One for the Record Books
January 2021
Wernecke Librarian Letters About Literature Judge
by Patricia Ramos
Mrs. Ramos, Wernecke Librarian has been given the opportunity to be a judge for this year's Letters About Literature submissions. She is excited to participate and hopes to glean insight and experience from this opportunity. Letters About Literature is a reading and writing contest for 4th-12th graders under the direction of the Texas Center for the Book at the Texas State Library and Archives Commission.
Christmas Reading Incentives
Bentsen students were treated to Christmas visitors before winter break. Santa Clause and The Grinch paid a visit to Bentsen Elementary. The car drive-by was an incentive to all students that meet their reading goal for the third reporting period. Students were very excited and motivated to meet their reading goal. Each student received a small treat and the opportunity to meet Santa Clause and The Grinch. Students have taken great advantage of the available reading resources in MackinVia to meet their reading goals.
Hour of Code Activities at North
by Darvin Koenig
Mr. Koenig met virtually with all the 8th grade students to promote Computer Science on December 18. He has been doing this for several years now to make sure that the students are exposed to coding before they register for High School classes at the end of January. If anyone is interested in finding out what it is all about, they can go to code.org and try out the lessons for themselves.
Virtual Santa Visit
by Oneida Aleman
Students in Mrs. Tenorio's class from RD Martinez Elementary enjoyed a virtual chat with Santa sponsored by TCEA. Students were able to ask questions about Santa and all his North Pole friends. They also listened to a read aloud. Definitely the best way to end Christmas break is with a Santa Chat!!
Jensen Incentive Program to Motivate Students to stay Engaged with their Online Digital Learning!
B. L. Gray Book Club Meets with Secret Soldiers Author Keely Hutton
by Wenndy Pray
One of the BLG Book Club’s high notes has been reading Secret Soldiers by Keely Hutton. They raved about the book on the Rattlecast podcast as well. When I broadcasted our club historian’s thoughts on Twitter, I was pleasantly surprised to hear from the Mrs. Hutton. She liked my tweet and retweeted it. I gave my students a play-by-play on how things unfolded on social media, and they were just as excited as I was. She offered to meet with the club after she heard the podcast herself. I was ecstatic! We enjoyed an exclusive meeting with Mrs. Hutton. She shared about researching for the book, inspiration for the characters, and some special what-might’ve-been endings! This rare and special experience is something we will never forget. Thank you, Keely Hutton!
Learning About The Presidential Inauguration
Garza students learned about the Presidential Inauguration that occurred on January 20, 2021. Students were introduced to President Joe Biden, and his wife Dr. Jill Biden. We also talked about the nation’s first female vice-president Kamala Harris. Students learned about the White House, where the president will live for the next four years, and a little about the history of Inauguration Day. Kinder through 2nd grade students were asked what they would want to tell President Joe Biden, if they could tell him anything. 3rd through 6th grade students were shown how to learn about Inauguration Day by accessing the Britannica online resource through MackinVia, an online e-library.
Donations to Su Casa de Esperanza
The BCM Club donated more than $125 in baby wipes, diapers, and ointment to Su Casa de Esperanza in Pharr. The BCM Club is the Books, Comics, and Movies Club for Sharyland High School and Sharyland Advanced Academic Academy. Students read and discussion books and movies. They participate in community service with the purpose of promoting literacy for all. Club sponsor is librarian Nicole Cruz.
Martin Luther King Jr. Day at JHS
by Monica Silva
As we celebrated Martin Luther King Jr. on Jan. 18th, I shared Martin's Big Words and I Am Martin Luther King Jr. with our students. They learned about Dr. King's message of equality and justice for all. As an activity, students followed a How to Draw Martin Luther King Video on YouTube. They followed the artist step by step by learning how to have an eye for detail, make careful observations, and develop problem-solving skills. Students were amazed at how they each were able to draw their own unique version of MLK.Shimotsu's Fab Readers
by S. Zulema Bewley
Reading has always been a priority at Shimotsu Elementary and although distance learning poses challenges in obtaining books the traditional way, e-books are readily available for students. Students were encouraged to acquire the following Accelerated Reader points by January 15:
Grades 1 & 2: 40 points
Grades 3 & 4: 60 points
Grades 5 & 6: 80 points
More than 60 fabulous readers reached these point goals and qualified to receive t-shirts!
SA3 Librarian Recommends New Podcast
Did you enjoy Mayim Bialik -child actress starring in Blossom and hilarious comedic actress in The Big Bang Theory.
She actually has a PhD in neuroscience from UCLA. She is an activist for women in STEM.
She has a new sitcom on Fox coming out -Call me Kat. She has written three books.
She has come out with a new podcast called Mayim Bialik’s Breakdown. It will address mental health issues. You can sign up for notifications at bialikbreakdown.com
https://mayim.simplecast.com/episodes/introducing-mayim-bialiks-breakdown-MKtqfRp8
Doing Our Part to Help PHS Staff & Students
by Elizabeth Moreno
Mrs. Moreno, Librarian at Pioneer High School, and the library staff were busy bagging, organizing, sorting, labeling, creating bundles and checking out technology accessories of adapters/extension cords, USB hubs and chrome book chargers for more than 100 teaching staff at Pioneer High School. All this behind-the-scenes work makes it possible for staff to get the equipment and devices they need to continue teaching in-person and online. We are happy to support our staff and contribute our help!Honoring My Readers
By: Thanya Montemayor
The pandemic has touched almost everything around us. Our students are suffering from “pandemic brain” and we fall like the gap is always increasing. Trying to find pandemic friendly ways to honor our students becomes increasingly difficult, but our students love to be recognized. Ruben Hinojosa Elementary has announcements online every day for our students that are face to face and virtual. I try to give these avid readers a shout out as often as possible to maintain a little bit of motivation for them.
Sharyland ISD Has Its First Librarian Google Trainer!
By Wenndy Pray
Google has created some incredible applications to enhance my working experience – and my personal endeavors. After attending the Region One Google Certified Educator academies in February and April of 2018, I became a Google Level 1 and Level 2 Certified Educator. I knew I wanted to learn more and promote these great tools with my teachers and community. I introduced a few tools to my fellow district librarians and began to document my successes and areas of improvement. The pandemic provided an excellent opportunity to share my knowledge with my community, so I launched a six-week series of training sessions for beginners titled, Back to Basics with Google for Education. It was a hit! Passing the Trainer Skills Assessment and my training experience provided what I needed to complete my application. As a Google Certified Trainer, I will conduct at least 12 hours of training a year on all things Google. I’m looking forward to it.
Tech Quest Training at North
by Darvin Koenig
Mr. Koenig received his Certification of Completion from Learning.com for completing the training on their new platform called Tech Quest. He now has the knowledge and skills needed to implement the new platform with the students and train teachers how to access their students’ results.
Technology Department and Librarians Work Hand in Hand to Keep Remote Learning Online
by S. Zulema Bewley
Our SISD technology department has been working diligently to provide teachers and staff with necessary tools to enhance face-to-face and virtual learning. Librarians have recently received USB hubs and docking stations for teachers plus power strips and Chromebook chargers. Each teacher received four chargers that are to be used in the classroom when students forget to bring their own. Librarians are charged with checking out devices and tools to students and staff and providing tech support daily.
AR and UIL Celebration Parade
by Patricia Ramos
Wernecke students enjoyed an AR/UIL parade on January 15th from 4-6pm. Students from K-6th grade were rewarded with an AR snack bag for meeting AR goals and were given AR shirts for points earned. Students also received trophies for their 19-20 AR reading achievements. Way to go Diamondbacks!RD Martinez Elementary Online Scholastic Book Fair
Students at RD Martinez experienced new online shopping with Scholastic Book Fair. They enjoyed placing their orders and receiving their books at home!! Students were excited to show me their new books.
SHS Student Participates and Librarian Recruited To Judge State Writing Contest
Eugenio Chapa, SHS Junior, decided to enter the Letters About Literature Contest after hearing about it during a BCM Club meeting earlier this year. Librarian Nicole H. Cruz shared details about the contest that pairs reading and writing together with all SHS and SA3 staff and students via Google Classroom posts and emails. She encouraged her book club members to enter the contest as well. This year Mrs. Cruz was recruited to help judge middle school entries. Sharyland High School has a history of producing state finalists. Last year SA3 or Sharyland Advanced Academic Academy had their first state finalist. We wish Eugenio the best as he competes this year.
Be Your Best Digital Self
by Monica Silva
As students are now learning online around the world, our students at JHS were taught how to behave safely, participate responsibly, and think critically in our digital world. Practicing being a good digital citizen is very important, because we live in a world that is connected by technology. We need to help students develop a sense of self-awareness and use healthy practices on the internet. As an activity, students used Google Slides to create their digital footprint with apps they use daily. Remember.... "Be Your Best Digital Self."SA3 Senior Hailey Pietrzak Wins 1st Place in Graphic Design Contest
Throughout the 2020-2021 school year, SA3 librarian Nicole Cruz has sponsored Creativity & Design Contests to motivate students to design, creative, and develop skills. Recently, SA3 students had a chance to enter the Graphic Design Contest. Their designs could serve to entertain or inform. Two judges reviewed all the entries and determined the winners. The top three finalists and two honorable mention awards have now been entered into the Texas Youth Creators Award state contest. Best of luck to all students.
PHS Librarian Judges Letters About Literature Entries
by Elizabeth Moreno
Congratulations to Mrs. Moreno, Librarian at Pioneer High School on being chosen to judge the "Letters About Literature" contest by the Texas Center for the Book Reading-Writing Promotion Program. Each of the entries were judged by theme, content, expression, and grammatical structure. Mrs. Moreno was inspired by all the entries she judged and was so moved by many of the student's letters.Nicole H. Cruz, SISD Lead Librarian
Email: ncruz@sharylandisd.org
Website: https://www.sharylandisd.org/departments/library_services
Location: 1216 North Shary Road, Mission, TX, USA
Phone: 956-580-5300
Twitter: @Cruz23Mac