Lois Petersen Becomes Life - Alaska Library Association

South Central Report
by Lynn Mamara
I sent out a request to SouthCentral librarians asking for updates and boy, are things hopping in Anchorage and the Valley!
MAT-SU:
COLONY MIDDLE, by Robin Turk:
The databases that we started last
year are in the budget for next year
demonstrating a welcome commitment
by the district to provide quality
resources for students. We are
also piloting Promethean interactive
whiteboards in six libraries. This
pilot project was developed to help
libraries develop instructional strategies
for teaching and using the databases,
promoting collaboration with
teachers and to serve as a model for
technology in the school. The board
at CMS is now up and running, so
my learning curve is just starting.
One other teacher in the school also
received a board and her students
are the experts!
TANAINA LIBRARY, by Diane Firmani:
Our library is gearing up for its upcoming
Scholastic Book Fair, Camp
Read-A-Book. The library will be
EAST HIGH SCHOOL, by Faith Johnson:
Students and staff participated in
East Library’s second annual Dr.
Seuss birthday book donation. This
year 356 gently used books were
collected and donated to Covenant
House and AWAIC Shelter. Last year
over 320 books were donated to the
three children’s wards of Anchorage’s
local hospitals. From April 10
to April 17, East High School Library
is sponsoring a public library card
registration drive. Working with the
Muldoon branch of Anchorage Municipal
Libraries, the staff of East’s
library hope to have more than 200
students register for a public library
card.
MULDOON ELEMENTARY, by Maureen
Retzel: The kindergartners are discovering
the differences between real
and pretend stories, and were re-
p. 10
magically transformed into a camp
setting complete with tents, a cozy
campfire and a nine-foot bear hungry
for a S’More! The Spring Book Fair
is always a gala event at Tanaina.
So grab your hiking boots and head
on over for s’more fun than you can
shake a (marshmallow) stick at!
WILLOW ELEMENTARY, by Sheryl Heikes:
Our students are busy reading their
favorite books and taking quizzes
on Scholastic Reading Counts. They
are accumulating points as they
pass tests on the books and will earn
ribbons at the quarterly awards assembly.
This program has made a
tremendous difference on the reading
practice among our students. They
feel good about their accomplishments
and are enthusiastic about the
discoveries they make when they
read something new!
cently introduced to Folk Tales. First
and Second graders are focusing on
dictionary skills with ants inspiring
their study of the use of guide words.
Third and Fourth graders are “I-Spying”
Nonfiction features and learning
how these features help them read
and understand NF writing. Fifth
and Sixth graders are learning about
Internet safety. The Library collaborated
with the UAA Assistant Athletic
Director to coordinate a schoolwide
visit with UAA Seawolves. On
March 31st, 28 athletes representing
the UAA Hockey, Basketball, Volleyball,
Ski and Track teams read and
visited with Muldoon students. Our
classrooms and hallways were filled
with green-clad UAA giants bursting
with enthusiasm for reading and life.
It was an inspiring experience!
MEADOW LAKES ELEMENTARY, by Katie
Conover: “Here are just a few things
that we’re doing in the LMC, besides
being a good partner to staff and students.
Monthly family activities with
a focus on literacy: Donuts for Dads,
Muffins for Moms, Reading Rodeo,
Camp Read-A-Lot, & Poetry Café.
Assemblies and Programs: Alaska
Aces (hockey) Skate Into Reading,
Rosie Around the World, Red Hat
Readers, Local Heros (high school
students) Reading Is Fundamental:
Dr. Seuss’s Green Eggs and Ham,
Curious George Celebration, Poetry
Power. Katie’s goal is to develop
sense of community by encouraging
family involvement (hence the family
events), providing
students with good role
models (assemblies)
and support at home
reading (RIF).
ANCHORAGE: (CONT. ON PAGE 11)
DENALI MONTESSORI, by Linda Kumin:
Students completed their IditaREAD
on March 16th. They read a book per
mile for the whole school and made
it to Nome (before Jeff King) and
back to Golovin! 1,442 books were
read from March 4th to March 16th.
The library was open for the Saturday
Iditarod start as our readers
cheered the mushers along Cordova
Street, they also started reading their
way to Nome.
URSA MAJOR ELEMENTARY,
by Sharon Jones: Students in the 5th
& 6th grades are coming into the
library for book discussions during
lunch. Each group decides which
series they would like to explore. So
far, we have had discussions on Spiderwick
and Redwall. Guardians of
G’Hoole and the Chronicles of Narnia
are next.
The Puffin, Spring 2006 v25, #3