SSYRA and SSYRA Jr.

The Sunshine State Young Reader’s Award (SSYRA) Program is a statewide reading motivation program in Florida for students in grades 3-5. The program, cosponsored by the School Library Media Services Office of the Department of Education and the Florida Association for Media in Education (FAME), began in 1983. The purpose of the SSYRA Program is to encourage students to read independently for personal satisfaction, based on interest rather than reading level. Sunshine State books are selected for their wide appeal, literary value, varied genres, curriculum connections, and/or multicultural representation. Sunshine State books are also Accelerated Reader books. Together these two programs create our extended independent reading program to help students improve their reading enjoyment, fluency and comprehension. For more information visit the Florida Association of Media Specialists website.

This is the newest reading award program sponsored by FAME: the Sunshine State Young Readers Award Jr. (SSYRA Jr)! The mission of the SSYRA Jr. program is to develop student interest in reading for pleasure by exposing them to a wide range of appropriate literature. Sunshine State Jr. books are selected for their wide appeal, literary value, varied genres, curriculum connections, and/or multicultural representation. Students are encouraged to listen to these books read to them, read them in a small group setting, or read independently to develop skills in fluency and comprehension. Students will be eligible to vote in the spring after listening/reading at least three of the books. The winning author and illustrator will be recognized at the annual FAME conference.For additional information visit the Florida Association of Media Specialists website.

PES students and families have access to over 1800 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 1 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 images below to read the e-books we have from SSYRA and SSYRA Jr. in MackinVia.

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. 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. The following are incentives for reading each of the books at Palencia.

3 Books

~Vote for your favorite book in early April
~Get a Necklace and the brag tags for each book you have read and passed an AR test

5 Books

~Invitation to the SSYRA Ice Cream Sunday party in May
~Add brag tags for each book to necklace

10 Books

~Can take the Battle Test at the Beginning of December

~Add brag tags for each book to necklace

~Name announced on morning news

All 15 Books

~Readers are Leaders photo poster
~Guest on the morning news
~Add brag tags for each book to necklace
At End of the Year:
~SSYRA Sundae Party
~Field trip to lunch and Battle of the Books (with parent)
~SSYRA Certificate

Each year students are challenged to read books from the Sunshine State Young Readers Junior list. There are 15 books on the list. 10 of the books are picture books. 5 of the books are chapter books. We kick off our Junior program with second grade in September. We introduce the first graders to the program in January. There are 2 reasons for this. First, the reading levels of the books can be challenging for first grade at the start of the year and second, there are a limited number of books for students to check out of the library. 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. Students are asked to turn in slips to indicate which books they have read and passed the AR tests on. Then their progress is documented on charts in the media center. The following are incentives for reading each of the books.

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