MAY 2004 VOLUME 2, NUMBER 10 MEDIA MATTERS GEORGIA DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION United States Department of Education Grants The Improving Literacy Through School Libraries (LSL) Program focuses on providing funding to school library media centers. Funds are used to improve reading achievement through updating the library collection, expanding Internet connections, purchasing new technology, providing professional development for library media specialists, and extending school library hours. Approximately $19.8 million will be distributed to eligible local education agencies (LEAs) in an estimated 200 awards ranging from $20,000 to $350,000. Only LEAs in which at least 20 percent of students served are from families with incomes below the poverty line are eligible to apply. To see if your system qualifies go to: http://www.ed.gov/programs/lsl/eligibility.html Applications for the 2004 Improving Literacy Through School Libraries competition are now available online. The deadline for submitting an application is May 20, 2004. The application package is available at: http://www.ed.gov/programs/lsl/index.html The program received an increase in funding, up from $12 million in FY03 to almost $20 million in FY04. Specific questions regarding this program can be sent to LSL@ed.gov. It is great to start life with a small number of really good books which are your very own. Sir Arthur Conan Doyle Inside this issue: Ga. Peach Award 2 TOTY 3 Vacation Reading Club 4 Retiring LMS 5 Exemplary Programs 6 GALILEO info 7 May calendar 8 Special tribute 9 Georgia Department of Education Kathy Cox, State Superintendent MEDIA MATTERS Page 2 Georgia Peach Book Award for Teens The lack of a Young Adult Literature award in the state was of concern to teachers, public librarians, and library media specialists. A committee of public and school library media specialists has compiled a list of 20 outstanding books for high school aged students to consider for the 1st annual Georgia Peach Award. The purpose of the Georgia Peach Award is to highlight and promote the best current young adult literature for Georgia high school age students, to encourage young adults to read, and to promote the development of cooperative school and public library services for young adults. A core mission of this group is to promote reading and literacy skills. To bring an awareness of reading to teens, an ad-hoc committee has formed to develop the Georgia Peach Award. The criteria for this award, dedicated to promoting quality literature for young adults, were developed using modified guidelines developed for the Georgia Book Awards. The Georgia Peach Award will be administered by the Georgia Library Media Association, Georgia Library Association, Georgia Public Library Service and the Georgia Association of Educators. Information on the book list, the committee members, how to participate, how to become a member of the committee for next year, and more is available at: http://www.glc.k12.ga.us/pandp/media/homepg.htm Georgia Department of Education Kathy Cox, State Superintendent MAY 2004 Page 3 Media Specialists are Teachers! Congratulations to: Linda Beeman Mountain Park Elementary School (Fulton) TOTY Ruth Berberich Livsey Elementary (DeKalb) TOTY Patricia Biemiller Trickum Middle School (Gwinnett) TOTY Susan Brown Cedartown Middle TOTY and Polk TOTY Gay Culp Margaret Fain Elementary TOTY (Atlanta) Kristi Crumpton New Hope Elementary (Whitfield) TOTY Glenn Hudson Irwin County TOTY Kathren Inman Dickerson Middle (Cobb )TOTY Beth Martinez Fort Daniel Elementary (Gwinnett) TOTY Michelle Miller Cohutta Elementary (Whitfield) TOTY Suzanne Mize Hart County TOTY Linda Mullen Kemp Elementary: (Cobb) TOTY Lametric Patterson Creekside High School (Fulton) TOTY Pamela Rivers Sandy Springs Middle School (Fulton) TOTY Sharon Russell Norton Park Elementary: (Cobb) TOTY Wendy Smith Evansdale Elementary (DeKalb) TOTY Amy Steward S.L. Lewis Elementary (Fulton) TOTY Marie Yelvington Haynes Bridge Middle School (Fulton) TOTY Becky Beal Lynn D. Futch Michelle Lenderman Donna Milner Ruthie Tucker Laura Whatley Gunn Glynn County Media Specialist of the Year Bulloch County Media Specialist of the Year Bibb County Media Specialist of the Year District IX Media Specialist of the Year District I Media Specialist of the Year Rockdale Media Specialist of the Year Valdosta City Media Specialist of the Year Barbara Barton Westlake High School (Fulton) Media Parapro of the Year Georgia Department of Education Kathy Cox, State Superintendent MEDIA MATTERS Page 4 Georgia Public Libraries "Step to the Beat" for Vacation Reading Program 2004 Kids of all ages are getting ready to "step to the beat" with the Vacation Reading Program 2004 at Georgia's public libraries. The theme for this year's Vacation Reading Program is "Step to the Beat ... READ!" Public libraries around the state have fun activities planned for children and teens that link music, dancing, and reading. The goal of the Vacation Reading Program is to encourage children to read for pleasure at times when they are not in school. Georgia public libraries offer special programs and incentives to encourage children of all ages, from infants to teens, to read what they enjoy, and to read often. Parents, grandparents and other caregivers are also invited to participate and to help pre-literate children enjoy books and develop a love of reading. This year, public libraries in Georgia, South Carolina, Alabama, Mississippi, and Virginia will all sponsor vacation reading programs with the same uptempo theme. This regional cooperation began with a partnership between Georgia and South Carolina for the Vacation Reading Program in 2002. Alabama and Mississippi joined the partnership in 2003, and Virginia joined this year. The artwork reflecting the "Step to the Beat...READ" theme was designed by children's book illustrator and author Peter Catalanotto. Catalanotto has illustrated many children's books and is the author of Dad & Me, Matthew ABC, Daisy 123, Mr. Mumble, Dylan's Day Out, and many others. The "Step to the Beat...READ" artwork features penguins stepping to various beats forming a conga line, break dancing, and even rocking with "The King." The Vacation Reading Program is supported in part by the Institute for Museum and Library Services under the provisions of the Library Services and Technology Act as administered by the Georgia Public Library Service. Check out http://www.vacationreading.org Georgia Department of Education Kathy Cox, State Superintendent Best Wishes to Our 2004 Retirees MAY 2004 Page 5 Linda Banks: Oglethorpe County High Marla Bourne: Eastside Elementary School (Coffee) Susan Brown:Cedartown Middle (Polk) Genese Bryant: Lanier County Middle/High Judy Capie: Comer Elementary (Madison ) Gloria Chandler: Riverside Elementary (Evans) Clarice Church: Avondale High (DeKalb) Lois Cliett: Broxton Elementary School (Coffee) Ann Compton: Whitfield County Phil Coventry: Columbia High (DeKalb) Gena Daniel: Wayne County High Nancy Davis: S.E. Bulloch Middle Frankie Darby: Garrison-Pilcher Elementary (Thomas) Terri Dupriest: Harper Elementary (Thomasville) Janice Franks: Medlock Elem. (DeKalb) Carole Gentry: Barnwell Elem. (Fulton) Olivia Goodwin: Palmer Middle (Cobb) Betty Greenhaw: Valdosta Middle Ginger Guthrie: Druid Hills H.S. (DeKalb) Ernestine Harper: Glynn Academy (Brunswick) Barbara Havick: Stone Mountain Elem. (DeKalb) Jim Henley: Harris County High Shirley Hicks: South Cobb High (Cobb) Joan Johnson: Harrison High (Cobb) Willie Mae Keels: Big A Elementary (Stephens) Elizabeth Killingsworth: Pike County Middle Connie Kone: Pope High School (Cobb) Ray Lee: North Forsyth High Lauren May: Troup County Brenda Myers: Paulding County Wanda Paulk :Ambrose Elem. (Coffee) Becky Peace: Chattahoochee High (Fulton) Becky Prince: Thomas County High Shannon Reeves Ward: Jenkins County Middle/ High Carol Rowe: Teasley Middle School (Cherokee) Mary Lynne Rowe:Cook County Primary School Sarah Sanford: Memorial Middle (Rockdale) Rosemary Scalessa: Montgomery Elem. (DeKalb) Jane Shelnut: Cherokee High School Diana Simmons: Califf Middle (Jones) Carolyn Sparks-Leachman: Madison County High School Marcia Stefansen: Emanuel County Institute Patricia Stoica: Russell Elem. (Houston) Doretha Swindell: Miller Grove Middle (DeKalb) Gail Van Liew: Flat Shoals Elem. (DeKalb) Sydney Vandiver: J.P. Nix Primary (White) Wanda Kay White: J.D. Dickerson (Vidalia) Sherry Whitton: H.A. Jones Elementary (Bremen) Candice Wright-Denney: Troup County Millie Yaun: Jeff Davis Middle (Jeff Davis) (Please see Page 9 for a special story on a special media specialist) Georgia Department of Education Kathy Cox, State Superintendent MEDIA MATTERS Page 6 Exemplary Media Programs Announced Congratulations to the outstanding media programs recently chosen by the Department of Education as the 2004 Exemplary Media Programs. They will be honored at the Georgia Board of Education meeting in Atlanta on May 13, 2003. Carrollton Elementary: Exemplary Media Program 2004 Jane Toth, Media Specialist at Carrollton Elementary (Carrollton City) stands in front of her covered wagon in her Exemplary Media Center. Bonaire Middle: Exemplary Media Program 2004 Lisa Hill , Media Specialist at Bonaire Middle School in Houston County in her Exemplary Media Center. Georgia Department of Education Kathy Cox, State Superintendent MAY 2004 Page 7 Gordon Central High School: Exemplary Media Program 2004 Media Specialist Sue Gable, Parapro Christy Gallman, Media Specialist Cawood Cornelius and Principal Allan Fort welcome students, staff, and visitors to Gordon Central High School (Gordon County). Nada Aswad of Kennedy Elementary Center in Winder has information published on GALILEO. Check out her Media Center Lessons based on GALILEO at: http://www.galileo.usg.edu Choose "About GALILEO" Choose "Resources for Teachers and Faculty" Choose "Other Resources for Teachers" Choose "Media Center lessons based on GALILEO." Have a restful, wonderful, and safe summer. The next issue of Media Matters will be August 2004. Questions? Comments? Email Judy Serritella at jserrite@doe.k12.ga.us. Georgia Department of Education Kathy Cox, State Superintendent Georgia Department of Education Kathy Cox, State Superintendent MAY 2004 Page 8 Georgia Department of Education Kathy Cox, State Superintendent MAY 2004 Sun Mon Tue Wed Thu Fri Clean Air Month Get Caught National Book Reading Month Month Reading is Fun Week (May 2-9) Teacher Appreciation Week (May 6-12) Sat 1 Birthday of Bobbie Ann Mason: 1940- 2 Dr. Benjamin Spock born: 19021998 3 Birthday of Yehuda Amichai: 1924-2000 9 Birthday of 10 Mandela Eleanor Estes: 1906- inaugurated: 1988 1994 4 Horace Mann born: 1796-1859 11 Irving Berlin born: 1888-1989 5 Cinco de Mayo Leo Lionni born: 1910-1999 12 Birthday of Yogi Berra: 1925 6 Willie Mays born: 1931- Theodore White born: 1915- 7 Birthday of Robert 8 Harry S Truman Browning: born: 1812-1889 1884-1972 13 Birthday of Stevie Wonder: 1950- 14 Jamestown founded: 1607 15 Birthdays of : L. Frank Baum, Katherine Ann Porter, Paul Zindel 16 Birthdays of Studs Turkel and Elizabeth Peabody 17Supreme Court rules in Brown v. Board of Education: 1954 18 Mt. St. Helens erupts: 1980 19 Johns Hopkins born: 1795-1873 20: Birthday of John Stuart Mill: 1806-181873 21 American Red 22 Arthur Conan Cross founded: 1881 Doyle born: 1859-1930 23 1st kindergarten in United States: 1827 24 Brooklyn Bridge opens: 1883 25 Birthday of 26 Birthday Ralph Waldo Emerson: 18031882 of Sally Ride: 1951- 27 Golden Gate 28 Ian Fleming Bridge opened: 1937 born: 1908-1964 29 Patrick Henry born: 1736-1799 30 Joan of Arc martyred: 1431 31 1st U.S. Copy- National Egg right Law: 1790 Month Be Kind of Ani- National Mother Goose mals Week (May Historic Day (May 1) 2-8) Preservation Week (May 3-9) School Principal's Day (May 1) A Salute to Willie Mae Keels Story by Connie Worley Mrs. Willie Mae Keels, media specialist at Big A Elementary in Stephens County, is retiring after 52 years in education. After graduation from Morris Brown in 1953, Mrs. Keels began her teaching career at the Whitman Street School in Toccoa, Georgia. She taught middle grades and high school in Social Studies. It was also at the Whitman Street School that she began her career in the library. The school did not have a library at the time. When she was asked to become a teacher-librarian, she attended Atlanta University in Atlanta for certification in Library Science. In 1968, Mrs. Keels became the librarian at Toccoa Elementary School. In 1972, she moved to Big A Elementary, where she has been ever since. Mrs. Keels has seen a lot of changes in the media center, and not just the name change from library to media center and librarian to media specialist. She has also witnessed the introduction of computers into the media center, automating the media center, and has learned two library management software programs over the years Alexandria and Winnebago Spectrum. During her tenure at Big A, she had the daunting task of moving the entire library into a new school building. The faculty at Big A Elementary has shown their respect of Mrs. Keels by selecting her as Teacher of the Year for Big A School on two occasions. "Many changes have come about since being a Media Specialist," says Keels, "especially learning and using the many technologies, Accelerated Reader Program, library scheduling, books fairs, and many other programs." Besides influencing the students and teachers at the schools where Mrs. Keels has worked, she has also inspired others to follow in her footsteps as a media specialist. Mrs. Connie Worley, who is now a media specialist at Liberty Elementary, and Mrs. Nancy Fleming, a media specialist in Gwinnett County, both had the privilege of volunteering for Mrs. Keels where they were mentored in the ways of librarianship. Mrs. Keels is a member of the Mt. Zion Baptist Church where she serves as a Sunday School and Church Secretary as well as an advisor for the Youth Department, a member of the Busy Bee Club, Pastors Aide Club, Senior Mission, and Chairman of the Busy Bee Program Committee. Mrs. Keels is also very active in the community, where she is a board member for the Boys and Girls Club and board member for the Toccoa-Stephens County Literacy Council, where she has served as President for 2 years. She is also Worthy Matron of Aquarius Chapter 334, OES and Secretary for Amvets Ladies Auxiliary. "I will miss this job," says Keels, "because I enjoy working with people, especially children." After retirement Mrs. Keels plans to travel, volunteer at the Boys and Girls Club, be a tutor at the Toccoa-Stephens County Literacy Council, and continue to work with the youth in her church and community. Georgia Department of Education Kathy Cox, State Superintendent