Life in the Library:

As always, our goal is to help the students become more familiar with every aspect of the library.  This includes: using our new on-line library catalog, Destiny; achieving Reading Counts goals; being able to find books with call numbers; book care; and library manners.

Students enjoy listening to a story, performing Reader’s Theaters and discussing the books they are reading.  This year as we “book talk,” we will concentrate on the positive character traits of the heroes and heroines. By looking at the hard decisions the characters make, the problems they have to solve and the disappointments they face, the readers will discover the special qualities their book characters possess.

We encourage parents to take an interest in the books their children are reading.  This provides the opportunity to ensure that the reading level and content of the books match the student's abilities and maturity level. 

 Accomplishments from the 2nd Trimester:

1.  Since the bookfair, students and teachers are enjoying the books that were donated to our library (66) and to our classrooms (48) by families and friends.  Three inner-city Catholic schools are also enjoying hundreds of books they were able to purchase with the $3000 our library donated  from the proceeds of our book fair.

2.  Arapahoe public librarian, Pam Grover, visited our school for the second time this year.  This time she visited with our 6th graders, talked about new books and shared information about the Arapahoe public library's resources. 

3.  Stuudents have far surpassed our goals for Reading Counts this year.  Our goal for the end of the second trimester was 80 million words.  We finished the trimester with over 113 million words read. 

4.  We have worked all year to prepare for the 2008 CCBA student voting.  STM students chose Arnie the Doughnut for the picture book of the year.  The Miraculous Journey of Edward Tulane and  Junie B. First Grader, Aloha-ha-ha tied for the chapter book winners.  The actual winners of the award were Arnie the Doughnut and  A Dog's Life: Autobiography of Stray.

5.  Students read and then nominated newly published books for the 2009 CCBA list.  The picture book and chapter book with the highest votes was awarded the first annual Lioncott and Lionbery awards.  The winners this year are Who is Melvin Bubble? by Nick Bruel and The Report Card by  Andrew Clements.