Hello, Mustang family! The 5th 6-weeks marking period has drawn to a close. It's hard to believe that we are in the final stretch of the 2020-2021 school year! We are happy to be welcoming back our staff and many of our students on campus this month. We also celebrate National Poetry Month and National School Library Month in April, so there is a lot to celebrate.

Thank you for taking the time to read our Mustang Library newsletter. We have been able to share special opportunities with our students this past 6-weeks, and look forward to finishing off the year strong! As always, please reach out to rachel.alvarez@psjaisd.us with any questions!

Thank you to those who purchased books from our virtual Scholastic Book Fair or spread the word to others. We reached $558 in sales. Our school earned 25% of those profits in Scholastic dollars, which we will be able to redeem items for our students and teachers. Thank you for encouraging our students to read and getting books into their hands.

These students and classes have been the top users of myON and have been earning points from their AR quizzes! Keep up the great work, Mustangs! Students can track their progress toward their goal by clicking the trophy icon from their AR homepage.

Mustangs, we are approaching the cut-off date for our district-wide myON Olympians and myON Junior Olympians programs! By April 30, students who reach the milestones of words read on myON will have the opportunity to earn a medal as a reading Olympian!

TX Library Standards: 3.2- The school library program supports, supplements, and elevates literacy instruction through research-based strategies and participation in national, state, and local reading initiatives.

TX Library Standards: 6.4- The school library program activities are evaluated

using data analysis in order to improve student outcomes.

Mrs. A. Enriquez's 1st grade class worked on an interview project, and as part of their introduction to the interviewing, the class invited Mrs. Alvarez to visit. Students had all prepared questions for Mrs. Alvarez, and Mrs. Enriquez used an online wheel to call on students. Students asked some really thoughtful questions, including, "What's your favorite family tradition?" [getting new pajamas every Christmas Eve from the elf] "What's your favorite board game?" [The Game of Life] "What is your favorite place to go?" [the beach] "What are some things that catch your interest?" [languages] and "What advice would you give us?" [read and learn as much as you can about whatever interests you! Follow your passions and choose to be kind.] Mrs. Alvarez was honored to be included, and really enjoyed this opportunity to get to know this amazing group of 1st graders! Thank you to Mrs. Enriquez and her students!

TX Library Standards: 2.2- The school library program is based on an inquiry approach to learning that students use to pursue, create, and share knowledge.

TX Library Standards: 7.3- Collaboration including co-teaching, co-creating, and co-assessing lessons with teachers.

Mustangs in 3rd-5th grades are invited to join us on Thursday, April 29 at 5:00 p.m. National Honor Society members from PSJA Collegiate High School will be reading to our students and leading them in a STEM challenge! See the flyer for items you will need for the activity. If you have any trouble getting the items, please reach out to Mrs. Alvarez. This event will take place virtually, via Google Meet. Email rachel.alvarez@psjaisd.us for more details.

TX Library Standards: 5.3- The school library program extends library-based learning opportunities for families through community-centered activities.

Save the dates: On Tuesday, April 27 and Friday, April 30, PSJA Library Services will be virtually hosting authors Carolyn Dee Flores and Steven Ferries. More information will be shared by Mrs. Alvarez!

TX Library Standards: 6.7: The school library program budgets are used to purchase and update print and digital resources.

The window for the Star End-of-Year Reading test is open, and students in 1st-5th grades will be completing this assessment to track their growth in reading this year. Teachers are signing up with Mrs. Alvarez for a convenient time slot over the next few weeks.

This assessment is important, as it allows us to monitor growth and areas of need for our students in their reading in English, and also in Spanish for our Dual Language classes. The data gathered from these assessments are used by Accelerated Reader to develop personalized AR goals for each student. The results help the teachers and Mrs. Alvarez to have an accurate picture of our students' reading level to best support them.

TX Library Standards: 6.4- Dimension 4: The school library program activities are evaluated using data analysis in order to improve student outcomes.

Special days and holidays allow us to read, learn, share knowledge, and be creative! Mrs. Alvarez shares myON book bundles, Epic! collections, read-alouds, videos, and other activities for these celebrations. Check out Google Classroom for materials posted by Mrs. Alvarez. Be on the lookout for some great Earth Day activities, coming up next week!

March 1-5 was Read Across America Week, during which we celebrate all the things we love about reading! Mrs. Alvarez was lucky to win a box of signed books from author & illustrator Jarrett Lerner. These books were used as prizes for some of our Read Across America Week participants.

A special shout-out for our fabulous teachers Mrs. E. Quezada (2nd Grade), Mrs. M. Martinez (5th Grade), and Ms. M. Garza (4th Grade). Mrs. Quezada recorded a video on our Flipgrid, and encouraged her students to do so, as well! Mrs. Quezada's class had the most participation in our Read Across America Flipgrid! Mrs. M. Martinez and Ms. M. Garza both volunteered to read as part of our daily read-alouds at 4:00 p.m. Thank you for your support of our library activities, and for sharing your love for reading!

TX Library Standards: 5.2- The school library program features a learning environment that cultivates a sense of community and respect among all students and staff.

TX Library Standards: 5.3- The school library program extends library-based learning opportunities for families through community-centered activities.

March was Women's History Month! Mrs. Alvarez shared a book bundle on myON celebrating the history and contributions of women. Some of the many books can be found below.

Using the app Novel Effect, Mrs. Alvarez shared a read-aloud of How to Catch a Leprechaun. You can find the recording posted in the Google Classroom pages under Mrs. Alvarez's "Librarian" section. Mrs. Alvarez also created and shared a collection of books on Epic! and a bundle on myON.

For Easter, Mrs. Alvarez recorded and posted a read-aloud video of Turkey's Eggcellent Easter, along with book bundles and collections from myON and Epic!

April is National School Library Month, and within the month, we also celebrated National Library Week and Librarian's Day! Mrs. Alvarez posted an interactive Google Slides presentation with clickable links to read-alouds, library resources, and a Padlet to share what we love about our school library! Each day of National Library Week, we had a theme or a special activity. For one of the days, Mrs. Alvarez used Canva to create a template, and invited others to share what they would like to discover through reading. Another day, students and staff were invited to record a Flipgrid video to share a book recommendation.

TX Library Standards: 4.4- The library program provides creative, innovative, and ethical use of current and emerging technologies in the construction and presentation of knowledge.

Our PSJA ISD Superintendent, Dr. Arredondo, shared a video to recognize National Library Week. Thank you to Dr. Arredondo for his support and encouragement of our library programs.

Superintendent of Schools Dr. Jorge L. Arredondo recently contributed an article for the National Council of English Teachers’ (NCTE) English Journal titled “Literacy’s Alive in a Tapestry: Engaging Our teachers, Librarians, and Students,” published this month.

For more than 100 years, NCTE has worked with its members to offer journals, publications, and resources; to further the voice and expertise of educators as advocates for their students at the local and federal levels; and to share lesson ideas, research, and teaching strategies through its Annual Convention and other professional learning events.

As a former English Teacher in Houston, Texas, Dr. Arredondo shared the impact literacy had on his life as a student and throughout his teaching career. In his article, published in the March 2021 issue of the English Journal, the Superintendent also highlighted the districtwide efforts to promote literacy in PSJA ISD.

“Literacy played a significant role in my life, so I know first-hand the impact and value it has for all of our students,” said Dr. Arredondo. “It’s an honor to contribute this article to an award-winning publication and also discuss the important work being done at PSJA ISD to ensure our students have the support and resources necessary to achieve the highest levels of success.”

To read the full article, visit: https://library.ncte.org/journals/ej/issues/v110-4/31129

Thank you to our district and campus staff for a wonderful National Librarian's Day and Week!

Mrs. Alvarez recorded videos in both English and Spanish to showcase some poetry books available through myON and Epic!, as well as a few physical books that students can look for at their public library until we are able to circulate our school library books again safely. Mrs. Alvarez also shared activities to practice haiku, blackout poetry, and other forms. There are so many types of poems! Mrs. Alvarez especially loves reading novels in verse. A few favorites are Red, White, and Whole, Other Words for Home, and The Crossover.

TX Library Standards: 3.1- The library encourages students to read a variety of literature for information and pleasure. The library provides access to physical and virtual collections of high quality, current resources in a variety of formats (print, audio, electronic) and platforms (readable on most devices) which reflect input from stakeholders.

April 22 will be Earth Day! Check out Google Classroom for books to read, activities to do, and big and small ways to care for our Earth!

Mrs. Alvarez had the opportunity to present during our professional development to 1st through 5th grade teachers. Mrs. Alvarez shared resources and lesson applications for reviewing writing skills with students. These strategies were gathered from a Lead4ward training that Mrs. Alvarez attended.

Wakelet is a useful tool to gather and curate resources, including videos, website, Tweets, documents, and more! Mrs. Alvarez participated in the Wakelet + Google for Education Rookie Challenge, showcasing tips and techniques for utilizing Google apps in the classroom and for virtual learning. Check out Mrs. Alvarez's Wakelet collection here to learn more: https://wke.lt/w/s/VBwgi9

Mrs. Alvarez attended a virtual conference put on by the NJ Association of School Librarians on Saturday, March 13. This conference had a number of great presenters, who gave 15-minute talks on various topics, including building a diverse and inclusive library collection, offering SEL and mindfulness activities in the library, improving read-alouds with specific tips and strategies, and incorporating online resources and digital tools into our learning. What a great opportunity!

TX Library Standards: Strand 2- School library programs provide access to information for inquiry learning, which includes the pursuit, creation, and sharing of knowledge, as well as support for both student and professional learning.

TX Library Standards: 2.4- The school library program offers professional development opportunities that promote best practices in inquiry-based teaching and learning.

TX Library Standards: 6.1- The school library program incorporates leadership activities, best practices, and professional development across campus, district, and professional communities. The program includes opportunities for collaboration among members of the learning community and opportunities to help learners become independent users and producers of ideas and information.

Mrs. Alvarez is certified in Google Levels 1 and 2, and recently joined the Google Educator Group of South Texas. She looks forward to learning from her colleagues in this professional learning network.

TX Library Standards: 6.1- The school library program incorporates leadership activities, best practices, and professional development across campus, district, and professional communities. The program includes opportunities for collaboration among members of the

learning community and opportunities to help learners become independent users and producers of ideas and information.

Mrs. Alvarez recently met with Ms. Valadez, Ms. Garza, and Ms. Castillo to brainstorm and plan for upcoming projects that we can share with our Ford family! It is always such a treat to meet with colleagues and learn from one another.

On Friday, March 26, 4:00-7:00 p.m., Ford Elementary held a drive-by enrollment expo to help new and returning students register for the 2021-2022 school year! Various staff members assisted Mrs. Alvarez by distributing books to students. The students are able to keep these books, many of which were purchased through grants received by the PSJA Library Services department.

TX Library Standards: 5.3- The school library program extends library-based learning opportunities for families through community-centered activities.

Do you need assistance with using myON? If you have any questions, please reach out to rachel.alvarez@psjaisd.us. In addition, Mrs. Alvarez used Wakelet, an online curation tool, to compile images, screenshots, and screencast videos for teachers, students, and parents. You can access the collection at https://wke.lt/w/s/pCG8pn.

TX Library Standards: 2.1- The school library program includes a carefully curated collection of current materials in a variety of formats, including curation of open educational resources (OER) that are uniquely suited to support inquiry learning and the needs and interests of all users.

TX Library Standards: 4.3- The library program actively provides an equitable, diverse, and open collection of digital and print resources, including open educational resources (OER), which support the academic and personal needs of students. Virtual library materials are available

at point of need.

Always feel free to reach out with any questions! I am here to support our students, families, teachers, and staff in any way that I can. Let's continue reading and using our digital literacy skills.

Click here to see what Mrs. Alvarez is reading, and what's next on her list! https://app.edu.buncee.com/buncee/5a6e5179409941748e69752b18b3ca4c

Email: rachel.alvarez@psjaisd.us
Website: https://www.psjaisd.us/domain/2809
Location: 1110 East Polk Avenue, Pharr, TX, USA
Phone: (956) 354-2770
Facebook: facebook.com/HenryFordElementary
Twitter: @librarian_alva