Wanamaker Library Newsletter

Once again, the annual Scholastic Book Fair held in February during Parent -Teacher conferences was a ton of fun and a big success!

The teachers came for a preview breakfast on the first day of the fair while the students previewed the fair during their library classes early in the week. The staff were treated to bagels and cream cheese, mini scones, and fresh fruit while browsing the fair.

Mrs. Armstrong, the library assistant, worked her usual magic and transformed the library with decorations that promoted the fair theme of "Soaring Into Space with a Great Book"! See the library entrance decorations above to view evidence of her magical touch!

A couple of contests livened things up as well--the students entered a guessing contest of how many Starbursts were in the glass container, and D'Andre Carper was the winner of the Book Basket giveaway. The basket was filled with paperback books of all reading levels and other fun miscellaneous items.

When asked what they liked the most about the book fair, 5th grader, Adley, stated that she "loved the smell of all the new books!" while her friend, Lucy, responded that she most liked "seeing the large variety of books for sale." Longtime volunteer, Sharlene Christensen, said her favorite part of the fair was "helping the kids find books that they really liked, especially the younger students. They would see a book they liked and their eyes would light up!"

THANK YOU to everyone who helped make the book fair a success! The success of the book fair would not be possible without the support and enthusiasm of the entire WE community. The book fair always serves as a great reminder of how Wanamaker truly loves and values the power of reading. A special thank you to Allison Edgar, Book Fair Chairperson, and ALL the other volunteers whose help was greatly appreciated!

Since our Book Fair theme this year was Soaring Into Space with a Great Book, we prepared for the fair in our library classes by doing just that-- listening to stories from space! Story Time From Space features astronauts reading stories from space while at the International Space Station. The astronaut not only reads a story, but also shares different aspects of living in space with the students. There are even moments when the astronaut reads while in an upside down position!

This website would be a fun one to explore with your child in preparation for the upcoming Solar Eclipse that is to occur on April 8, 2024. Check out the link below!

If you would like to know more about the sun, the moon, or the stars, feel free to ask any Wanamaker first grader! Each first grade class learned about a different aspect of space and shared their findings in a hallway display.

After listening to a fictional read-aloud about their particular aspect of space, the students went to work using the database PebbleGo to do their own research about that aspect. Each student shared a fact about their particular subject and collaborated on the final product. This information was used to make a hallway display that tied into our book fair's theme this year. Great work, beginning first grade researchers!

Third graders tried their hand at building a house that would withstand the big, bad wolf! After listening to The True Story of the Three Little Pigs by Jon Scieszka (a fractured fairy tale about the three little pigs, but told from the wolf's point of view) the students worked with their table mates to build a house using the materials provided them, such as popsicle sticks, small cardboard geometric shapes, masking tape, yarn and a few other items. They finished building their houses just as the big, bad wolf showed up! The wolf tested the durability of the students' houses by huffing and puffing (aka Mrs. Reinert's blow dryer!) to see if he could blow their houses down.

I'm happy to report that all houses survived with minimal damage, much to the wolf's dismay! The students displayed great teamwork with this fun read-aloud and its follow-up STEM project!

Feeling creative? Come and check out the library's Creation Station where you will find many opportunities to spark your imagination! Most options are no tech and can be utilized by one person or by small groups. Projects can require collaboration or can be completed solo. There are puzzles, coloring books, card games, sticker art, board games, legos, and many other building tools. It's a great place to explore something new or learn more about an already existing interest or skill. We're hoping to add even more possibilities in the near future!

March 1 and 22-- Student Council meetings in the library at 8:00 AM

March 6 & 7-- Student Council sells St. Patrick's Day accessories

March 7-- School-wide Spirit Day (Green Day)

March 8-- No School. Teacher Work Day.

March 11 - 15-- Spring Break

March 29-- Inventory of Library Collection

April 5 & 19-- Student Council meetings in the library at 8:00 AM

April 5-- Battle of the Books meetings for 4th, 5th, and 6th grades.

April 26-- No school. Professional Development Day for teachers.