with Johnny Appleseed"
The first RIF distribution was held on November 19th and 20th in the school library. The theme for this first distribution was "Reading with Johnny Appleseed". A sign was hung in the hallway outside the library and a six foot graph was placed on the hallway wall to increase anticipation of what was going to happen. The book tables were decorated with large baskets of apples.
On the first day, distribution was for grades K-2. A story "the History of Johnny Appleseed" was read to them after which they went to choose their books.
On the second day, the distribution was for grades 3-5. Students put on a Reader's Theater production of Johnny Appleseed with students reading different parts. They selected their books and then sat down on the large carpet where they were given a cup containing wedges of 3 kinds of apples: Granny Smith, Cortland, and Red Delicious. They were to taste all three kinds of apples to decide which they liked the best. They chose a small die-cut apple representing their favorite apple...green for Granny Smith, yellow for Cortland and red for Red Delicious. After making their selection they took their die cut apple out to the hallway where they glued it on the graph next to the color of their favorite apple. At the end of the second day, our principal announced the Yorkshire's favorite apple was the Granny Smith followed by the Red Delicious and then the Cortland.
Not only did this distribution provide a reading activity but a math activity as well. At the beginning of the second day, the second grade classes had already circled groups of 10 apples on the graph; the kindergarten classes looked at the chart to determine which apple had the most; the third grade classes did math problems involving "how many more Granny Smith apples were there than Red Delicious?" The upper grades counted each kind of apples and based on the number of students who registered their votes, they determined the percentages of each type of apple.
The activities were very successful and were well received by the students.
Recognition needs to be extended to Wegmans who gave a $50.00 gift card to purchase apples and to Costco of Sterling who provided all the rest of the apples needed for this activity, a value of $65.00. We need to patronize these establishments who support education and RIF.
See you next time!
