Library Stats: March/April Edition

(March/April Edition)

It's been an awesome 2 months in the Sonntag library. The library has been BUZZING with activity. Check out the happenings below to find out more about what's been going on in the library. Happy reading! :)

Number of Whole Class Visits: 

216

Number of Total Items Circulated (Checkouts & Checkins)

14,467

Number of Items in Collection

13,292

Library Instruction/Programs/Community Outreach 

Finalized the 4th Annual Six Flags Read to Succeed tickets 

Hosted author/illustrator Melissa Sweet for the entire school!

Adapted the library calendar to accommodate more classes prior to STAAR testing

Hosted Preschool Storytime with Sonntag's lil readers! 

Promoted the 2013-2014 Texas Bluebonnet Award Program with 3-5 grades

Promoted the 2013-2014 2x2 Reading Program with Preschool-2nd grades

Presented a weekly Good Morning Sonntag Book Bits update

Updated the Where in the World Do You Read? board

Maintained student writer & new items displays to promote reading interests 

Updated a daily Fact of the Day by Mrs. Mattei fact

Open checkout every day for all Sonntag students, parents, and staff

Planned weekly preschool storytimes with future Sonntag students and families  

Coordinated parent library volunteers

Administrative Activities 

Assisted and administered the STAAR test to 4th & 5th grades

Helped the Specials team host the school spirit night at Rosa's Cafe

Creating QR codes for books in the library to allow students to connect with their next books

Purchased & added new items to the library collection as well as weeding damaged books out of the collection

Collaborated with teachers to pull library materials for classroom lessons

Maintained a blog for staff to discuss book club books

Adjusted the library schedule to accommodate classes for various activities 

Contributed to Specials weekly newsletter

Updated library blog and Twitter (@matteibookbits) account frequently

Opened new parent accounts

Hosted new and returning library volunteers

Professional Development Activities 

Attended the Texas Library Association Conference in San Antonio, Texas & collaborated with librarians around the state to help make our library even better! 

Planned for summer professional development courses within and out of FISD

Attended campus and district library meetings

Read and kept up with new professional library journals & added new materials to future book orders

On the Horizon...

Plans are in the works for the 4th Annual Sonntag Book Return in May (All student/parent books are due on May 23rd)

The 4th Annual Texas Bluebonnet Award & 2x2 Showcase on the blog is coming soon!! 

Information regarding summer reading programs from the Sonntag & Frisco/McKinney libraries will be posted soon

4th Annual Six Flags Read to Succeed tickets will arrive in May

Books purchased at the spring Scholastic Book Fair are on the way

It's time for some celebration!!!! The Sonntag library will soon be the proud owner of a BUNCH of new Playaways because of the Frisco Education Foundation's Grants for Great Ideas program. Mrs. Mattei wrote a grant at the beginning of the school year to request more of these awesome devices. The students cannot wait!! 

Calling all Sonntag students!!! Would you like to check out some awesome technology while you are in the library? You can check out a Macbook Air or an iPod Touch by simply signing your name on the cards at the circulation desk. Students have already started to check these amazing devices out! We hope to see you soon!! :) 

Happy Friday, Blogsters! I have a wonderful biography book for you to check out!! It's called Balloons Over Broadway: The True Story of the Puppeteer of Macy's Parade by Melissa Sweet. I don't know about you but I have watched the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade every year since I was a little girl. This amazing book tells the fascinating history of puppeteer & Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade pioneer Tony Sarg using a variety of real pictures and original illustrations by Melissa Sweet. Please make sure that you click on the links below to find out more about the author as well as this time-honored tradition! Happy reading! 

Tells the story of puppeteer Tony Sarg, the man who first invented the helium balloons that have become the trademark of the annual Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade.

Want to learn more about author/illustrator Melissa Sweet? Click here!

Want to learn more about the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade? Click here!

Check out this footage from the 1939 Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade (there is no sound)! 

Welcome back, Sonntag Peeps!!! It is so great to see you again! We hope your summer was amazing!

A new school year means changes in the Sonntag library! Check out some pictures of the new displays & bulletin boards. Happy reading! :)

Check Out Our 5th Grade Ecosystems Research! 

This week the 5th grade students completed their ecosystems research using our amazing library resources. The students were researching for information on ecosystems such as deserts, tundras, prairies, oceans, and rainforests. Not only did the students use the online databases to search for information about their ecosystem but they also utilized the library books and encyclopedias. The students were eager researchers and enjoyed collaborating with each other to dig for important information about their ecosystem. The final ecosystems products will include a written report. Check out our busy researchers:

On April 14, 1912, the maiden voyage of the great Titanic tragically struck an iceberg and sank to the bottom of the north Atlantic sea. Even 100 years later, the once believed unsinkable ocean liner still fascinates people of all ages. The students of Sonntag are no exception. Students from Kindergarten through 5th grade (as well as their librarian) have shown a tremendous interest in learning about the Titanic and the people who traveled on this ship. Even though the 100th anniversary of the sinking of the Titanic isn't until April, student interest inspired Mrs. Mattei to create a display for students to learn more about this amazing ship. Check it out:

Don't forget to check out some of these Titanic books in the Sonntag Library:

Check out Gordan Korman's Titanic Trilogy:

Unsinkable

Collision Course 

S.O.S. 

All Stations! Distress! April 15, 1912, the Day the Titanic Sank

by Don Brown

Presents an illustrated account of the Titanic's deadly voyage on April 12, 1912, when two thousand passengers, rich and poor alike, fought to survive the tragedy while partially filled lifeboats launched into the night with seven hundred people as some family members stayed behind.

Inside the Titanic

by Ken Marschall

Text and cut-away illustrations feature the stories of real-life children who sailed aboard the Titanic on the night of its disaster in the North Atlantic.

Nightmare on the Titanic

by William Caper

Describes what happened during the sinking of the "Titanic" and discusses its causes, tragic cost, and aftermath. The Titanic: An Interactive History Adventure by Bob Temple

Describes the events surrounding the sinking of the ship "Titanic" in 1912, revealing the historical details from the perspectives of a first-class passenger, a third-class passenger, and a crew member.

Want to check out more Titanic books in the Sonntag Library? Click here!

- Links to Love - 

Want to know more about Gordan Korman's Titanic trilogy? Click here! 

Check out this National Geographic Kids article: Click here!

Titanic facts & statistics: Click here!

Encyclopedia Titanica: Click here!

Happy reading! :) 

- My Cup Runneth Over! -

I am absolutely thrilled!! I found out yesterday that I won the grant that I applied for through the Frisco Education Foundation!!! This grant will bring iPod Touches into the Sonntag library and the students will be able to connect to great books in new and unique ways. When the students want explore new authors or book trailers, I will not have to take the school's devices away from classroom use. Click here and check out how the school's devices have been used  by students in the library this year! The students are excited and I cannot wait to get these into the hands of students! Happy reading!

 Check out that check! 

Ask me about my great idea!

- The Sonntag Library is Walking in a Winter Wonderland! -

Check out these photos of some 'cool' winter displays! Happy reading! :) 

Welcome to the Sonntatg Library!

 Need something to read for the holidays or the winter? There's a book for that!

 Check out these 'cool' ornaments in the window!

I LOVE the book The Snowy Day by Ezra Jack Keates! Do you? Check it out!

- Links to Love -

Want to learn more about Ezra Jack Keates? Click here!

Want to learn more about winter animals? Click here! 

Don't you just love fables? I do! Many of the fables that we have come to love were a part of the collection called Aesop's Fables.* One of the fables I remember my mom telling me when I was a little kid was the story of the 'Boy Who Cried Wolf.' This fable stuck with me even as I became an educator and have used it to help my young students understand the importance of telling the truth. This fable can actually be found in our library:

The Boy Who Cried Wolf

Retold by B.G. Hennessy

 

A boy tending sheep on a lonely mountainside thinks it a fine joke to cry "wolf" and watch the people come running--and then one day a wolf is really there, but no one answers his call.

If you love the original tale then you will love Alex Latimer's twist on this story:

The Boy Who Cried Ninja

by Alex Latimer

 A young boy named Tim is accused of lying when he tells his parents that a ninja ate the last piece of cake and a sunburned crocodile landed on the roof, so he figures out a way to prove that he is telling the truth.

- Links to Love - 

Want to learn more about Alex Latimer? Click here!

*Want to learn more about Aesop's Fables? Click here!

Happy reading! :)

- Do You Know the History of Frisco? - 

(Retired Frisco ISD Librarian Catherine Fowler does!)

Last week in the Sonntag Library, 3rd grade students had the distinct privilege of hearing about the history of Frisco, Texas from the Frisco ISD legend Catherine Fowler. In order to prepare for their study trip to the Frisco Heritage Museum Mrs. Fowler brought a wealth of knowledge and antiques to Sonntag for the 3rd graders to see and touch. The students learned about how the pioneers settled this community as well as how much Frisco, Texas has changed over the past 109 years. Check out some of the pictures from the presentation: 

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- Books to Love - 

Want to learn more? Check out these good reads in the Sonntag library:

Frisco: The First 100 Years

by Steve Quinn

Describes the history of the community of Frisco, Texas, through many voices of its past and present residents.

Reading, 'Riting, and 'Rithmetic: Early Schools of the Frisco, Texas Area

by The Heritage Association of Frisco, Inc. 

Describes the history of schools in the Frisco area from the late Nineteenth through the beginning of the Twenty-first Centuries.

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- Links to Love - 

Did you know that Fowler Middle School is named after Mrs. Fowler? Click here! 

Want to learn more about the Frisco Heritage Museum? Click here!

Happy reading! :) 

- Books of the WEEK by Mrs. Mattei - 

What a wonderful week in the Sonntag library! In order to get ready for the our visit from author Kate Klise on Friday, October 7th, the students of Sonntag listened to her books and explored her life as an author! The students also learned that she even collaborates with her illustrator sister M. Sarah Klise to create her amazing books. 

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Kindergarten & 1st grades talked all about their imaginary friends (even Mrs. Mattei had two of them when she was a little girl) and listened to Ms. Klise's amazing story Imagine Harry.

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2nd & 3rd grade not only learned about what life was like in the 1800's, they also learned about the incredible 8 foot tall woman named Ella Kate Ewing. Her story is a fantastic example of how it is great to be unique. It was so amazing to see how the kids picked up on the difficult circumstances that Ella Kate lived with each day. Their perspective on how we are supposed to treat others was truly inspiring. In Ms. Klise's book Stand Straight, Ella Kate: The True Story of a Real Giant the students learned about her larger-than-life journey and how she changed her community. 

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4th & 5th grades learned about the life of Kate Klise using the magic of technology. The students rotated through three different technology stations: a Kate Klise glog, a Kate Klise video (see below) on iTouches, as well as a QR code station also using iTouches! The students got such a kick out of learning through technology! Check out some of the pictures from the 4th & 5th grade activities:

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Check out the Kate Klise Animoto from Good Morning Sonntag!

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Want to see the awesome Kate Klise video? Check it out:

Happy reading, Peeps!!! :)

- New Boards for a New Year! - 

Check out these new & nifty Sonntag Library bulletin boards! 

Don't forget to 'fall into a good book' this season! 

Where in the world did YOU read this summer? Did you read in a unique place? If so, find out more information about how YOU can get your picture placed on this board by clicking here! 

Want to know more about what is happening in the Sonntag Library? Check out the Library Book Bits board!

Happy reading, Peeps! :)

Happy School Year! 

Don't forget to chill out with a good book!!!

Mrs. Mattei & Paz the Library Pengin 

Mrs. Mirsky & Paz the Library Penguin

We hope y'all have a fantastic year!!!! Happy reading! :)

Book of the Day by Mrs. Mattei...

and a Poetry Cafe!!!!!

Are you feeling COOL as a cat?? Well, Daddy-O, check out the 2nd grade's first annual Poetry Cafe that celebrated all of the cool moms out there! We hope you dig it!!
Peace out!!!

Welcome to the COOL Poetry Cafe hosted by our COOL 2nd graders!

Our COOL cats...well...moms enjoyed some tasty treats while they got their kicks watching their students read their poems.

Look at our COOL 2nd graders waiting for their turn at the mic!!

What could be COOLER than sharing some poetry???

Now, we hope you aren't to COOL for poetry. Why don't you get your kicks with these great poetry books and books with kickin' rhymes...

All the World

by Liz Garton Scanlon & Marla Frazee (illustrator)

Follows a group of family members and friends through the course of a day as they learn the importance of all things great and small.

Check out Liz Garton Scanlon's website!

Check out Marla Frazee's website, too!

Mirror Mirror: A Book of Reversable Verse

by Marilyn Singer & Josee Massee

A Collection of poems which, when reversed, provide new perspectives on the fairy tale characters they feature.

Smelly Locker: Silly Dilly School Songs

by Alan Katz & David Catrow (illustrator)

Well-known songs, including "Oh Susannah" and "Take Me Out to the Ballgame," are presented with new words and titles, such as "Heavy Backpack!" and "I Don't Want to Do Homework!"

Stand Tall, Molly Lou Melon

by Patty Lovell & David Catrow (illustrator)

Even when the class bully at her new school makes fun of her, Molly remembers what her grandmother told her and she feels good about herself.

For more fun with David Catrow, check his kickin' website out!

Also, enjoy watching him draw Molly Lou Melon!!!

The video was retrieved from www.catrow.com.

Book of the Day by Mrs. Mattei!

Do you love big cats? Have you ever wished that you had a lion at your house? Then this book is for you! (P.S. Don't try this at home!)

Christian the Lion
By Anthony (Ace) Bourke

Details the experiences of Anthony Bourke and John Rendall, who bought a lion cub from a department store, named him Christian, raised him as a pet, reintroduced him to the wild in Kenya, and years later received a warm welcome from the grown lion.

You may also like:

Honey--Honey--Lion!
by Jan Brett

After working together to obtain honey, the African honey badger always shares it with his partner, the honeyguide bird, until one day when the honey badger becomes greedy and his feathered friend decides to teach him a lesson.

Check out Jan Brett's amazing website!!

Want to learn how to draw like Jan Brett? Check out this amazing video! Happy reading...and drawing! :)

Learn How to draw an African elephant with Jan Brett. For more Drawing How-To Videos & Articles, visit WonderHowTo.

Looking for some great reads over the summer?

Check out what the Frisco Public Library has in store for YOU!!!

All of the summer fun begins June 3!!!*

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Also, check out what's going on in the McKinney Public Library this summer!!!

All the summer fun begins here June 6!!!

*Note: The picture was retrieved from the Frisco Public Library website.

Dear Friends, I think this is going to be the beginning of a beautiful journey...

Greetings, Dear Friends! Welcome to my little, bitty book blog! My name is Mrs. Mattei and I am the librarian at Sonntag Elementary. I am a rookie librarian and am excited about the journey that is unfolding ahead of me. My passion is teaching children the love of learning and just plain getting lost in a good book.

I hope that by reading this blog, whether you are a parent, a student, or somewhere in between, you will be inspired to live, laugh, and read! I'm so glad that you are here, Dear Friends!