End of Year Wrap-Up

Well, folks, that's about it for the 2015-2016 school year. It was my very first year here in North Andover, and I think we accomplished quite a bit. Across all five elementary schools, we:

• Reviewed what we already knew about libraries, and busted some "library myths"
• Went on a few scavenger hunts for information in our libraries
• Learned all about the parts of books (inside and out!)
• Sparked new knowledge of computers with the Hour of Code
• Discovered how to properly cite our sources and find quality information
• Explored the magical world of fairy tales
• Organized information with Google Docs & Slides
• Read and wrote amazing, incredible poetry
• Checked out Typing Club and other online resources

...and basically had the best time ever!

I'll be returning next year to North Andover (we're still looking for a few good library media specialists to join our team!) and I can't wait to expand on what we've already learned! In the meantime, I hope everyone has a safe and happy summer, and that everyone - that means you too, parents! - participates in Summer Reading! 

Summer @ The Stevens information, including information regarding
summer reading incentives, can be found here: 

Our school reading list is here: 

If you have any questions regarding summer reading, or would like personalized recommendation lists for your child, please feel free to contact me at ahearnc@northandoverpublicschools.com! 

Thank you, Library Detectives!

Summer Reading 2016!

Here's the official flyer for Summer Reading 2016 here in North Andover! A reminder - none of the titles listed are required, they're here to get kids thinking about what to choose this summer. Students can read whatever they like as long as they try to read at least 20 minutes every day. It's so important to keep those brains active over the summer! 

Click here, or on the image below, to download the list!

http://www.northandoverpublicschools.com/faculty/elementarylibrary/SummerReadingFlyer2016.pdf

NAPS and the "Hour of Code"

Have you heard about the Hour of Code initiative? It's a world-wide movement to attempt to get as many students as possible learning how to code, and it. is. AWESOME!

The idea is that kids spend one hour playing online games provided by Code.org that teach basic coding and computing skills - things like Javascript, commands, etc. These kinds of skills will be absolutely essential in the future, for almost any kind of job in any field. It's important that we give our students a leg-up on the tools they'll need to be successful as 21st century learners.

We have about 21 elementary-age classes across the district signed up to do the Hour of Code, with more being added every day. The great thing is, even though this week is the official Hour of Code Week, the tutorials are up all year round!

Is this something you can try at home? YES!

Head on over to code.org/learn to explore all the different tutorials! For K-2, we recommend starting with Lightbot  - it's a very basic game with easy-to-follow instructions. For the older grades, we're working either with the Star Wars or the Frozen games, which teach kids about commands and coding using drag-and-drop boxes (the way freshmen in college learn!).

We'll be attempting to bring more technology to the library program this year, and I hope part of that is that each student in the district has a chance to try a bit of coding for themselves!

Recommended Title: "The Book with No Pictures" by B.J. Novak

I'm sure many parents are already familiar with this completely amazing book, but just in case you aren't aware - The Book with No Pictures by B.J. Novak is a delightful read-aloud that kids in North Andover are going crazy for! In fact, could it be the best read-aloud book EVER?!

Click on the picture to see this title in the Stevens Memorial Library catalog!

In our discussions about the Parts of a Book with the younger grades (more on this in a later post!), we talk about the "rules of a story" - i.e. that reading means "saying all the words on the page". The Book With No Pictures is all about this concept, and "tricks" grown-ups into reading silly words, sounds, and songs out loud!

Although many kids have read it before, a couple of classes were introduced to this title for the first time this week, and one kindergartner's reaction sums up the experience:

"I'm laughing so much I have tears coming out of my eyeballs!"

I'm working on getting at least one copy of this title for every elementary library; in the meantime, visit Stevens (or another local library) and pick up a copy today!

Recommendation Snapshot:

Ideal Audience: Preschool - 3rd grade.

Ideal Time of Day for Sharing: Anytime BUT bedtime! It's too silly!

Worth Owning?: Yes, but the novelty factor of reading it for the first time is part of the appeal.

Parent Enjoyment Level: On a scale from 1-10, this is easily an 11.