Battle of the Books 2K14!!!

Are you ready for a battle of LITERARY proportions????? The Sonntag Library is hosting it's first annual 'Battle of the Books' to wrap up another amazing year! Each week the students will vote on the most popular books for this school year starting with the top 16. The students will cast their votes using GoogleForms and will be able vote as many times as they would like. Each week I will announce the winners. Check out the top 16 books for this week then check back next week for the winners and the next bracket. Happy reading!

Do you have a WONDER?

Check out Wonderopolis!! 

The Wonderopolis widget is located in the "Student Resources" section of the blog. 

Or

Click here to go to the website! 

Happy wondering!

March Stats

(March Edition)

Happy spring, Blogsters! March was another amazingly busy month in the Sonntag library. As students prepared to go on spring break, they stopped by to check out new reads. In addition, Mrs. Mattei was given the distinct opportunity to share the awesomeness that is MackinVia with the 3rd grade students in the computer labs as they prepared for their research. The students and teachers were equally excited to dive into research using this new online database collection. Check out some other statistics for the month of March. Happy reading! 

Number of Whole Class Visits: 

85

Number of Total Items Circulated (Checkouts & Checkins)

4,800

Number of Items in Collection

12,439

Library Instruction/Programs/Community Outreach 

Planned and hosted the 2nd 5th Grade Readers Book Club

Taught the 3rd grade students how to use  MackinVia & to be good digital citizens when finding reliable information

Collaborated with teachers to pull library materials as well as promoted Mackin Via for a variety of classroom projects 

Promoted and facilitated the 3rd annual Six Flags Read to Succeed program

Promoted the 2012-2013 Texas Bluebonnet Award Program with 3-5 grades

Promoted the 2012-2013 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  

Hosted parent library volunteers

Hosted & promoted the Sonntag Staff Book Club for the 2012-2013 school year in person and online using the Sonntag Staff Book Club blog

Administrative Activities 

Planned library lessons through the end of the school year

Added new items to the library collection as well as weeding damaged books out of the collection

Collaborated with teachers to pull library materials as well as promoted Mackin Via for a variety of classroom projects 

Promoted and facilitated the 3rd annual Six Flags Read to Succeed program

Maintained the mobile app for the Sonntag Library

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 & PTA newsletter

Purchased new library books and materials 

Updated library blog and Twitter account weekly

Planned weekly library lessons

Opened new parent accounts

Hosted new and returning library volunteers

Professional Development Activities 

Attended campus meetings & PTA Board meetings as the PTA Book Fair Chairperson 

Prepared to assist teachers and staff with the STAAR tests in April 

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

On the Horizon...

Sonntag staff book club meeting in April & May

More books are on the way using profit acquired from the spring Scholastic Book Fair

5th Grade Readers Book Club meeting will be on Friday, April 1st & May 3rd (final meeting)

Frisco ISD library legend Catherine Fowler will be coming to Sonntag in May to talk to our 3rd graders about the history of Frisco, TX 

Before the Thanksgiving break, the library, technology, and kindergarten staff members collaborated and hosted an AMAZING interactive technology and learning event that directly supported classroom lessons regarding pumpkins. The kindergarten students not only had the opportunity to listen to nonfiction stories about pumpkins, but they also participated in hands-on  pumpkin measurement activities as well as a wide variety of technology-centered stations around the library. The students (and staff members) had a FANTASTIC time and learned so much about this amazing fall icon. Some of the technology stations included pumpkin videos on iPod Touch devices, a Kidspiration Life Cycle activity on desktop computers, pumpkin puzzles on MacBook Airs, and MUCH more! A HUGE thank you goes out to the parent volunteers, teachers, and technology staff members who helped to make this all possible!! :)

Check out the pictures below to take a peek inside this awesome activity! 

(October Edition)

October was a very busy month in the Sonntag library. Between the Frisco Public Library Storytelling Festival for 4th graders and the fall Scholastic Book Fair, the library was REALLY hopping! Check out some nifty stats for the month of October! Happy reading! :)

Number of Whole Class Visits: 

120

Number of Total Items Circulated (Checkouts & Checkins)

1,764

Number of Items in Collection

11,956

Library Instruction/Programs/Community Outreach

Hosted the 2012-2013 fall Scholatic Book Fair 

Attended the Frisco Public Library Storytelling Festival with 4th grade

Participated in the Texas Library Accociation's Library Snapshot Day

Hosted as many classes as possbile for check out before the fall Book Fair 

Promoted the 2011-2012 Texas Bluebonnet Award Program with 3-5 grades

Promoted the 2011-2012 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 weekly 

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

Weekly preschool storytimes with future Sonntag students and families  

Hosted parent library volunteers

Hosted & promoted the Sonntag Staff Book Club for the 2012-2013 school year

Administrative Activities

Planned, coordinated, and hosted the fall Scholastic Book Fair

Gathered data and presented data to the district and state for the Texas Library Association's Library Snapshot Day 

Collaborated with tech facilitator and fellow librarian to create tech-based activities for a pumpkin study with kindergarten

Created a library technoloty check out station 

Maintained the mobile app for the Sonntag Library

Maintained a forum for staff to discuss book club books

Adjusted the library schedule to accommodate classes for various activities 

Attended ITBS training to act as a sub for the 2nd grade standardized testing

Contributed to Specials weekly newsletter

Purchased new library books and materials 

Updated library blog and Twitter account weekly

Planned weekly library lessons

Opened new parent accounts

Hosted new and returning library volunteers

Professional Development Activities 

Attended campus meetings

Read and kept up with new professional library journals  

On the Horizon...

Sonntag staff book club meeting in November & December

More books for the library collection from the Book Fair are on their way! 
UIL Spelling tryouts and practices are around the corner

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!! :) 

Check out what just arrived in the Sonntag library!!

The library now owns 21 new playaways for the students to enjoy! Some of the new titles include Frindle, Ella Enchanted, & much more! 

Stop by the library to check them out. Happy reading! :)

Sonntag Bluebonnet Readers who have read 5 or more books have cast their votes! The votes were sent to the Texas Library Association in order to be counted with other students across the state of Texas! We have 2 extraordinary Sonntag winners. Drum roll please...

Out of My Mind 

by Sharon Draper

and 

The Strange Case of Origami Yoda

by Tom Angleberger

Check out the pictures from the 2nd Annual Sonntag Bluebonnet Voting Party! The students had a blast talking about the books, voting for their favorite book, as well as working on a variety of Bluebonnet-related technology centers. 

- Links to Love - 

Want to learn more about author Sharon Draper? Click here! 

Want to learn more about author Tom Angleberger? Click here!

- 2012-2013 Bluebonnet List -

 The next list will be introduced to the Sonntag students towards the end of the year. Keep an eye out for the next list. Happy reading! :)

 - Do you love writing crazy stories? 4th grade does! - 

4th grade has been reading the realistic fiction book Frindle by Andrew Clements.  In this book, 5th grader Nick Allen decides to change the name of a very important writing tool, the pen, to the made-up word known as the Frindle. You wouldn't believe the amount of chaos this causes in Nick's school! 

During the 4th graders' library time, the students had the opportunity to create their own stories using a free website that is similar to Mad Libs. Using the amazing website Wacky Web Tales and an iPad, the students used the parts of speech to create their own stories. The students not only had a blast creating these hilarious stories, they also had practice with grammar and tricky parts of speech. Check out a few of their creations!

- Links to Love - 

Want to learn more about author Andrew Clements? Click here!

Want to make your own Wacky Web Tale? Click here!

- 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!

Kids and technology. Technology and kids. These days it seems that one cannot have one element without the other. :) With the availability of amazing technology it is so important for kids to not only have exposure to technology but to also know how to successfully manipulate it.

This week in the Sonntag library's weekly preschool storytime, the 'wee readers' had the opportunity to use an iPad (using the 'You Can Do It' app) to practice their colors as well as hear two unique stories about the colors of the rainbow. Check out these pictures!

- Books to Love -

Here are the two books that the 'wee readers' enjoyed! 

Full Color

by Etienne Delessert

Illustrations and simple text help young readers to identify their primary colors and how they can be mixed to create other colors.

Brown Bear, Brown Bear, What Do You See?

by Bill Martin Jr. & Eric Carle

Children learn about animals and colors as they see a variety of animals, each one a different color, and a teacher looking at them.

- Links to Love -

Want to learn more about Bill Martin, Jr.? Click here!

Want to learn more about Eric Carle? Click here! 

Check out this color song! Happy reading...and singing! :)

(Song link is from YouTube)

In Technology Awe!

Technology never ceases to amaze me! As I sit here in my comfy chair preparing for the week I am blogging from my phone! It is so amazing to me that only 10 short years ago my phone only made calls! Who'da thunk? I am eager to see what will innovate the world next! Happy reading, Peeps! 

Oh! By the way! It's the 100th post!! Woo-hoo!!! :) 

- 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!

* * * * *


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

Happy reading, Peeps!!! :)

Attention teachers, parents, and fellow bloggers! Have you ever read a GREAT book but completely forgot the name of the book or who the author was? Are you just trying to get more ideas of great reads? Have no fear! Goodreads is here!! Goodreads is an online social networking tool that not only allows you to keep track of the books you are reading, want to read, or have already read. You can follow what your friends, family, or even your Tweeps or Facebook peeps are reading. Please feel free to check out my page to see what children's, teen, and adult reads I am reading. I am always up for great book suggestions. Hope to see you there! 

*Note to students: Please talk to your parents or guardians before signing up for Goodreads! It is always a good idea to have your parents guidance when you are surfing the internet! Thank you. :)