• All remaining CCD and database orders are due no later than December 1st. Please reach out to Laurie if you are not sure about your amounts or orders.

• Barcodes are coming! We ordered 92,000 barcodes from TLC and learned last week that they have been shipped. Deb will process the order and send you your barcodes as soon as possible once we receive the shipment.

• Kerrie is currently scheduling library visits. Contact her to set up a time if you are interested. This is a great opportunity to brainstorm ideas, talk through your successes and challenges, and more. Dates and times can be scheduled for any time this school year so if now is not a good time, that's ok.

Meghan has been busy with author visits and igniting a culture of reading in her library. Take a look at her write up for the school newsletter!

1. Author Visit

On October 16, published author William David Thomas visited Newcomb Central School. Bill Thomas’ book, Hum, uses Newcomb as a setting and has characters who attend Newcomb Central School. Twelve years ago, Thomas researched his book by spending time in Newcomb and with Meredith Aitchison-Phelps’ 5th-6th grade class. When the book was finally published, he showed his appreciation by coming back to speak to the students and gifting us signed copies. Mrs. A-P, the students, and the town are even thanked in the Acknowledgements in his book.

The story, aimed at middle school students, is about 11-year-old Allen who ends up moving from Syracuse to Newcomb with his grandmother. At the Saranac Lake Winter Carnival, he forms an unlikely friendship with a llama named Yana. The two embark on a winter journey through the Avalanche Pass. Through it, Allen learns a lot about himself and his past–and llamas.

We appreciate the visit and the spotlight on Newcomb. Keep an eye out for the 3 copies of the book circulating with the students now. You can visit the author’s website at www.williamdavidthomas.com.

2. Newcomb Students Ignite a Reading Culture with Beanstack and the Hallow-read Challenge

Over the past three weeks, students in grades PreK-6 have logged over 7,000 minutes of reading and earned over 160 digital badges and rewards for their progress! This year we implemented a new software called Beanstack. Beanstack houses reading challenges where students can earn virtual and actual prizes and rewards for reading in and out of the classroom. With help from their teachers, students log their minutes in Beanstack. They also submit reviews on the books they’ve read and can track their friends and classmates’ progress through the challenges. With 100% student participation, Newcomb earned the “Igniter” badge from Beanstack.

For the Hallow-read challenge, students earn lunch with a teacher when they reach 150 minutes, they earn a certificate for reading an Adirondack ghost story, a free book for asking the visiting author a question, badges for every 30 minutes logged, and more. I am beyond impressed and amazed at how enthusiastically the students took up the challenge; how they encourage and are kindly competitive with each other. I’m also grateful to the teachers who are helping their students log minutes and spending lunches with them. Next month, I hope to introduce a new challenge to the secondary students. And the elementary students are excited to see a challenge that pits staff against each other–or the students!

We've recently attended two regional PD days, and teachers and librarians have appreciated finding hidden gems that they didn't know they had access to. Here's a slide deck, if you want it, that gives some highlights, including where lesson plans and units can be found in many of our resources. We've heard from elementary folks who didn't realize everything available in Rosen products, folks who love TeachingBooks, and even high school math teachers who were surprised that they can get quick video clips in MultiMedia's ClickView and in PBS Learning Media. There's also a link in that deck to our LibGuide on Ready-to-Use Classroom resources. Check it out!

We are so appreciative of the feedback we're getting on TLC things. (Yes, it's hard. We're understand that it's challenging and we hear you.) You are absolutely welcome to submit requests for improvements directly to TLC. In LS Schools Community, if you scroll to the bottom, you should see a red button that says "Enhancement Request". You can click on that and follow instructions to submit tickets to TLC on changes you would like to see. We talk with TLC every week, and they are receptive to your ideas. (And we're hearing patterns in your ideas, which will get TLC's attention if they hear from more people.)

SLJ is offering a free seat in their on-demand online course, Censorship & Banned Books: Tactics for Defending Intellectual Freedom. This seat is transferable so by all means feel free to forward to anyone you’d like to take advantage of it with directions to contact me with name/title/email address for access information at pmoore@mediasourceinc.com.

Free 30 day trial access to the digital versions of the Library Journal, School Library Journal and The Horn Book magazines. This offer is transferable to members of your staff, and can be set up directly by scanning the QR code(s) on the flyer.

SHARE WITH SOCIAL STUDIES TEACHERS:

On the eve of the 250th Anniversary of the American Revolution and the signing of the Declaration of Independence, we are excited to offer a workshop for teachers looking for new ways to engage with their students while teaching about the Revolutionary War and the extraordinary impact it had on the local inhabitants and armies in the area that would become Saratoga County. Presenters in this workshop will share information about what the local area was like during the time of the war. They will also share primary sources relating to both the Patriot and Loyalist sides of the conflict. Meet historians and educators from local historic sites and museums that offer local resources and programs for the classroom. And finally, learn about new initiatives being developed as part of the 250th Anniversary of the Battles of Saratoga coming up in 2027. Time will be given for educators to brainstorm and develop lesson plans using resources presented at the workshop. Also, all resources will be available through ConsidertheSourceNY.org for continued use in the classroom.
Lunch will be provided and is sponsored by Saratoga250.

Date: November 21, 2024

Time: 8:30 am - 3:00 pm

Location: Ballard Road Conference Center

Register by November 7, 2024: https://www.mylearningplan.com/WebReg/ActivityProfile.asp?D=18589&I=4885539

The Regional BOCES School Library Systems are collaborating to bring you multiple book studies this year. Please see the attachment below for information. These book studies are limited to 20 participants so you will want to register early.

The New York State Library has scheduled the following webinars for NOVELny databases for November 2024. Please see date, time, and registration information below. After registering, you will receive a confirmation email from Britannica containing information about joining the webinar.

What’s New with Britannica School?
Tuesday, November 12, 2024, 1:00PM ET

"Oops, We Did It Again!" Get ready for an exciting 2024-2025 school year as Britannica School unveils a fresh batch of features and significant improvements. From streamlined article navigation to the launch of vibrant interactive media, we're thrilled to showcase what's next! Join us for a tour of the new Britannica School, and learn about Teach Britannica, our newest resource with ready-to-use lessons, instructional strategies and graphic organizers to bridge the gap between Britannica and classroom instruction!

Webinar Registration

What’s New with Britannica Escolar?

Wednesday, November 13, 2024, 1:00PM ET

Support native Spanish speakers, bilingual students and students learning Spanish with Britannica Escolar! Join us for a quick overview of the resource, as well as a tour of Teach Britannica, a new, open-access resource help bridge the gap between Britannica resources and classroom instruction!

Webinar Registration

What’s New with Britannica Academic?

Thursday, November 14, 2024, 1:00PM ET

Whether you're a scholar looking to flex your research muscles or a student just starting your academic journey, Britannica Academic has the tools you need to get started! Join us for a quick tour of the Britannica Academic platform, and explore Academic Toolkits to beef up your research skills in our new, open-access resource, Teach Britannica!

Webinar Registration

Provided by the New York State Library, NOVELny connects New Yorkers to 21st century information. NOVELny is supported primarily with New York State funds. It is also supported in part with federal Library Services and Technology Act funds from the Institute of Museum and Library Services (IMLS).

Kerrie Burch, School Library System Director

Karin Howansky, School Library Media Specialist

Laurie Doyle, Information Processing Specialist

Deb Massa, Information Processing Specialist