encouraging students to become competent 21st Century learners
November is National Native American Heritage Month and we are ready to celebrate in the Learning Commons. There are so many great books where native people are the main characters and they aren't all historical. That being said, there are also many books that misrepresent Native Americans. As a librarian I always try to stay... Continue Reading →
It's almost Halloween and that means it's almost time to dress up as something you've always wanted to be or wish you could be. I love coming up with creative costumes and this year thought it would be fun to try my hand at making some literary costume ideas! I picked some of the more... Continue Reading →
First I would love to give a huge THANK YOU to my library sub Ms. DiPietro. She did an amazing job taking control of the library while I was out on maternity leave. Which of course brings me to her wonderful idea of the Falcon Fall Reading Contest! Not only was the contest fun for... Continue Reading →
Thanksgiving FeastDo you know the real story behind Thanksgiving? Is it just about remembering the Pilgrims and Indians? Are we supposed to give thanks for what we have while remembering those who have less? Do we pray to God and reflect on our year? What about stuffing your face with Turkey, while watching football and... Continue Reading →
If you can read and write, then you can WIN PRIZES!There's only ELEVEN more days until the Falcon Fall Reading Contest 2012 officially ends. How many raffle tickets have you earned? Already, over 20 students have earned mini-prizes...will you be next? The GRAND PRIZE drawings for all grade groups will take place on Tuesday, Nov. 20,... Continue Reading →
Types of Books that Qualify for the Contest:Any book under the Science Fiction Genre (To check if the book falls under Science Fiction look up your book in Destiny Quest. Under “Narrow Your Search” click on “Genre.” If “Science Fiction” is listed then the book qualifies.)Any Mystery Genre bookAny Fiction books related to Fall or... Continue Reading →
Logging Onto Destiny Quest from Home 1. For quick access, click on this link: https://stphiliptheapostle.follettdestiny.com/common/welcome.jsp?context=saas20_04031742. Click on "St. Philip the Apostle School," which should take you to the Destiny Quest homepage. If unsure about whether or not you are on the correct page, click on "Quest Home."3. On the same panel you will see a... Continue Reading →
How do you sort your candy? Do you organize your candy by color, type, least favorite to favorite, or a different method altogether? Harriet's Halloween Candy by Nancy Carlson made second grade think about what they do with their Halloween candy after trick-or-treating. Sorting candy can be very challenging! Whether you share, hide, or eat... Continue Reading →
Pumpkin Hill gets great giggles from second grade. Author Elizabeth Spurr uses literary devices, including alliteration and rhyming, to put smiles on her readers' faces and give their tongues a work-out. The story starts with one pernicious pumpkin that grows "plump, plump and plumper" and ends with the reason for roasting salty seeds on Halloween. ... Continue Reading →
Well another book fair has come and gone. It is probably one of my favorite events. I just adore seeing children and parents getting excited over books. As part of the St. Philip's book fair tradition parents are given the opportunity to purchase books for the classrooms and library. I thought I would give a... Continue Reading →
I like to start every new school year by reading a book about libraries to the students. This year I choose The Library by Sarah Stewart. I am often discovering library books that I didn't know we had. This is one such book. After reading it I was charmed by the sweet and engaging pictures as... Continue Reading →
This Falcon's favorite season is the fall. Sometimes, living in Southern California can be a bit of a disappointed when it comes to the fall. I long to see trees changing color, pick fresh apples, and feel the nippy air. Unfortunately, there aren't that many trees that change color, you have to drive pretty far to pick apples,... Continue Reading →
The Falcon's Fables 