Photos of signs

 This is one section of signs.  The ones in white I redid in red and they stand out much better and actually go with the rest of the signs.

This is the rest of the non-fiction section. I really like these signs!

Library Signs

   Recently I purchased new Dewey Decimal signs for the middle school library.( from Demco) They are wordle( word cloud) designs so look modern .The signs are  much more sophisticated than the one ones that had been hanging there for many years according to my library assistant,  
     I needed a few more and did try to do a wordle  but they came out way to busy and hard to read. So I just made a simple black text on white for the ones I needed. But now I am thinking of doing them over on read paper to make them pop against the wood and the other signs,  Demco's are black  and since our colors are red and black I think it would be great!

Accelerated Reading at the Middle School

  My Assistant Principal at the middle school ia former ELA Teacher . He is a proponent of The Accelerated Reading program and has gotten a plan for each student!  So now we are working on a program on how we will carry out and promote  it to the students and teachers.

   I surveyed the ELA teachers  to see  how they would like it used. I was surprised by the answers. The seventh  grade team wanted to use it as a reading motivation and did  not want it tied to grades.  ( like a reading reward program similar to my fall into reading challenge that I am currently doing)  The  8th grade team thought they might like it tied to the grades  but then changed their mind.

 So I think we are going to go with the reading motivation theme and it will be run though then library which  is logical and also helpful because then I will not have to do anymore challenges , just help keep track of the students who are doing the most AR!

  What do you do at your school ( especially Middle School) for accelerated Reading? Leave your ideas and comments below please!

Weekly Reading

    Every week , I pick at least one book to read from my middle school collection.Sometimes it's a brand new book, other times it's just one that catches my eye and I think looks good. I want to be able to recommend books to the students and also know whats in my collection.

   I am reading Phillipa Gregory's Changeling. Actually I had read it before , but now I am reading to determine if we should get the then next one in this series- I am thinking I already read the next one because I have read all of her books as they are interesting and a great read.

 Short summary: Luca ( age 17)  is recruited to record the end of times across
Europe. Isolde ( also 17)is trapped in a nunnery, following her dead fathers wishes.  Luca is sent to the nunnery to investigate some strange occurrence.

  

November Bulletin Board Ideas

           November  Bulletin Board Ideas:

   Elect to read!
   Children's Book Week,
   Don't be a turkey, Read!
   Be Thankful for great books.
   What are you Thankful for?
   Gobble up these  great books - turkey with book covers of book chosen by you or students
   Pick a winner- football theme

Photos of my desk

On the right- my daily planner book, my librarian notebook and manuals for my library circ programs. My basket is used to put important files and papers.That is my "To Do File"

Right hand side- my weekly files with projects I am working on, also meeting files, budget files, and  files used daily or weekly!

The whole thing - How I leave it almost every night!

For Librarians- my office desk

    On my desk there is are two file sorters because I do not have a file cabinet on my desk. These are  items use on a daily and weekly basis. Every thing else is in my file cabinet or will be in my file cabinet when I get my filing supplies.

    In the front of one file sorter I have my to do file.In that there are items that I need to work on . I also have a to file folder, and also a to read file which is full of items to read.
   Then I have several folders of  things I am working on . I really like to focus on one project at a time- I feel that is the best way to get tasks accomplished.  But there are a few things ( like my monthly report and my monthly newsletter that I work on a little at a time , staring in the middle of the month).

 So for right now  I have a book club folder- my first meeting was last week and I have two more this week. After that I will move that folder until I need it.  It  have a folder  with my budget work in it - because that is something that I will use until my money is spent.

 In another stack sorter, I have my plan book, my " important papers" note book and also printed manuals about my circ system and other items that I refer to on a daily basis.

  This keeps my desk clean and organized.  I know where everything is and I can pullout what I need when need itl