Toolkit

Andrea Sporre, School Librarian
Wiley H. Bates Middle School
Annapolis, Maryland
Michele L. Kuhar
School Librarian (Retired
Edwards Middle School
Brunswick, Ohio
Kay Wejrowski
Library Media Specialist
Swan Valley High School
Saginaw, Michigan
Partnering For Families
The support of the Bates Middle School PTA is incredible. This is my second year
as the school librarian at Bates, and I have never seen a more supportive parent
team. This year we held our 2nd Annual Family Book Club and partnered with the
PTA to get the word out and to get families reading together. In our first year we
chose Wonder by R. J. Palacio, and this year we chose Glory Be by Augusta Scattergood.
The PTA helped to purchase additional copies for our students and families.
In addition to supporting our family book club, the PTA funded our Read Across
Bates incentive prizes (over $200) and purchased thirty-two interactive e-books
(valued at over $700). Members of the PTA truly care about the school library
program.
Students Get the Word Out
Joseph belongs to our award-winning educational-access program, Brunswick
School News. He elected to feature the Edwards Middle School Book Club in written
articles and a live recorded interview. The article was published in our local
newspaper.
Holistic Collaboration
Our school, built in the 70s, is centered around the library, which was genius on
the part of the architect back then, whether he realized it or not. Our students
meet in the library in the morning, and many teachers pass through on their way
to classes, in the process checking out what’s new.
Annually, our library works with the entire school staff to create a literacy theme
that spans the curriculum, encourages reading, and fosters social responsibility.
This year’s theme is “Read for Peace—Work for Justice.” Industrial arts students are
building wooden chairs that students are painting with peace themes. The chairs will
be auctioned off, with the proceeds going to the Child Abuse and Neglect Council.
Students are reading Radioactive Boy Scout in chemistry, Touching Spirit Bear in
Freshmen Transition (supplemented by videoconferences with the author), Annie’s
Ghosts in psychology (Steve Luxenberg was here last week to talk to students), and
working with author/artist Wendy Halperin on peace themes. Other classes are also
reading related books, such as How Do You Kill 11 Million People in world history
and Crazy Love in family relations, and learning about peacemakers in the world. A
year ago, we dealt with racial issues. We read Arc of Justice, among other books, and
spent the spring working on Habitat for Humanity houses in Saginaw.
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