Look What's Happening @ the #gselibrary!

It has been a BUSY week in the Sonntag Library! Look what Sonntag Readers have been up to!! 

This week, Kinder Readers listened to the story I'm A Turkey by Jim Arnosky. We talked about what it would be like to actually BE a turkey. We also well as sang our "Book Nook Song" as if we were actually turkeys and made our hands turn into turkeys (see above)... GOBBLE! GOBBLE!! After we heard the turkey story, the Kinder Readers completed a color-a-sight-word turkey sheet to practice their sight words! 

Sonntag 1st Grade Readers heard George Shannon's turkey story Turkey Tot. This story is a great example to use when discussing the Character Lab trait GRIT! In the story, every friend of Turkey Tot doesn't believe he can reach the yummy blueberries. However, Turkey Tot sticks with it and creatively creates a tool to help him achieve his goal. It's a great story and the Readers LOVED learning about Turkey Tot's journey! 

Sonntag 2nd Grade Readers are currently listening to another Mo Willems' great read The Story of Diva & Flea. Since this book is on the Texas 2x2 Reading List AND is a chapter book, I wanted the students to have an opportunity to hear this amazing story of two unlikely friends. The Readers looked in an atlas to see where the story was set (Paris, France) and even found a few of Mr. Willems' classic characters hidden in the pictures. The readers will be hearing this story for the next few weeks  and hopefully more students will join the 2x2 Reading Club! 

The last groups of Sonntag 3rd Grade Readers completed their final Book Tasting activities. It was such a joy to watch these Readers discover books they may otherwise not pick up. In addition, 3rd grade teachers discovered some great reads to share in their classes as read-alouds! 

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Over the next few weeks, Sonntag 4th & 5th Grade Readers have been and will continue to learn about the art of reading and enjoying graphic novels. It is one of  THE most popular book formats in the #gselibrary but it is also one of the most misread and misunderstood. It's been amazing watching these Readers get excited about learning the finer details of these books. In the coming weeks, the Readers will dive into a few graphic novels and complete some challenges with them. Hopefully this section will continue to grow in size & popularity! 

The Sonntag Library Makerspace is really taking shape. This week, a few 4th graders discovered Makey Makey. Oh, they went bonkers playing Tetris online!! It was so awesome to watch them tinker with different Makey Makey tasks! 

Sonntag Library Statistics (April Edition)

(April Edition)

April was a very busy month in the Sonntag library! In order to prep for the STAAR testing days, classes came to the library in waves to check out books. 5th graders enjoyed lunch in the library to discuss the March book club book. Furthermore, the Sonntag students also enjoyed listening to a variety of poems during their library times and had the opportunity to take a poem home "in their pocket!" Check out the rest of the happenings in the Sonntag library below. Happy reading! :)

Number of Whole Class Visits: 

95

Number of Total Items Circulated (Checkouts & Checkins)

6,679

Number of Items in Collection

12,521

Library Instruction/Programs/Community Outreach 

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

Introduced the students to a variety of poems to celebrate Poetry Month

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

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  

Coordinated 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 activites 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 

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

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 and administered the STAAR testing throughout the month 

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

On the Horizon...

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

2nd annual "Sonntag Celebrates Children's Book Week" will be here from May 28th -31st

3rd annual bookmark contest is underway! All enteries are due on Wednesday, May 20th

3rd annual school-wide book checkin begins May 13th (all student and parent books are due on May 23rd)

Attention 5th Grade Readers!

Attention 5th graders! If you are interested in the 5th Grade Readers Book Club for the month of April, please click here to find out more information about how YOU can join in on all of the reading fun (you even get to eat lunch in the library). 

Here's the book of the month for April: 

I Survived the Sinking of the Titanic, 1912 by Lauren Tarshis

Ten-year-old George Calder's life changes forever as he, his little sister, Phoebe, and their Aunt Daisy set out across the ocean on the "Titanic" in 1912.

F TAR

We hope to see you in the library on Friday, May 3rd during the 5th grade lunch time! Happy reading! :)

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 

Attention 5th graders! If you are interested in the 5th Grade Readers Book Club for the month of March, please click here to find out more information about how YOU can join in on all of the reading fun (you even get to eat lunch in the library). 

Here's the book of the month for March: 

Book: School of Fear by Gitty Daneshvari

Twelve-year-olds Madeleine, Theo, and Lulu, and thirteen-year-old Garrison, are sent to a remote Massachusetts school to overcome their phobias, but tragedy strikes and the quartet must work together--with no adult assistance--to face their fears.

F DAN

We hope to see you in the library on Friday, April 5th during the 5th grade lunch time! Happy reading! :)

Attention 5th graders! If you are interested in the 5th Grade Readers Book Club for the month of February, please click here to find out more information about how YOU can join in on all of the reading fun (you even get to eat lunch in the library). 

Here's the book of the month for February: 

Book: Inside Out & Back Again by Thanhha Lai

Through a series of poems, a young girl chronicles the life-changing year of 1975, when she, her mother, and her brothers leave Vietnam and resettle in Alabama.

Click here for more details. 

We hope to see you in the library on Friday, March 1st during the 5th grade lunch time! Happy reading! :)

(December/January Edition)

Wow!! What a winter in the Sonntag library! Even though the year is half over, the activity in the library has just begun! Students and staff members alike have been busy checking out books as well as utilizing library resources. Furthermore, Bluebonnet Readers celebrated the end of the Blubonnet Voting "season" by casting their votes to voice their favorite book from this year's list (see pictures below). In addition, the library launched the 3rd annual Six Flags Read to Succeed program, the 'Read It Forward' program, as well as a brand new 5th Grade Readers Book Club! Check out the stats below and check back for more information about the happenings in the Sonntag library for the month of February! Happy reading!! 

Check out the pictures from the Bluebonnet Voting Party 2K13!

Number of Whole Class Visits: 

December:70

January:92

Number of Total Items Circulated (Checkouts & Checkins)

December: 4,463

January: 6,487

Number of Items in Collection

12,040

Library Instruction/Programs/Community Outreach

Planned the up the 2012-2013 spring Scholastic Book Fair 

Planned and hosted the first 5th Grade Readers Book Club

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

Launched the 3rd annual Six Flags Read to Succeed program

Launched the 'Read It Forward' program 

Planned and hosted the 2013 Bluebonnet Voting Party with elibible 3-5 graders

Conducted weekly UIL Spelling practices with the Sonntag UIL Spelling team

Moderated the Frisco ISD Libraries Reading Blog 

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

Administrative Activities

Put together a Playaway order using funds acquired from the Frisco Education Foundation 

Planned the spring Scholastic Book Fair

Planned and conducted weekly UIL Spelling practices with the Sonntag UIL Spelling team

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

Planned and launched the 3rd annual Six Flags Read to Succeed program

Planned and launched the 'Read It Forward' program 

Moderated the Frisco ISD Libraries Reading Blog 

Maintained the mobile app for the Sonntag Library

Served as a back-up standardized test administrator

Assisted staff members with the student Learning Academy 

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 

Acquired my CPR recertification

Attended campus meetings

Attended district library meetings

Read and kept up with new professional library journals

On the Horizon...

The deadline for the Six Flags Read to Succed forms is on February 19th 

Sonntag staff book club meeting in March

The spring Book Fair will run from February 11th - February 15th

Weekly UIL Spelling practices for the UIL Spelling Team (Competition on February 12th)

5th Grade Readers Book Club meeting will be on Friday, March 1st 21

Attention 5th graders! If you are interested in the 5th Grade Readers Book Club, please click here to find out more information about how YOU can join in on all of the reading fun (you even get to eat lunch in the library). 

Here's the book of the month for January: 

Book: I Survived the Shark Attacks of  1916 by Lauren Tarshis

Click here for more details. 

We hope to see you in the library on Friday, February 1st during the 5th grade lunch time! Happy reading!