Media matters, Vol. 11, Issue 9 (Apr. 2012)

April 2012
Volume 11 Number 9

Media Matters
A newsletter for people who care about Library Media Programs

Inside this issue:

Quick Facts

2

Exemplary info

3

Poetry Slam

4

Wrinkle in Time

5

Kingston Elementary 6

Invitation

8

Heard County Middle 9

50 Ways

10

Database of the Month 13

Research Weekend

14

Children's Lit

15

Conference pics

Ridgeview Charter pics 16

Medlock Bridge pics

17

Calendar

18

What is School Library Month?
School Library Month (SLM) is the American Association of School Librarians' (AASL) celebration of school librarians and their programs. Every April school librarians are encouraged to create activities to help their school and local community celebrate the essential role that strong school library programs play in a student's educational career. Read about the history of School Library Month.
The 2012 theme is You belong @ your library. The AASL School Library Month Committee is busy planning activities and creating resources to help school librarians celebrate. Check their website (http://www.ala.org/aasl/ aaslissues/slm/schoollibrary ) often for new materials.

Selfishness must always be forgiven you know, because there is no hope of a cure. ~ Jane Austen

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Media Matters

Volume 11 Number 9

QUICK FACTS ABOUT GEORGIA PUBLIC EDUCATION

Total Number of Public School Students: 1,633,596 (2010-11) 1,639,077 (2011-2012)

(2011-12)

Race/Ethnicity

Number

Percentage

o White o Black o Hispanic

723,476

4.1

605,878

37.0

199,252

12.2

Gender o Male o Female

Number Percentage

837,366

51.1

801,711

48.9

o Asian

56,312

3.4

o Other

54,159

3.3

Other Facts

Number

o Eligible for free/reduced lunch 988,394

Percentage 58.7

o Special Education 169,954

o Limited English Proficiency

83,965

o Students Transported (2010-11) 1,015,103

10.4 5.1 61.9

(*Percentages of advanced placement and dual enrollment are calculated based on the total number of high school students, and percentage of students enrolled in Georgia Virtual School is based on the total number of middle and high school students)

o Advanced Placement Enrollment (2010-11) 81,560

17.2*

o Dual Enrollment

5,072

1.1*

o Enrolled in Georgia

Virtual School

1,938

0.2*

Total Number of Schools:

2,288 (2010-11)

2,289 (2011-12)

Number of schools Percentage

Number of Students

Percentage

o Elementary

1,335

58.3

791,883

48.3

o Middle

485

21.2

371,118

22.6

o High School

461

20.1

473,371

28.9

o K through 12

8

0.3

2,705

0.2

Charter Schools

212

--

137,423

-

Media Matters

Volume 11 Number 9

Page 3

1754 Twin Towers East 205 Jesse Hill Jr. Drive Atlanta, Georgia 30334
Phone: 404-657-9800 Fax: 404-656-5744 E-mail: jserrite@doe.k12.ga.us

Live that your friends can defend you, but never have to. ~ Arnold H. Glasow

The 2012 Exemplary Library Media Program information is now available on the GaDOE website. The deadline for applications is May 31, 2012. Some of the requirements (as well as the GaDOE website) have changed this year so be sure to read the directions carefully.

http://www.gadoe.org/Curriculum-Instruction-and-Assessment/ Curriculum-and-Instruction/Documents/Exemplary%20application% 20and%20directions_2012.pdf

Advocacy Tip
Increasing visibility within your school community can be as simple as posting a thought-provoking question in an all-school or PTA bulletin or the school's reader board. Suggestions include:
Are your students sometimes frustrated by the volume of information they must weed through to find their research answers?
Are your students spending more time filtering or authenticating rather than reading and absorbing research?
Does your child know how to dig for the truth in research? Does your child know where to research first for unbiased information?
There are some places you love with your heart, and there are some places you love with your mind....the places that you love with both are called libraries. ~ Frank Delaney

Media Matters

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Peachtree City students win Atlanta Hawks' Poetry Slam

Two Peachtree City students took first and second places in a regional poetry contest sponsored by the Atlanta Hawks.

A student from Peachtree City, Malcolm McLachlan, who attends The Campus in Peachtree City, won first place out of all 15 participants.

In second place was Morgan Ritson of McIntosh High School in Peachtree City.

These 15 students from 10 different schools in eight different counties throughout Georgia presented their poems in the final round of competition.

The theme for this year's Poetry Slam was I Was Born This Way and finalists were judged on connection to the topic, overall message and originality/ creativity.

The Hawks hosted their 4th annual Poetry Slam March 22 at Atlanta's Hard Rock Cafe. Nominations for the Atlanta Hawks Poetry Slam were accepted through Feb. 24, 2012 and open to high school students in grades 9-12 who attend school within 75 miles of Philips Arena.

These high school kids were so very impressive with what they spoke about, said Alison Sawyer, director of corporate communications for the Atlanta Hawks and Philips Arena.

Judges were Willie Green, Atlanta Hawks guard; Judy Serritella, coordinator of Library Media Services, Fine Arts, and Literacy Support for the Georgia Department of Education; Devika Rao, Atlanta-based writer with a weekly column, Doing Good, in the AJC; Trent North, principal of Carrollton Middle School North.

Winners: 1st Malcolm McLachlan: The Campus in Peachtree City

From The Citizen: newspaper of Fayette County

2nd -- Morgan Ritson: McIntosh High School

3rd -- Cinnamon : Temple High School

Media Matters

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Kingston Media Center Recognized During Open House
by Mark Andrews Daily Tribune (Bartow County)
In September, Kingston Elementary School received an Exceptional Library Media Program Award, which, according to the Georgia Department of Education's Judy Serritella, "honor[s] and recognize[s] outstanding library media programs and the library media specialists who create a nurturing environment, a place for learning outside of the classroom, and are educators in the true sense of the word."
On Friday the media center opened its doors to parents and community members to see the role the center plays at the school.
"[Lori Pilgrim] not only takes the role of media specialist, but she's a certified teacher as well," Principal Stefany Howard said.
Howard explained Pilgrim works with teachers and the school's technology specialist to help provide supplemental instruction to students while also meeting the various media-related needs of students and teachers.
"[Pilgrim and the media center] are the hub of this building. ... Without her, it wouldn't be possible," Howard said. "She's definitely got her hand in every academic aspect."
Students greeted guests at the open house and provided a tour for the various stations at the media center, which include a self-check out, computers for Accelerated Reader testing and a studio for producing WKES, the school's televised morning news show.
The students present during The Daily Tribune News' visit to the center were positive about the role the center plays at the school.
(continued on next page)

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"Actually, the media center is my favorite place to be. I love to read," said fifth-grader Breana Waynick.
Fifth-grade student Hallie Howard said she likes how Pilgrim teaches lessons that help with what she's learning in class.
"She goes over vocabulary and stuff with us and it's really great," Howard said.
Students like fifth-grader Lindsay Worthington work behind the scenes of the WKES morning announcement show, which informs students of the day's lunch menu, upcoming school activities, humor and trailers for books.
Fifth-grader Gyllian Thomas also works on the set and said using props like a director's clapper board, funny hats and glasses help the group reach younger students.
"We like to add the humor in because then all the little kindergartners and first-graders like it," Thomas said. "It gets the point [across], but it's fun and everything."
Throughout the library is the theme Driven To Read" in which students are encouraged to read up to one million words during the school year, with the books being marked with their word count.
"The Driven To Read books are really easy to find because they have a yellow label," fourth-grader Joseph Forsyth said, adding he has read one million words.
Teachers echoed Howard's statements about the role of Pilgrim and the media center being the hub of the school.
"Whether it's a unit or thematic unit, I can call [Pilgrim] and say, 'we're doing a unit on bugs,' and then when we'll come to the library she'll either have something through the Promethean board or story or activity to support our Georgia Performance Standards and those type of things," said kindergarten teacher Dana Moore.
Fourth-grade teacher Ginger Land said while the center provides technology resources, Pilgrim also continues an emphasis on reading.
"She has expanded [Accelerated Reader] into all different Lexile forms, different levels of books she can use, she incorporates it to where the students become aware of where they're at and how they can grow," Land said, adding Pilgrim has helped students become comfortable with finding items at the library. "... They are very knowledgeable of where they can find material, not just here, but where they can find it at the community library and that expands from the classroom to community."
Pilgrim said while she appreciates the media center receiving state recognition, she wants parents and the community to see the value and role of media centers in schools.
"The award was nice, but my goal with today too was to show people in our community and our board of education what goes on in a media center nowadays," Pilgrim said. "We used to have libraries, now we have media centers and everything we do supports the curriculum in some sort of way and so many people are unaware of what goes on in here and that's why I asked the students to show [visitors] what they're learning.
"A lot of people think we sit at a desk and check books in and out all day and that's just a small part of what goes on in here."

The line separating good and evil passes not through states, nor between political parties either-but right through every human heart. ~ Alexander Solzhenitsyn

Media Matters

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Media Matters

HEARD COUNTY MIDDLE OPEN HOUSE

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Media Program `Exceptional' at HCMS
Professional educators from as far away as Americus, Georgia and Montgomery, Alabama came to Heard County Media Center's open house Thursday (March 15). The HCMS Media Center is one of three middle school library media programs to be selected by the Georgia Department of Education as an Exceptional Library Media Program for 2011.
More than 60 visitors, including Rep. Randy Nix, Heard County Commission Chair June Jackson and Heard County School Superintendent Jerry Prince attended the event. Educators from Carroll County, Pike County, Haralson County, Troup County and Alabama were among the guests who attended the event.
The event was hosted by HCMS Principal Mike Roberts, Media Specialist Glovis South and Media Assistant Janet Scott. Barnes & Noble, Follett Library Resources, Galileo, Renaissance Place, Scholastic and Surpass (library software company) were featured in professional learning stations set up in the media center. Visitors were able to scan QR codes for links and information and were able to ask questions to representatives from B&N (J.C. Barb), Follett (Ben Myers) and GALILEO Support Services (Courtney McGough). A special learning station was set up with iPads and eReaders for a Words With Friends tournament between the top student
Continued on next page
Students challenged administrators in a Words With Friends Tournament Thursday, March 15 at Heard County Middle School. The tournament was part of the media center's open house festivities. From left: Heard County Commissioner June Jackson, Riley Curbow, Anna Sims, Rep. Randy Nix, Carmen Elrod, Heard County School Superintendent Jerry Prince, Elexus Spradlin and Ashlyn James.

Media Matters
Professionals from as far away as Forsyth, Georgia, Montgomery and Auburn, Alabama visited the media center during the Exceptional Media Program Open House. Dawn Lanca, media specialist from Pike County, won the Barnes and Noble Gift Basket. (Shown with J.C. Barb/Newnan B&N).

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readers and administrators. Visitors were particularly interested in procedures for checking out eReaders (Nooks, Kindles) to students and how iPads are being used to teach technology and information literacy skills. For information about the media program at HCMS, go to http:// bravesread.net. Follow Mrs. South @BravesRead and Mr. Roberts @MikeRoberts1973 on Twitter.
Auburn High School Media Specialist Nikki Robertson (@NikkiDRobertson) posted these comments on her blog: When I arrived at Heard County Middle School I immediately understood why Heard County Middle School received such a distinguished award. The office staff greeted me with such warmth and kindness. Then I arrived at Glovis South's (@Bravesread) exceptional library and saw students playing Words With Friends on iPads (acquired with a grant) with principal, Mike Roberts aka: @mikeroberts1973, school superintendent Jerry Prince and Representative Nix. Students can earn access to the Internet Cafe located in the library where they can play games on iPads, enjoy beverages and other perks. ...
Prizes, including a gift basket from B&N, were given throughout the day. Scholastic donated an autographed hard cover book by Brian Selznick. The school's news crew members and WWF team spoke to visitors throughout the day about the media center's reading and technology elements.
Anna Sims shows Heard County Commissioner June Jackson how to make a play in Words With Friends. Also shown: Riley Curbow and Temple High School Media Specialist Sabrina Thompson.

AASL Fifty Ways to Succeed @: Your Library Managing, Teaching, Public Relations and That Extra Effort
Blanche Woolls (bwoolls@slis.sjsu.edu)
Managing: Make your library appealing to all who enter. Don't put up with broken, scarred, wrong size mismatched furniture and shelving Improve your signage. Take some hints from public librarians. Merchandise your collection. Weed your collection. Change displays, bulletin boards, exhibitions frequently. Be sure you help students learn about continuing their educations.

Teaching: Work with teachers and students making the teaching job easier for teachers and the learning job easier for
students. Meet with teachers informally and formally and plan. Teach, with their teachers, things students need to learn. Teach your teachers all the new bells and whistles technology has to offer. Take all teachers with a smile. Share with your teachers new articles from your professional collection. Dream up new ways to approach same old same old. Be especially helpful with new teachers or things new to a teacher. Encouraging reading has always been our assignment.

Public Relations Copy Wal-Mart's greeter scheme. Watch rules. Watch and remove rules that limit students. Make sure the students understand it is their library. Overcome overdues.

Continued on next page

Forget fines.

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Resist broadcasting any negative messages over the public address system.

Resist negative reminders in the library.

Have great programs.

Encourage students to volunteer in the library.

Keep the principal informed of exciting things going on in the library.

Maintain a great web site where you have links to great information.

Keep your principal informed about what is new in the professional literature.

Have an advisory committee for the library.

Provide at least one event in the library each semester to show parents.

That extra effort

Watch for opportunities for proposal writing.

Find out about contests in which your students can participate.

Find out about field trips.

Don't miss school events.

Show your worth.

Keep records of your successful experiences.

Conduct real research.

Make frequent reports.

Visit your legislators.

Invite the school board to your school.

Invite your legislators to visit your school.

Volunteer to provide a session at your state conference.

Volunteer to write for a professional periodical.

Bring in the media as often as you can.

In closing,

Make sure students understand Frances Henne's description of the ultimate in information literacy: For some students, and in certain schools, this may be many students, the only library skill that they should have to acquire is an awareness imprinted indelibly and happily upon them, that the library is a friendly place where the librarians are eager to help.

Think before you whine, then don't.

Most of all, enjoy your job, all day, every day. The contribution you are making to the teachers and students in your school cannot be measured.

Smile.

Media Matters

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I think that I shall never see a billboard lovely as a tree. Perhaps unless the billboards fall, I'll never see a tree at all. ~ Ogden Nash
Database of the Month

Vanishing Georgia comprises nearly 18,000 photographs. Ranging from daguerreotypes to Kodachrome prints, the images span over 100 years of Georgia history. The broad subject matter of these photographs, shot by both amateurs and professionals, includes, but is not limited to, family and business life, street scenes and architecture, agriculture, school and civic activities, important individuals and events in Georgia history, and landscapes. The wide variety of the collected visual images results from efforts by archivists from the Georgia Division of Archives and History who sought, between 1975 and 1996, to preserve Georgia's endangered historical photographs. Designed primarily for preservation, the project located, selected, and copied historically significant photographs held by individuals who wanted to share their pieces of the past with future generations. The Georgia Archives joins with the Digital Library of Georgia and GALILEO (Board of Regents, University System of Georgia) to present the Vanishing Georgia images as part of the Georgia HomePLACE initiative. Support for the project is provided by a Library Services and Technology Act grant administered by the Institute of Museum and Library Services through the Georgia Public Library Service.

To err on the side of kindness is seldom an error. ~ Liz Armbruster

Research Weekend: Librarians can play a key role in keeping at-risk kids in school
http://www.nodropouts.org/blog/research-weekendlibrarians-can-play-key-role-keeping-risk-kids-school? rce=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=F eed%3A+NoDropouts+%28No+Dropouts% utm_content=Google+Reader
Librarians can be the unsung heroes who provide personal attention, improved relationships with adults and engaging curriculum to students who are at risk of dropping out.
That's according to Jami L. Jones of the Department of Library Sciences at East Carolina University. In "Dropout prevention through the school library," Jones offers a research-based framework to improve graduation outcomes by engaging school librarians in the fight to keep students in school.
In this installment of Research Weekend, they look at how librarians can be the tipping point when students are choosing whether to stay in school.
Noting the importance of resiliency to graduation outcomes for at-risk students, Jones emphasized the role librarians can play in building caring and supportive relationships, setting high expectations and creating opportunities for meaningful participation.
To create supportive relationships, librarians should be accessible, encourage conversation with students by asking for their input and provide developmentally appropriate instruction.
Librarians can create high expectations by creating challenging and engaging lessons requiring students to stretch cognitively and intellectually and by sending messages that leave no room for excuses. Students can become engaged in meaningful participation by joining the library board or working on projects overseen by the librarian.
To help school leaders think about these roles, Jones created the Library Ladder of Resiliency. Its five rungs are:
Making connections -- students engage with a mentor. Reading -- Students who read well by grade four are much more likely to graduate than their less-literate peers. Problem-solving skills -- Students who participate in after-school activities that teach critical thinking are more likely to stay in school. Social skills -- Making and keeping friends increases a student's resiliency. Hobbies and Interests -- Librarians should encourage students to pursue their interests. That's not all librarians can offer at-risk students. Research shows that quality teaching helps keep students engaged in school -- and Jones argues that doesn't just happen in the classroom. But just like good classroom teaching, library-based instruction must offer students solid research-based curriculum, challenging goals and individualized instruction.
Are you a part of your school's strategy for keeping at-risk students engaged?
Love all, trust a few, do wrong to none. ~ William Shakespeare

Media Matters
Media Specialist Jim Randolph and illustrator Mike Wimmer at the Georgia Children's Literature Conference

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Author Jody Feldman and student Hanna Lee (who rode her bike to the conference to hear her favorite author speak).

UGA Professor and Director of the Georgia Children's Literature Conference Joel Taxel with one of the many attendees.
People who fly into a rage always make a bad landing. ~ Will Rogers

Feeling gratitude and not expressing it is like wrapping a present and not giving it. ~ William A. Ward
A very happy parent (on left) attended the Open House.

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Open House at Ridgeview Charter Middle School !

Loved this display idea!
From your parents you learn love and laughter and how to put one foot in front of the other. But when books are opened, you discover you have wings. ~ Helen Hayes

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Open House at Medlock Bridge Elementary
Kathy Politis and Fulton County Media Coordinator Brenda Pruitt-Annisette.
I love this picture!

Loved these ideas. The book has map of Georgia and the year the title was a nominee. There is also a small sticker on the spine that indicates the nomination. The flowers were a table direction and if you look closely you can tell they are handprints of the students.

April 2012

Su nday
1
April Fool's Day!

Georgia Department of Education

Mond ay

Tuesday

2

3

Hans Christ ian Pony Express

Andersen born: established:

1805-1875

1860

What did

Washi ngt on

Irving write?

Wed nesday
4
Maya Angelou: 1928-

Thu rsday

Fr iday

5

6

Booker T.

Who are

Washi ngt on

Matthew

born: 1856-1915 Henson and

Robert Perry?

Satu rd ay
7
Birthday of Wi lliam Wo r ds w o rth : 1770-1850

8
Why is this day signifi cant t o Hank Aaron?

9

10 11 12

Jenkins' Ear Day: Who wrote The Apollo 13 launch- Yeah Ramona!

1731

Gift of the Magi? ed: 1970

Today is

Who is Marian

Who is Jackie

Beverl y

A n d ers o n ?

Ro b in s o n ?

Cleary's

birthday!

13 14
Who was the 3rd AbrahamLincoln president of the assasinated: United States? 1865

15 16 17

The Titanic sinks. Apollo 16 launch- Thornton

How many

ed: 1972

Wi lder's

people were on Wi lbur Wright birthday:

board?

born:

1897-1975

1867-1912

18
Paul Revere's famous ride: 1775

19 20 21

Federal buil ding in Okl ahoma Cit y bombed: 1995

Amelia Earhart- Who wrote Jane Eleanor Roosev- Eyre? elt fl yi ng lesson: s ch o lastic.co m/ earh art_ less o n

22 23 24

Birthday of

Shakespeare's Library of

Henry

birthday: 1564- Congress

Fielding: 1707- 1616

estab lis hed :

1754

1800

25
Suez Canal con s tru ctio n began: 1859

26 27

Who are I.M. Pei and Frederick Law Olmsted?

Birthday of Coretta Scott King: 1927-2006

28
Lois Duncan's birthday: 1934-

29
Where was the 1st African American chartered col lege? Hint: 1854

30
What is Element 101?

March S M TW T F S
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May S M TW T F S
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