Fairy Tale Theatre

I spend lots of time reading to students. This week, it was my turn to be in the audience! Our Kindergarten students had a great time acting out fairy tales using puppets. I was so impressed by how well Mrs. Battle's and Ms. Vick's classes took to the role of storytellers. Fairy Tale Theatre will definitely become a regular part of the library!

Goldilocks awakes to find the three bears standing over her.

Pig #1

All three pigs together in the brick house, the wolf close behind.

This group made creative use of the table as a stage!

Look out for the Big Bad Wolf!

Do you have a poem in your pocket?

Today is Poem in Your Pocket Day! To celebrate the end of National Poetry Month, Maury students and staff carried poems in their pockets all day, and the halls rang with the sounds of verse.

Finding the perfect poem.

A fourth grade student shares her poem
with Ms. Nesper and Ms. Bomba.

Magical books!

I try very hard to introduce Maury students to great books that they will truly enjoy. I'm usually pretty successful. But every once in awhile, there is a book that captures student imaginations like no other.

Geraldine the Music Mouse by Leo Lionni is one such book. It's the story of a mouse who discovers music for the very first time. When I first read it to a Kindergarten class five years ago, a magical thing happened: every single child was completely engrossed in the book. No one fidgeted. No one asked to use the bathroom. Every child sat completely still until the story was finished, drinking it in with their eyes. This wasn't an isolated reaction. I've seen it happen over and over again. Every class has had the same reaction to this book. It's pretty amazing to watch.


Recently, I've found two more books that capture my students imagination in a similar way. George and the Dragon and its sequel, George, the Dragon and the Princess, both by Chris Wormell, have become hot commodities among the early childhood set. I read these books to them weeks ago, and since then they're always the first thing requested during book browsing time. Since I only have one copy of each book, the students do a great job of sharing so that all of their classmates have a chance to enjoy the book too.





Does your family have a favorite book that ignites your child's imagination? Share it in the comments!

Kindling a fire for reading!

Just before winter break, Maury was given six Kindles by the DCPS central office. Our fifth graders will be using the Kindles in a pilot this spring. They first got their hands on them two weeks ago, and last week they got a second chance to explore this exciting new technology. This week, six fifth graders will be able to use the Kindles in their classroom for the first time.

When I handed the Kindles to the fifth graders, they wasted no time in getting down to business.

Within minutes, they had all settled down with a great book. And they quickly showed me how tech-savvy they are—they already know more about how to use the Kindle than I do! When a student asked about turning the display sideways, I didn’t know if it could be done. Another fifth grader rushed to the rescue, showing him how to do it!

Stay tuned for more exciting news about our new Kindles. It’s going to be an exciting spring for our fifth grade!

Kindergarten takes the library home!

All year, our Kindergarten students have been choosing great books from the library and checking them out to the classroom. Last week, they chose books to take home for the very first time! We’ve spent the last few weeks learning all about how to care for library books at home, and these kids were ready to go!

When you see your favorite kindergartener, make sure you ask them about the three places their library books should be at all times:

In their cubby or seatpocket when they’re at school.

In their bookbag when they’re at home.

And in their hand if they’re reading it!

Here are some great photos of our Kindergarten classes choosing their very first library books to take home.

Chalk Box Kids

In the novel The Chalk Box Kid, Gregory moves to a new part of town and a new school. He doesn’t have any friends or anything to do. When he finds an abandoned, burned-out chalk factory behind his house, he uses the blackened walls and the leftover chalk to create a beautiful garden.

The three students in Ms. Sweeney’s third grade Monday/Wednesday reading group read The Chalk Box Kid, then wrote and talked about what we would create if we found an abandoned chalk factory. Then, the students got their chance to put those plans into action. They were given only one instruction: Work together. This beautiful garden, which was totally planned and drawn by the students, is the result.

These pictures can't do justice to the wonderful work these students did. Be sure to come up to the library on the second floor of the East building to see the display for yourself.

The library at recess

Starting today, students in second through fifth grades can come to the library during recess. They can use this time to read a book, check out a book or do research. Take a look at these dedicated library patrons!