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.

The media center is decorating our doors with tasty Cookie Characters to celebrate how sweet reading can be. We would like to hang your cookie character on the media center doors.

• Read a book and choose a fun character like Pete the Cat or Fly Guy.
  
• Get a cookie template from the media center. You can choose from a man shaped cookie or a round shaped cookie.
• Decorate your cookie template like the fun character you chose. You can choose to use crayons, markers or paint. You can glue things on your cookie, but no food can be glued on the paper.
  
• Complete the information on the top of the cookie template.
  
• Bring your Cookie Character to the media center before December 12th for a sweet treat. The best characters will be placed on the library doors.
  

The Pirate Cove is proud to host an author visit with Lisa Graff. She is the author of 10 middle grade books.

• Students in 3rd, 4th and 5th grades will have the opportunity to hear her speak after reading some of her books. We have many copies of her books in the library available for check-out and we have 10 of her books on MackinVia.
  
• We are also selling her books so that students and parents can attend a book signing after school on Jan. 16. The book sales flyer is below the visiting author image.
  
• Any student that reads 5 or more of her books and passes the AR test will be invited to a lunch with our author.
• Brag tags will be given to students who read and pass the AR test on any of her 10 books.
  
• We are having a Maker, Baker, Creator Contest featuring 4 of Lisa Graff's books. The flyer explaining the contest is below the book sales flyer and there are links and many more details in the Lisa Graff Newsletter. Four winners, one from each project category will be chosen to attend the Lisa Graff lunch.
  
• Visit Lisa Graff's website and visit our awesome newsletter about Lisa Graff.
  

1. Hour Code

• We will celebrate Hour of Code with lessons on computer programming throughout the month of December. We will use laptops to code with Lightbot and The Grinch: Saving Christmas with Code. In addition there are holiday coding games on a site called Santa Tracker. The two coding games we are learning are Code Lab and Code a Snowflake.

• We will also be watching the BrainPopJr. video on Computer Programing. During this video students will learn key vocabulary including algorithm, computer program, coding, command, debug and loop.

• During PLC time older students will make a binary code candy cane ornament that represents their initials. Students will also be able to use desktop computers in the library to practice their coding.
• We will highlight coding on WPES each day during the week of December 3-9. Stay tuned after the show for videos and competitions.

2. Florida Reading Association Book Award - 8 books read aloud to students in K-2. Students will evaluate the books and vote for their favorite in the spring. This month we will read Red and Lulu by Matt Tavares.

Evaluating Books...

• Pictures - Do they appeal to you and do they make the story better?
  
• Plot/Theme/Subject - Does the topic of the story make you think or teach a lesson? Do you and other children like the topic of the story?
  
• Characters - Can you relate to the characters? Are the characters funny or appealing in some way?
  
• Author/Illustrator - Does the author have a reputation for good books? Do you like other books by that author?

PES students and families have access to 1700 e-books to read via MackinVIA. Some books are interactive, some can be used as a read aloud, while others are simply a standard book to be read online. Click the links below the book covers to read the e-books we have about Christmas. Username = Student # and Password = their district password. Click the linked words for additional books about Christmas and Hanukkah.

Free Access to a Huge Selection of eBooks until January 15th

username: capstonewinter

password: lovetoread

Website for online reading: www.mycapstonelibrary.com

Sign in with Capstone Interactive

Free iPad app that allows for offline reading:

"Capstone Interactive"

Number of Books Checked Out - 3619
Number of E-books Viewed - 1178
Number of Classes - 115
Number of New Books and Magazines Added - 115
Most Check-outs by a Student - Rotlig in Mrs. Wadsworth's Class - 25 books

Class with the Most Check-outs - Mrs. Andreoni - 174 books
Most Check-outs by a Teacher - Ms. Royal -23

Have you noticed the fabulous doors and bulletin boards we have in the media center? Well, it is all thanks to our dynamic wonder Ms. Kaitie. She has done a great job of making our displays, helping with the book fair, and mending library books. You may not always see her around, but she is working hard behind the scenes to make our media center shine!

Epic is like Netflix for children's books. The e-book platform is provided free to educators and supported by home subscriptions. www.getepic.com

EPIC!

• Gives instant access to the world’s largest digital library of high-quality fiction and nonfiction for kids 12 and under

• Includes personalized reading recommendations for each child based on individual reading preferences and abilities

• Reading logs to track student progress

• Available on iPads, iPhone, Android devices, and on any computer or desktop

You can read on Epic! at home, with a $7.99 subscription. 3 months for $10 until 12/9 with the code CHEER. To access a great list of holiday books click here.

SSYRA

Parmis - 15

James E.- 14

Julianna U.- 15

Emily W. - 15

Avery A. - 11

Jill G. - 15

Sophie F. - 15

Abbie T. - 12

Adah L. 15

Piper C. - 9

Laila Knight 11

Ethan C - 8

Blair M. - 10

Gabby S. -11

Eli E. - 15

Ellie L. - 15

For more information and a list of books, visit the PES Media Center website.

Mikhaela C. - 15.........................Luke B. - 12

Avery R. - 15 ..............................Brayden A. - 11

Frances - 15 ..............................Juliet J. - 11

Miller R. - 13.............................. Lauren G. - 10

Bennett L. - 15 ..........................Ashlyn O. - 11

Waard A. - 13 ............................Hailey S. - 10

Katherine W - 15 ...................... Brooke W. - 11

Aidan B. - 13

Remi M. - 14

Grace I. - 15

Violet S. - 10

Jack. O. - 15

Luke K. - 15

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.ayrishbooysen@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