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Submitted by Johanna DeKalb

Today in Library classes for Earth Day, students in Kindergarten, second and third grade were able to participate in interactive activities on Streamable Learning from the Greenville Zoo in South Carolina.

Second and third graders learned about what a Naturalist does, and how they use observation as well as sketching to help them gather information and identify animals and plants.

Kindergarten students from Mrs. Larli’s class were able to be part of a live webinar from the Greenville Zoo this morning, “Party for the Planet”, in which they learned about how Earth Day started and why it’s important to take care of litter to keep wildlife and people healthy. They also got to see a hissing cockroach “up close” on the screen and were able to ask questions.

These activities were shared out through WSWHE Multimedia, and many of our students really enjoyed this experience today!

SLS Resources Tips and Tricks has been discontinued in favor of a weekly bulletin called WSWHE Wisdom. You can find previous editions of WSWHE Wisdom on our LibGuide.

In January 2025, the New York State Department of Homeland Security and Emergency Services shared the Media Literacy Toolkit for Educators with several stakeholder groups across the state. Join us as we unpack this toolkit and find practical ways in which this information can be incorporated into what you are already doing. In addition, you may be surprised to learn that there is already a professional in your school who is doing this work. Participants will leave with a working understanding of the toolkit and its practical uses in schools.

Date: May 7

Time 3:00 - 4:00 pm

Register: https://www.mylearningplan.com/WebReg/ActivityProfile.asp?D=18589&I=5064261

Date: May 13, 2025, 9:00-10:00 am, via Google Meet

Wondering what should be on your radar, and how to go about those things? This one-hour session will take you through some highlights. We'll touch on inventory, deleting/withdrawing, and other checklist items. We'll also get a quick overview of what kinds of tasks library staff can do in TLC to wrap up the year or tinker over the summer, versus tasks that are now automated via SLS and TLC.

Register: https://www.mylearningplan.com/WebReg/ActivityProfile.asp?D=18589&I=5074749

Topic: Agenda can be found here. We will also celebrate our retirees and our School Librarian and Administrator of the Year Award winners. Register by May 7th please.

Date: May 15, 2025

Time: 8:00 am - 3:00 pm

Location: Ballard Road Conference Center

Register: https://www.mylearningplan.com/WebReg/ActivityProfile.asp?D=18589&I=4959120

• The New York State Library and Office of Early Learning are excited to host a live webinar event for library staff focused on supporting the State’s latest literacy initiatives on Thursday, May 22, 2025, from 1:30 p.m. – 2:30 p.m.
• This session will offer insights on research-based literacy practices, strategies for enhancing the home-school connection, and methods to involve families in creating a robust literacy foundation for their children.
• For more information on this event, please visit the New York State Library website.
• Interested parties can register for the Libraries Supporting Best Practices webinar here.
• Please contact Sharon Phillips with any questions or suggestions at Sharon.Phillips@nysed.gov

Kerrie Burch, School Library System Director

Karin Howansky, School Library Media Specialist

Laurie Doyle, Information Processing Specialist

Deb Massa, Information Processing Specialist