New North Beach Website

I should be starting this entry by saying "Welcome Back!" But that would have been appropriate in September when I had intended to start up with blog postings again! Despite my good intentions, I have not yet posted this year and the primary reason for this is that my time has been devoted to helping to get our new school website up and running as well as training and helping teachers set up their new web pages on that site. I have come to the conclusion that with keeping up with announcements and updates on the North Beach site, updating the library page as well as posting files on my "classroom" page, it might be too optimistic to also do an adequate job of maintaining a separate blog. But I like the formatting of this blog, and the fact that you don't need a password to see my postings (you will on the North Beach staff pages). So I am going to keep this live for now and see if once things calm down I can get back to posting here. In the meantime, there are lots of files and how-tos on accessing our library resources on the library classroom page. If you're wondering how to access Pebble-Go, Type to Learn, or district supported databases from home, you'll find everything you need there.
North Beach's new website: http://northbeaches.seattleschools.org
The Library page on North Beach
My staff page: http://mclane.northbeaches.seattleschools.org

The deadline is almost here...

PLEASE MAKE YOUR DONATION BEFORE JUNE 7th!

The North Beach library still needs $700 to reach our goal.

Please consider making a donation today – it’s fast and simple.

Just go to http://www.funds4books.com/fundraiser.aspx?pincode=9aa5

You can also make an offline donation by using this form.

HOW IS MY DONATION USED?

For every $20 donated, we can purchase a new book or eBook for the library, ready to be checked out.

Most importantly, 100% of your donation goes to the library. Yes, every single penny of your donation will help fund new library materials for our students.

All the students and staff at North Beach will benefit from the additions made to the collection from the proceeds of this fundraiser. Thank you for your help!

If you have questions, please contact Kristine McLane, librarian, at kemclane@seattleschools.org or at 252-1527. 

Offline Donations for Funds4Books

If you would like to contribute to the Funds4Books Fundraiser but prefer not to make an online donation, please print off this form and send it to school with a check made out to "Funds4Books".  Thank you!

Support the North Beach Elementary Library!

Starting today and running through June 7th, the library is having a Funds4Books fundraiser through Mackin Books.  100% of all Funds4Books donations goes directly to the acquisition of new materials for the North Beach Library!

With the proceeds of this fundraiser, the library will add a selection of eBooks that support K-5 Science curriculum topics, 2nd-5th grade Social Studies topics, and titles that are often in high demand and have long waiting lists.

In addition, we are hoping to raise enough funds to acquire the print versions of the 2012 Washington Children's Choice and Sasquatch Award nominated titles.  All students K-3 participate in the Washington Children's Choice Award and are introduced to 20 outstanding recently published books.  The Sasquatch Award is voluntary for 3rd-5th grade students and this year 42 of our intermediate students participated in reading the nominees and voting for their favorite title. 

You can support this effort by going directly to http://www.funds4books.com/fundraiser.aspx?pincode=9aa5 .  If you have any questions, please contact Kristine McLane in the library at kemclane@seattleschools.org . Thank you!

2011 Sasquatch Award Statewide Results

North Beach students loved Knucklehead by Jon Scieszka, but the voters around the state disagreed and have selected Found by Margaret Peterson Haddix as this year's Sasquatch Award winner.  Thanks to all of the students who participated! 

Science Fair support

Recently, I've shared some online resources with all 4th and 5th graders that may be helpful for them in preparing their science fair projects.  The Grolier online reference suite includes the New Book of Popular Science, which has links to science fair project ideas, website links to science topics, and general background reference information.  The WorldBook Kids online has a variety of science fair project ideas available on the opening page of the database.  Both of these resources can be accessed via the Source or by going to http://www.seattleschools.org/area/library/stuindex.xml .  If you have trouble logging in, please contact me at kemclane@seattleschools.org.

2011 Sasquatch Award Results

North Beach First Place

3rd, 4th and 5th grade students also had the opportunity to participate in the Sasquatch Award. The top choice this year at North Beach was the memoir Knucklehead, by Jon Scieszka. Students enjoyed learning about the crazy antics this well-known author recounted about growing up in a large family in Michigan. In second place there was a tie between the science fiction thriller Found by Margaret Peterson Haddix and The Magic Half, a fantasy by Ivy and Bean author Annie Barrows. The statewide results should be announced later in April. Thanks to all students who participated!

2011 Washington Children's Choice Award

First Place at North Beach!

The results are in! All K-3 students voted for their favorite book nominated for the Washington Children's Choice Picture Book Award. In first place was Nubs: The True Story of a Mutt, a Marine & a Miracle. Students were touched by this non-fiction account of an amazing dog encountered by a marine while on deployment in Iraq. More information on Nubs can be found here. In second place was Those Darn Squirrels, a humorous tale of a lonely old man who battles against the squirrels who claim all of the food he leaves for the birds he is trying to coax into staying for the winter. In third place, students selected Let's Do Nothing, about Frankie and Sal, a couple of boys who learn that "doing nothing" may not be as easy as it seems.

Updated Keyboarding Program Available!

Thanks to support from the North Beach PTA, North Beach has just acquired a new keyboarding program that is accessible from home. Here are directions for accessing Type to Learn 4 from home:

1.     Go to http://ttl4.sunburst.com/downloads/ and follow directions for downloading the Type to Learn 4 Web FULL VERSION for your operating program (Mac or Windows).

2.    Once the program is loaded, enter the following information:

a.    Username:  firstinitiallastname (example:  Kristine McLane would be kmclane; RJ Sammons would be rsammons.)

b.    Password:  welcome

c.    Account Code:  Please email me at kemclane@seattleschools.org to receive the account code. 

Database available through the Seattle Public Library

Recently I shared Bookflix with K-2nd grade students.  This is a wonderful database that pairs fiction books with  non-fiction books.  It is available to you with a public library card. To access this resource, go to  the SPL website and select Bookflix, then enter your library card number and enjoy!

I’ve received several requests from parents on how to access our library resources from home, so I thought the following information might be useful to provide again. We have subscriptions to a variety of databases that are available through the district. All of these can be accessed here. If you are logged into The Source, click on Resources and password information is provided there. I am also happy to provide this information to you via email if you are having problems with access. Our subscription to PebbleGo, which is provided by the school, is up and running and can be accessed either through the North Beach Library Catalog visual search function, or by going directly to the database. Finally, if you would like to have access to downloadable audiobooks through NetLibrary, please email me at kemclane@seattleschools.org and I will set up an account for you, or come into the library and I can assist you with setting up an account.

Washington Children' Choice Update

We are about two-thirds of the way through the list of books nominated for the

Washington Children's Choice Award.  All K-3 Students will be voting at the end of March on their favorite book.  Recently we read Ron's Big Mission, a fictionalized account of an incident that occurred in future Challenger astronaut Ron McNair's childhood.  At the age of 9, when African-Americans were not allowed to check out books from the local public library in Lake City, South Carolina, McNair refused to leave the library until he was allowed to check out the books on advanced scientific topics that he was interested in.  While Ron's Big Mission doesn't dig deeply into the issues of segregation in the 1950s, it presents the topic in a manner that's accessible for young students. And the students who were close to the age McNair was at that time were able to appreciate the courage and self-confidence he must have possessed to engage in this act of civil disobedience.  I was not aware of this story prior to reading Ron's Big Mission, but I read more about Dr. McNair after reading the book, and he was an amazing, inspirational person who is now revered in his hometown.  Last week, on the 25th anniversary of the Challenger disaster, there were several news stories about him.  I enjoyed this one, about how the library that refused to provide service to African Americans when McNair was a child has been restored and reopened as the Dr. Ronald E. McNair Life History Center to honor this exceptional American hero.

Award winning author/storyteller Margaret Read MacDonald visits North Beach

I'm really excited that we will have the opportunity next month to host Margaret Read MacDonald at North Beach. She will be at the school all day on March 1st and will meet with all classes. Then she will be joining us at our Multicultural Potluck on the evening of March 2nd. Dr. MacDonald is an award-winning folklorist who has published dozens of books featuring tales from around the world. In preparation for her visit, we will be reading her books as well as other folktales, discussing different types of folktales, their origins, and the similarities among stories from different areas of the world. We started out last week reading Mabela the Clever, a tale from the Limba people of Sierra Leone, The Squeaky Door, from Puerto Rico, and we wrapped up the week with a discussion of fables and a reading of Bat's Big Game. There will be a flyer sent home in the upcoming week with information on pre-ordering Dr. MacDonald's books from the Secret Garden Bookshop. The proceeds from the sale of books in conjunction with our author visit will benefit the North Beach Library.

Help needed in the library!

If you read the information from the library that was sent home with report cards, then you know that one of my goals for our students is to improve their abilities to find appropriate reading materials and to utilize the library catalog to find books they are interested in.  In order to be able to help them improve these skills, I am in desperate need of consistent help on Thursdays and Fridays when students are doing the bulk of circulation.  I would love to have 2, or even 3, parents available during all K-4 classes to assist students with checking books out, helping me check books in, helping students locate materials, and finally with shelving materials.  Because of our rotating schedule, classes come in one week on Thursday, and the following week on Friday for checkout.  If you are interested in helping out with your child's class (or with another grade if it works for your schedule!), or if you have questions, please contact Kristine McLane in the library at 252-1527, or at kemclane@seattleschools.org .  No library experience is necessary for this opportunity to help our students! I see each grade level at the following times:

9:35-10:05 2nd Grade
10:05-10:35 1st Grade
10:50-11:05 Kindergarten
12:40 - 1:10 - Room 5
1:10 - 1:40 - 3rd Grade
1:40-2:10 - 4th Grade

Thank you!!

2011 ALA Awards Announced!



2011 Newbery Medal Winner



Every January the American Library Association announces the top books for the prior year for children and young adults at its midwinter meeting.  The Caldecott Medal is given to outstanding illustrations and the Newbery Medal is give to the most outstanding contribution to children's literature.  The Coretta Scott King Award is given to African-American illustrators and authors for outstanding contributions to children's literature.  The Robert F. Sibert Medal is awarded for the most distinguished informational book for children.  Finally, the Theodor Seuss Geisel Medal is awarded to the most distinguished beginning reader book.  I have recently created an Amazon.com wish list for books that would improve the library collection at North Beach. Most of the books currently on the list are the 2011 ALA award winners.  A great way to honor a student's birthday or other special occasion would be to add one of these notable books to our library's collection!

Welcome Back!

We've been back in school for a little over a week now and I need to provide some updates on several items.  First, I'm thrilled to announce that the library's DonorsChoose grant was funded due to the generosity of people in our community and others who support literacy.  We will soon be receiving several dozen new books to add to our library collection as a result of this grant.


We jumped right into our winter MAP testing schedule when we returned to school last week.  All classes have completed the math assessments and tomorrow we begin the reading assessments.  Look for further information on accessing test scores coming via the Beachcomber or from your child's teacher!