Wanamaker Library Newsletter
October 2024
6th Graders Connect With a 9/11 Survivor
You could have heard a pin drop. The Wanamaker 6th graders gathered in the library the morning of Friday, Sept. 6, and had the privilege of connecting with 9/11 Twin Towers survivor, Robert Matos.
Mr. Matos, who lives in New Jersey, graciously shared his experiences of that fateful day with a generation who hadn't yet been born when the attacks happened.
While it was a tragic, very sad day, with the loss of many lives (including many of his co-workers and friends), Mr. Matos stressed that many good things also came out of his experience like gratitude for family, friends, and for life itself. It taught him that it was the nonmaterial things of his life that mattered the most.
He ended by emphasizing that he doesn't harbor anger or resentment, but instead feels that we can all work together for a better tomorrow.
The students were completely engaged in the presentation and asked thoughtful, mature questions.
Haven, 6th grade student, said that what stood out to her the most was Mr. Matos's bravery. She said she couldn't imagine having to make the decisions that he did that day. Camryn, also a 6th grader, said she appreciated Mr. Matos taking time out of his busy day to visit with us about his experiences.
Thank you, Mr. Matos, for making a difference in our students' lives!
The students wrote heartfelt Thank You letters to Mr. Matos to show their appreciation of him sharing this experience with them.
In addition to connecting with Mr. Matos, we read aloud I Survived the 9/11 Attacks by Lauren Tarshis in our library classes. With both of these experiences, the students now have a clearer picture of the tragedy of 9/11 and its effects on our country and its people.
Topeka Native and Author Angela Cervantes Visits with 5th Graders
The 5th graders were treated to a visit with middle-grade author, Angela Cervantes on Friday, September 27. She was in Topeka as a presenter at the 13th annual Kansas Book Festival held the next day on the Washburn University campus.
Ms. Cervantes chronicled her journey to becoming a full-time writer and achieving a childhood dream. She loved telling stories, especially scary ones, to her friends when she was in elementary school. In fact, her latest story, The Cursed Moon, is partially one that she made up as a child!
She told the students that her dream of becoming an author didn't come true without a lot of patience and hard work. She received numerous rejections before she got the phone call from Scholastic telling her that they wanted to publish her first book, Gaby, Lost and Found.
Angela also gave the students some writing tips, such as it helps to write about topics that you are familiar with or interested in. The revision process also takes a lot of hard work and patience!
The presentation was interactive with several students helping out by reading aloud excerpts from Angela's books. Those students were rewarded with a signed copy of one of her books or a tee shirt. All students were treated to an autographed bookmark.
In addition to Gaby, Lost and Found and The Cursed Moon, Angela's books include Lety Out Loud; Allie, First at Last; Me, Frida, and the Secret of the Peacock Ring; the Junior Novelization of Coco; the Junior Novelization of Encanto; and The American Girl's Maritza: Lead With Your Heart.
Thank you, Angela, for taking the time to tell our students your story and showing them that with hard work and persistence, one’s dreams can come true!
Wanamaker 5th Graders welcome middle-grade author, Angela Cervantes.
Zach reads aloud an excerpt from one of Angela's books.
Sabre proudly shows off a signed tee shirt from Ms. Cervantes for participating in her presentation.
Winning Bookmarks on Display
The Wanamaker library and art department collaborated on their 7th annual bookmark contest. The theme for this year was to design a colorful bookmark promoting one of your favorite books.
Students created their bookmarks during art class, then the voting began! The winning bookmarks were chosen by students, faculty, and staff members. Each student's original bookmark was laminated and returned to them. Additionally, each student received a copy of their grade level's winning bookmark.
The winners were as follows: Ashritha (Kindergarten); Mila (1st Grade); Tori (2nd Grade); Freya (3rd Grade); Novaleigh (4th Grade); Ruby (5th Grade); and Xian (6th Grade).
The winning bookmarks are on display in the hallway; if you get a chance to check them out during P-T conferences, I encourage you to do so! The WE artists/readers did a great job with their creations.
Mystery Skypes Kick Off Global Read Aloud
The 2nd grade classes will be participating in the Global Read Aloud Picture Book Study during the month of October. The premise of the GRA is that students around the world are reading the same book at the same time and making connections with each other in various ways. We will be learning about author Minh Le' and his picture books while making connections with our two US buddy classes located in upstate New York.
We kicked the GRA off with two Mystery Skypes, an engaging way for classrooms to introduce themselves to each other. Working from a large map of the United States, students used their map/geography/communication skills to guess the mystery location of the other classrooms by using yes/no questions. After discovering where our buddy classes are located, we spent some time sharing details about our schools, cities, and states with each other.
Jake, 2nd grader, said his favorite part was trying to guess where our buddy class is from, but he also enjoyed answering the questions that our buddy class asked him and his classmates when they were trying to guess where we live. Kolton, another 2nd grader, also responded that he thinks it's pretty cool that our 2nd graders are buddies with kids their own age who live far away from us!
We are excited to learn more about Minh Le' and use his books to connect with our new friends!
Check Out the Featured Mustang Reader!
Wanamaker Elementary is filled with fantastic readers! In an effort to recognize some of that awesomeness, each month a different middle-grade reader will be featured. In addition to being spotlighted in a poster hung in the hallway, the reader will choose some of their favorite books to be displayed in the library. Those books will be identified as being a favorite of the featured student's and will be available for student checkout.
If you're in the building, please stop by and check out the Featured Reader's poster in the hallway and their book display in the library!
Student Council Corner
Student Council is Ready to Roll!
Wanamaker Elementary has a very active, service-oriented Student Council. It consists of representatives and alternates from each 4th, 5th, and 6th grade classroom. Students apply to be a StuCo member and are chosen based on 3 criteria: teacher recommendation, attendance, and a written statement on why they would like to be a part of StuCo. They take their positions as school leaders seriously, and work hard to be good role models for the younger students. The council meets in the library two mornings a month at 8:00 and also participate/help with other school functions. The sponsors for the Student Council are Mrs. Slimmer, Mrs. Medlicott, and Mrs. Reinert.
Upcoming Dates
Oct. 2-- 5th and 6th grade morning book club attends the Heartland Literature Festival at Washburn University, featuring middle-grade author, Jasmine Warga.
Oct. 4-- PTA sponsored Fall Festival at WE from 5:00 - 7:00
Oct. 11 & 18-- No School
Oct. 16 & 17-- Boo Gram forms given to interested parents during P-T conferences
Oct. 25, 28-31-- Student Council sells Boo Grams in the library at the end of the day. Proceeds from Boo Gram sales will be used for Student Council's holiday project.
Oct. 10 & Oct. 31-- Student Council meetings at 8:00 AM in the library
Nov. 5-- 5th and 6th grade book club meeting at 8:00 AM in the library
Nov. 11-- Veteran's Day Assembly
Nov. 8-- 2nd graders skype with their Buddy Classes as part of the Global Read Aloud
Month of November-- National Picture Book Month. All students will be invited to be part of our Picture Book Challenge. Please take the time to enjoy some awesome picture books with your student!
We strive to make our library a welcoming place that fosters the love of reading and empowers the school community to become effective users of information.