Media Memos

Media Center Week of August 30, 2010

Orientations are now completed and each student has been given the access passwords for the Cobb Virtual Library.  Passwords were added to the inside page of each student's agenda.  If a student was absent on the day that passwords were issued, please stop by the media center for your current password.

I have been receiving numerous suggestions for titles to add to Lovinggood's collection.  Suggestions are welcomed from students, parents, and teachers.  I will be placing a book and video order soon.

Thanks to all who participated in the Scholastic Book Fair. There were lots of new and exciting titles including Release Day of Mockingjay by Suzanne Collins.  We were able to donate one copy of the book to Mrs. Lupo as a prize for her Hunger Games activity.  Look for added library copies in the coming weeks.

On Thursday, September 9, 2010 there will be an organizational meeting for students who are interested in participating on this year's Helen Ruffin Reading Bowl competition. Parents are invited to attend the 4:30 PM meeting with interested students.  Books, rules of the competition, and team expectations will be discussed. Students of all grade levels are encouraged to attend.

Summer Reading

When I was a middle school student, one of my favorite summer activites was pleasure reading. I would go to the library and read whatever I could before returning to school in August. Reading is still one of my favorite passtimes. Reading a good book can make me laugh out loud or cry from sadness. I still beleve that the "book" is always better than the "movie". (I still want to see the new Harry Potter movie before school starts.)

There are more than three week left of summer which means you still have plenty of time to complete your summer reading assignment. If you are stuck on what to choose, I have a few suggestions. If you like science fiction or fantasy check out my new web site ( http://stu.westga.edu/~rcrumle1/7467_final_rmc/default.html )for information and book suggestions. If you would like other suggestions you can email me from the link on the bottom right of this page. I check it daily.

The Georgia Children's Book Award nominees are also a good place to start.  Last year's winner has been a big hit at Lovinggood.  The sixth grade has centered their field day around The Lightening Thief by Rick Riordan for the last two years. The entire Percy Jackson series is very popular.

Enjoy the rest of your summer, and on one of these really hot Georgia days ..... READ!

Here is a list of the 2009-2010 nominees.

GEORGIA CHILDREN’S BOOK AWARD NOMINEES 2009-2010

ESPECIALLY FOR LOWER GRADES (4-5)

• Mills, Claudia (2006). TRADING PLACES. Farrar.

• Nitz, Kristen W. (2007). SAVING THE GRIFFIN. Peachtree.

ESPECIALLY FOR UPPER GRADES (7-8)

• Haddix, Margaret P. (2007). UPRISING. Simon & Schuster.

• Schmidt, Gary D (2007). THE WEDNESDAY WARS. Clarion.

POSSIBLY FOR ALL GRADES (4-8)

• Berlin, Eric (2007). THE PUZZLING WORLD OF WINSTON BREEN. Putnam.

• Blume, Lesley M. M. (2007). THE RISING STAR OF RUSTY NAIL. Knopf.

• Bruchac, Jospeh (2007). BEARWALKER. HarperCollins.

• Crowley, Suzanne (2007). THE VERY ORDERED EXISTENCE OF MERILEE

MARVELOUS. HarperCollins.

• Curtis, Christopher Paul (2007). ELIJAH OF BUXTON. Scholastic.

• Easton, Kelly (2007). HIROSHIMA DREAMS. Penguin.

• Fleishman, Sid (2008). THE ENTERTAINER AND THE DYBBUK. HarperCollins.

• Fogelin, Adrian (2007). THE SORTA SISTERS. Peachtree.

• Green, Tim (2007). FOOTBALL GENIUS. HarperCollins.

• Hahn, Mary D. (2007). DEEP AND DARK AND DANGEROUS. Houghton Mifflin.

• Lichtman, Wendy (2007). DO THE MATH: SECRETS, LIES AND ALGEBRA.

HarperCollins.

• O'Connor, Barbara (2008). GREETINGS FROM NOWHERE. Farrar.

• Porter, Tracey (2007). BILLY CREEKMORE. HarperCollins.

• Wilson, N.D. (2007). LEEPIKE RIDGE. Random House.

• Wolf, Joan M. (2007). SOMEONE NAMED EVA. Houghton Mifflin.

• Woodson, Jacqueline (2007). FEATHERS. Putnam.

Happy New Year

Welcome back to second semester.  We will shortly be recieving shipment of newly published titles.  Many of these new books have already won awards international, natioanal, and state awards.  Please come by for a preview next week.

I am very excited to announce the formation of new reading clubs for the young men of Lovinggood Middle School.  Several of our men teachers have volunteered to lead small group discussions of books chosen by group members.  The funding for these new groups has been funded by the thoughtful generosity of the Matthew Redd Family.  Student participants will be awarded a t-shirt after completion of one book. Books will be provided for each participant.  Additionally, several new titles suggested by the Redd Family will be added to the Media Center collection and a new informal sitting area will be also be added.

The Reading Team will begin competions on January 31, 2009.  many of these students have been practicing for this since last spring!  They have read the twenty nominated novels for the Georgia Children's Book Award.

"Check Out" These great Web Sites

If you are looking for a little help with differentiation or  just a little fun check out some of these web sites.

If you are a language arts teacher and like Edgar Allen Poe try out : knowingpoe.thinkport.org. For help dealing with those pesky copyright issues try http://www.frsd.k12.nj.us/jplmc/jpc_cite.htm or citation machine at http://citationmachine.net/. If you would like some online books check out these sites:

http://www.ucalgary.ca/~dkbrown/storclas.html 

http://www.classic-literature.co.uk/

http://kellscraft.com/textcontentssubjectlist.html#Childrens

http://www.awesomelibrary.org/Classroom/English/Literature/Elementary_Literature.html

http://www.infoplease.com/.

If you need a little help with writing or grammar try  this list of rerference materials :

For the math teachers and students these sites really add up to something good.

http://www.coolmath.com

www.mathwizz.com  

http://www.mathmastery.com/cyberchallenge/

http://math.about.com/library/blmathfacts.htm 

http://www.crpusd.org/goldridge/flashgames/Math%20Facts%20Game.swf (Great for Math Facts!)

If you are a game player, this site will measure up: villainyinc.thinkport.org

Now for some science sites:

ANIMAL WEBSITES

http://nationalzoo.si.edu/Animals/default.cfm

http://www.kbears.com/borrico/index.html

http://www.zooish.com/

http://www.pbs.org/wnet/nature/animalmind/

http://www.seaworld.org/AnimalBytes/animal_bytes.html

http://www.uen.org/utahlink/activities/view_activity.cgi?activity_id=3803

and physical science:

ENERGY

http://www.eia.doe.gov/kids/whatsenergy.html

http://www.energyquest.ca.gov/index.html

http://www.learner.org/exhibits/parkphysics/glossary.html

http://www.chem4kids.com/files/react_thermo.html

http://www.chem4kids.com/files/react_thermo.html

http://www.miamisci.org/af/sln/

Space:

www.earthfromspace.si.edu/online_exhibition.asp

For you eighth graders who are studing the state of Georgia, this website is full of useful information.

www.legis.state.ga.us/legis/2005_06/house/kids/elemen/elemindex.htm

Don't forget about the Cobb Virtual Library that is linked from the Lovinggood home page.  See Mrs. Crumley in the Media Center or your teacher for your passwords.

If these sites are just not enough.... the montly "Connected Newsletter" in the Media Ceter has new exemplary web sites every month. If you are at school, the Destiny web sites are awesome. Happy hunting and don't forget to give citations when using information from these wonderful sites.

Spring News

After several weeks of practice, the Lovinggood Literary Team placed first in the Cobb County Reading Bowl Competition.  These twelve students progressed to the regional competiton at West Georgia College. The students certainly represented LMS well and are already preparing for next year's competition.

Students who wish to participate in the 2007-2008 competition can begin reading now.  The books that have been chosen for next year are as follows:

1. The Report Card by Andrew Clements
2. Sheep by Valerie Hobbs
3. Isabella's Above-Ground Pool by Alice Mead
4. The Fairies of Nutfolk Wood by Barb Bentler Ullman
5. Bronx Masquerade by Nikki Grimes
6. Crossing the Wire by Will Hobbs
7. The Misfits by James Howe
8. Deliver Us From Normal by Kate Klise
9. Georgie's Moon by Chris Woodworth
10. Macaroni Boy by Katherine Ayers
11. The Extraordinary Adventures of Ordinary Boy by William Boniface
12. The Misadventures of Maude March by Audrey Couloumbis
13. The City of Ember by Jeanne Duprau
14. Flush by Carl Hiaasen
15. The Book of Story Beginnings by Kimberly K. Jones
16. Sand Dollar Summer by Kristin Kladstrup
17. Gossamer by Lois Lowry
18. The Wall and the Wing by Laura Ruby
19. Bella at Midnight by Diane Stanley
20. The Earth Dragon Awakes by Laurence Yep

Next year's Cobb County competition is tentatively scheduled for January 12, 2007 at Osborne High School.  Final competitor selections will be made by November 1.  The team will practice once a week before selections and twice a week thereafter until the week of competition.

Team members will write questions from each of the twenty books to help prepare for the competition.  During weekly practices the students will compete with each other for team positions.

If you are interested in becoming a part of this team, please speak to a media staff person.

November News

A special thank you to all of the volunteers who made the first Lovinggood Book Fair a success! Proceeds form the book fair will be used to create a friendly atmosphere in the media center for students and staff.

A new reading team will be forming during the next week.  Ten students will be selected to compete in the Helen Ruffin Reading Bowl. They will be asked to read selected books for rigorous competition.

The Cobb County competition will take place on February 3 at Osborn High.  The first and second place teams will continue on tho the Northern State regionals held in March. Students who are interested should contact Mrs. R. Crumley before Thanksgiving for the reading list.

Books chosen for the reading competition are the currently nominated Georgia Children's Book Award. The book's topics cover a wide range of genres.  Most of them are thought provoking and provide a student's perspective on historical events or current issues that are faced in daily life.

Recent Media Center News

What a busy time we have had in the Lovinggood Media Center.  Most of the language Arts classes and a few others have come for orientation and research.  It is very exciting to see so many students using the computers and checking out books.  The new computer system, Destiny, opens up may possibilities for pleasure reading and research.

New books will be added throughout the year.  Teachers, students and parents are encouraged to make suggestions for book purchases. Suggestions will be evaluated by the media staff and media committee.   This library belongs to all who go to school and work here and meeting the needs of the users is a top priority.

During the week of conferences (October 16-October 20), we will host a Scholastic Book Fair.  Scholastic provides high quality books for a wide range of readers and genres.  The fair will be open before and after school Monday to Friday.  We will close at 6:00 every day but Friday.  On Friday we will close at 3:30. Before or after your conference, please take time to view the book fair.

Just a reminder, students are welcome in the media center at any time with their agenda pass.  They may visit before school most days and after school with a prior arrangement. (See Mrs. R. Crumley .)  Students may use the computers but must have a copy of their assignment from the teacher.  Unsupervised use of the Internet is not allowed by Cobb County Board policy.  This is for the safety of the students.

I look forward to seeing you in the media center soon.

Welcome

Welcome to the Lovinggood Media Center Blog. The Media Staff at LMS includes Mrs. R. Crumley, media specialist,  Mrs. J. Crumley, media paraprofessional, and a host of parent and student volunteers.

Currently, there are over 9000 books and videos for instructionand and pleasure reading.  The magazine section has a comfortable and inviting sitting area with a wide variety of materials that is sure to appeal to students and staff. Students are welcome to come on a pass to check out books.

There will be thirty computer stations arriving in the near future.  They will be connected to the internet for student and staff use.

Come by during Open House for a quick tour.

Welcome

Welcome to Media Memos.