Pirate Cove Connection

Please use this newsletter to discover all the exciting literacy programs the media center has to offer throughout the year. You can subscribe by clicking FOLLOW at the top of the newsletter and add your email. Please stop by the media center and get a media brochure or check-out our Pirate Cove website.

Thank you to everyone who made donations to the media center! We now have tissues and wipes to keep everything and everyone neat and tidy! We couldn't do it without everyone's support.

Students come to media on an 8 day rotation labeled from A to H. When a student checks out their books, the books are due in two weeks. The two week time frame is about how frequently your child will come to media resource. In other words, their books are due their next media resource day. Below is the current schedule and is subject to change.

There will be another time that your child comes to media that follows a different rotation. These rotations are called PLC. At this time your child will come for an hour. They have the option of checking out new books during this time too. This rotations is anywhere from a 6-9 week rotation depending on the grade level. If you sign-up for Class Dojo, we will send you a reminder indicating when your child is coming to the media center.

Accelerated Reader is program that allows students to read books that have been leveled by readability and then take a test that determines their understanding of the book. AR tests can only be taken at school, but the books can be found many places.

Quizzes: Students will read books within their independent reading levels (ZPD). Then they will take a test on the computer to check their understanding or comprehension of the story. The quizzes have 5-10 questions depending on the level of the book. Students will receive points for the quizzes they pass. The goal is to maintain an average quiz score of 85% or above while reading on level.

At Home: Parents can check to see if a book is AR or on a student’s level by going to http://www.arbookfind.com. Student progress can be monitored by going to https://hosted81.renlearn.com/707343/HomeConnect. Use the following information to log-in. These usernames and passwords are the same as last year!

Username: s + student number

Password: first and last name initials + student number

Did you know that The Advantage program allows our district to provide Office 365 ProPlus FREE to active teachers and students? This program gives our students and teachers access to the latest full version of Microsoft Office at home at no additional cost. You will need to get student usernames (student number) and passwords (given by district) from your child's teacher if the student does not know them already. Here's how to put this into action for yourself.

Each year students are challenged to read books from the Sunshine State Reader list. There are 15 books on the list for grades 3-5. There are also 15 books for first and second grade in the SSYRA Jr. program. Once students have read at least 3 books and passed an AR test with 70% accuracy, they are eligible to vote for their favorite book. There will be incentives for reading each of the books. For more information and a list of books, visit the PES Media Center website.

PES students and families have access to over 2,000 e-books to read via MackinVIA. Most of our eBooks also have Accelerated Reader quizzes. Some books are interactive, some can be used as a read aloud, while others are simply a standard book to be read online. Families can use MackinVIA to read e-books anywhere they have have access to a computer, tablet or other Internet device. In addition books can be downloaded for a 2 week checkout period. Student usernames are their student numbers with the S and the password is the same as the password for school computers or HAC. If you don't know the username and password, you can enter as a guest with the school name and mascot as the password and leave the location blank.

Click the links below the book covers to read the e-books we have about fall.

"International Dot Day, a global celebration of creativity, courage and collaboration, began when teacher Terry Shay introduced his classroom to Peter H. Reynolds’ book The Dot on September 15, 2009.

The Dot is the story of a caring teacher who dares a doubting student to trust in her own abilities by being brave enough to “make her mark”. What begins with a small dot on a piece of paper becomes a breakthrough in confidence and courage, igniting a journey of self-discovery and sharing, which has gone on to inspire countless children and adults around the globe."

- http://www.thedotclub.org/dotday/get-started

Celebri-dots

Check out this blog with dots created by authors, illustrators and celebrities all around the world who wish to encourage creativity. See dots created by authors Sharon Creech, Amy Krouse Rosenthal, Kristin Tubb, Julie Andrews and her daughter Emma Walton Hamilton, as well as Carole Hart of Sesame Street fame and Craig Bartlett, creator of Hey Arnold! and PBS KIDS’ Dinosaur Train.

ColAR app creations

The ColAR app has been created so that students can now color their own dot design and then see it in 3D form through the technology of augmented reality. Students' designs come alive. More information can be found on the FableVision Learning blog - http://fablevisionlearning.com/blog/

1. The Shelf Elf - Skoob teaches students all about library manners
2. Accessing the media center website

• Accelerated Reader
• Destiny Library Catalog
• The Pirate Cove Connection
• MackinVia Ebooks
  

3. Non-fiction vs. Fiction - How can you tell the difference?
4. SSYRA and SSYRA Jr. - Book Trailers and Rewards
5. International Dot Day

Students will shop with their class during their Media Resource time or PLC. Check with your child’s teacher if you would like to shop with your child. Book fair flyers will go home with students the week of October 8.

• Teacher Preview – Monday, October 22 from 3PM-4PM Teachers will make wish baskets so that parents can purchase books for teachers during the fair.

We also have great family events scheduled:

• Donuts for Dads – Tuesday, October 23 from 7:30AM-8:30AM

• Muffins for Moms – Tuesday, October 30 from 7:30AM-8:30AM
  

• Pumpkin Character Contest/Family Night - Thursday, October 25 5:30-7:30
  

Number of Books Checked Out - 3239
Number of E-books Viewed - 1,046
Number of Classes - 93
Number of New Books and Magazines Added - 165
Most Check-outs by a Student - Harlow D.
Most Check-outs by a Teacher - Mrs. Edwards

We are working with Mrs. Anne Crawford from the Public Library to encourage students to get their public library card. We will have a special visit from Mrs. Crawford during our Book Fair Family Night and she will be happy to help you get a St. Johns County Public Library card.

The Palencia Elementary School Media Center’s Birthday Book Club is a wonderful way to commemorate your child’s birthday. Your participation not only enriches the library collection but allows you and your child to be personally involved in its growth.

To take part in the Birthday Book Club donate one new undamaged hardback book. This book should be a book that your child enjoys and one that we don’t have in the media center already. You can choose a new book at the book store or a new book from the Book Fair. A quick check of our library catalog (Destiny) will tell you if we already have the book. If you would prefer, you may make a monetary donation of $15 and your child can choose from recently acquired books that are waiting to be put on the shelves. For more information, contact the media center.

The mission of the library media program is to ensure that students and staff are effective users of ideas, information and technology. Creating a foundation for lifelong learning is at the heart of our program, so that we are prepared to set sail into tomorrow’s world.

Email: shannon.ayrish@stjohns.k12.fl.us
Website: http://www-pes.stjohns.k12.fl.us/media
Location: 355 Palencia Village Drive, Saint Augustine, FL, United States
Phone: 904-547-4010