Beecher Feature

September brings our first glimpse a break in the heat and humidity and boy are we ready! Decatur Central is in full swing and things are moving fast. The library media center saw plenty of action over the past several weeks, with more learning and fun on the horizon. Read on to learn more about the following:

• National Banned Book Week
• Update: BreakoutEDU
• MC highlights
• Campus Passes
• Book & Bake Club

Banned Book Week is an annual event, launched in 1982, that celebrates the right to read. The event is typically held the last week of September and highlights the value of free and open access to information.

Books have been banned or challenged for decades. It is nothing new. Reasons reading material has been banned or challenged vary depending upon the person reading and their intent. It is interesting to note that the content some find objectionable in reading material is not as harmful when viewed on television, social media platforms, or the box office.

When exploring pleasure reading options for oneself, consider the following advice:

• Seek guidance from someone in the know - Do you know someone who loves to read? Ask! Need ideas? How about your friendly neighborhood school or public librarian? (see what I did there?)
• Read reviews when available - Yep, older readers (high school and up) can take on that responsibility, too.
• Have an open mind - Assume good intentions. Writers are not out to harm but instead they aim for some combination of entertainment, education/enlightenment, and self expression. Not all reading material will be to your liking or align with your moral code. If that is the case....
• Close the book - When reading something that makes you uncomfortable or that you find offensive, close the book and find something else to read.
• Partner read - Read books with friends and family. When families read together, it opens doors for great conversation, connection, and can potentially affirm family value systems already in place.

The media center has purchased 10 more BreakoutEDU kits for teachers to use to create engaging lessons that will inspire students to be active participants in their own learning!

Plus....(yep, it gets better!) instead of 5 BreakoutEDU platform licenses, we now have 30! Now more teachers may take a deeper dive to explore ways to engage students, support critical thinking, and collaboration as content standards are addressed.

Keep reading to learn the What, Why, and How!

Take a look below to learn more about (or refresh your memory!) the BreakoutEDU platform and kits. The platform has been updated so even you veterans will notice the difference. You'll also see the opportunity to create classes. Breakout EDU classes allow you to enable the Lock of the Day, assign digital games to your students, and view game results. Students enrolled in a Breakout EDU class also have access to the Game Design Studio, where they can design their own digital Breakouts. I'll bet we have fun learning about this together!

Breakout Boxes are for learners of all ages! Would you like to offer a team building activity for your SLC? This is perfect! Would you like to create an engaging, inquiry based lesson for your 9th grade biology class? Look no further! Interested in facilitating a lesson about the Cold War that involves critical thinking, communication, and problem solving? How about an algebra class lesson involving the students in solving word problems to earn keys and clues? This is it!

Our non-traditional book club continues to evolve and boy is it fun (and tasty!). Our most recent session was September 15 and the theme was historical fiction. The food connection? Good ol' fashioned pie. Not just any pie, but an old recipe from Mrs. Beecher's grandmother called chess pie. Similar to the state pie of Indiana, sugar cream pie, chess pie uses common, everyday ingredients typically found in most homes. The slight twist is the addition of cornmeal which provides texture enhancement to the pie. Lemon also brightens up what would otherwise be a one note flavor profile.

Attendees who were comfortable in sharing talked about a favorite historical fiction novel they have read and how it impacted them. Time periods and settings were also discussed. Students received book recommendations from fellow readers and took some time to explore historical fiction titles to read in the future. After our book shares, we talked about old fashioned recipes and how to make magic with simple, easy to find ingredients. Instead of following a recipe, we used a ratio to make our pie dough. Yes, this involves math. Math!! Reading, baking, and math....how about that?? The common ratio for the perfect pie dough is 3:2:1 (flour, fat, water). Our members always receive notes and pictures a few days following our sessions so that they can try their new skills at home!

As we continue to adjust to our new block schedule, teachers and students are finding that library time is a key part of their day. At any given moment, we can go from 5 students to 50 and back again. No matter how many humans are using the space at a particular time, know that your library media center team is constantly working on upcoming projects, displays, programing, and logistics to keep our patrons learning! Planned activities or spur of the moment ideas come to life in the school library.

"My teacher said I can just go...that I didn't need a pass."

(ahem....nope, I doubt that.)

"I really did check in with my teacher this morning!"

(That's great, but it is now 2:00pm and you need a pass from your current teacher, not the one you had this morning."

"There is a sub and the sub told me to just go."

(I'll have a chat with the sub. You can go with me. Shall we?......Hey, where are you going?)

"My WIFI is down and so I can't check in on the barcode at my table but really, my teacher knows I am here."

(Huh....interesting. I literally just watched you make a video and upload it to TikTok. It's a WIFI miracle.)

Does any of the above sound familiar? We are sure you get your fair share of this, too! Let's take a moment to clarify a few things shall we?

• Students need a pass from their current block teacher to go anywhere in the building, for any reason.
• No student should have a "free" period. Student assistants, students in Learning Center, and students in Credit Recovery are not "free" - they are on a roster and need to obtain a written pass from that adult to go somewhere in the building no matte the reason.
• As of Thursday September 15, students from Learning Center need a pass to leave Learning Center. So, if they wish to visit the library during their Learning Center block, they must stop by the library during passing period to pick up a library pass to deliver to Mr. Maynard.
• Who are you sending? We need to know, so please include the name of the student on the pass.
• Want to know if your student arrived and when? You can check the sign in sheet found here.