Welcome back!

Welcome back to another great school year! The Maury Library blog has been a little quiet thus far, as I've been very busy planning our beginning of the year programs and getting the library back in order. I've got so many wonderful things planned for the library this year, I don't even know where to begin.

Stay tuned in the next couple of days for information about our Summer Reading celebration, the launch of our annual reading initiative and news about our exciting new technology class. It's going to be an awesome school year, and I can't wait to share it with you!

Misson: Preservation at the Rosedale Library

One of the things I love most about teaching in Washington, DC is that we have so many incredible opportunities for hands-on experiences. Last Friday, I went with our fifth grade to the Rosedale Neighborhood Library to participate in Mission: Preservation, a program put on by the National Museum of African American History and Culture, opening in 2015.

Mission: Preservation is a really cool program that puts objects and artifacts into the students' hands to teach them how to preserve pieces of their own family history. We arrived a bit early, so we had the chance to browse for books and sign up for library cards.

We learned about the different types of artifacts that museums have, and also about the different types of damage those artifacts can sustain.

This artifact is a great example of light damage.
It has been faded by the sun.

Finally, we put on gloves to protect the artifacts from the oils in our skin, and we were ready to handle the artifacts!

Examining a silver teapot.

This wallet had pest damage.

Once the students assessed the damage to the artifact, they
recorded the type of damage and the condition of the artifact.

Old photographs can be damaged by placing them in photo
albums. We learned that you should always make a copy,
and put the copy in the album.

We couldn't resist taking a few more
minutes to read in the library.

Can you crack the code?

 We've started a new book for Reading Lunch, and we're having a blast with it. Our book is Chasing Vermeer by Blue Balliett, and one of the great things about the book is that it has some cool interactive elements. This week we came upon some codes that we're going to have to solve in order to continue! Well, the fourth and fifth grade Reading Lunch kids were on the job. Lunch was forgotten as they worked feverishly on the codes. When we meet on Tuesday we'll find out what the coded message says, and we can't wait!

Welcome, Monarchs!

Monarch fever is about to overtake Maury, and the library is getting in on the fun. I was so excited this year when I learned that special subject classes would be getting their own monarchs this year. Last year, I was able to observe monarchs in the classrooms, but there's nothing like having an up-close view.

And you need to get up close right now. The larvae are so tiny, you really have to search to find them on the milkweed. They arrived in the library pretty late today, so none of the students have seen them yet. I know they'll be as thrilled as I am! I'm trying to pick the perfect names for these little guys--when I figure it out, I'll let you know. Until then, here are some pictures of the new residents of the Maury library.

Home Sweet Home.

Larva #1

Larva #2

Larva #3

I ordered some additional books about
monarchs. They arrived just in time.

Pre-K Comes to the Library

This week Pre-K students in Mrs. Spurlock's and Mrs. Mitchell's classes came to the library for the first time this year. (Because of the Monday holiday, Mrs. Timmons' class will have their first library visit next week.) We read some great books about libraries, and the students had a chance to get their hands on some books! We started with our board book collection this week, and they did such a great job treating the books gently that we'll move on to some of our more delicate books next week. Take a look at our avid Pre-K bibliophiles!

I'm looking forward to a great year in the library with Pre-K!

Friday Focus: Books about School (Picture Book Edition)

It’s been a great first week at Maury. I’ve seen almost all of the students in the library already, and I can’t wait for the weeks ahead. For the theme of first edition of the Friday Focus this year, school was a natural choice. All of these great books are available in the Maury library. Come by to check them out!

The Teacher from the Black Lagoon by Mike Thaler
This is one of a series, and I actually read The Librarian from the Black Lagoon to my first grade classes this week. In this book, a student is very worried about going to school. He imagines his teacher, Mrs. Green, as a scary monster who terrorizes children. When he meets her, he’s happy to learn that she’s not a monster at all. This one is funny, but probably best for students in grades 1 and up since it could be a bit scary.

It’s My School by Sally Grindley
It’s Alice’s first day of Kindergarten, and her brother Tom is not happy to have her at his school. “It’s my school,” he tells her angrily. Then Tom sees another child take Alice’s toy on the playground and rushes to his sister’s defense. Tom handles the playground issue politely, so he serves as a good model for older siblings who might watch out for their younger brothers and sisters. This is a great book for families in this situation.

I Am Too Absolutely Small For School by Lauren Child
Children may already be familiar with Charlie and Lola from the TV show, and their books are a huge hit in our library as well. In this book, Lola’s declares that she is too small to go to school, and it’s up to Charlie to convince her otherwise. Charlie describes all of the fun things that will happen at school, and Lola finally decides to go to keep her imaginary friend, Soren Lorenson, company. This is great for kids who are a little nervous to start school.

Froggy Goes to School by Jonathan London
The Froggy books are a little formulaic, but that’s what makes them so fun to read aloud. Kids learn quickly what’s coming next, and will happily chime in with a well-placed “Whaaaat?” In this book, Froggy accidentally goes to school in his underwear, happily waking up to discover that it was all a dream.

I.Q., It’s Time by Mary Ann Fraser
I.Q., the class mouse, wants to make something special for Parents’ Night. But he keeps getting called away to help the class with their schoolwork! Will he be able to finish in time? This is a great choice for kids who are learning to tell time.

I'll be back next week with some great chapter books about school.

Fun Facts about Maury's Library

Welcome back to school! In honor of our first week back at Maury, I thought I'd share some interesting facts about the library. I am really looking forward to great times in the library this year!

• All classes share library time with Ms. Sweeney every week.
• We were renovated in 2007 by the School Libraries Project of the Capitol Hill Community Foundation.
• Parents can check books out from Maury's library! Ask Ms. Sweeney for a parent borrower application.
• We have an exciting reading program every year. Three years ago, the theme was dragons and volcanoes. Two years ago, the theme was crayons. Last year, the theme was Jumanji. Stay tuned-we're announcing this year's theme at the end of September!
• We are a Reading is Fundamental school. Three times a year, every Maury student receives a free book provided by RIF.
• We have an Amazon wishlist.
• We have 7,353 titles in the library. We have 7,807 books in the library. You can search our library catalog by going here and selecting Maury Elementary.
• Ms. Sweeney has been the librarian at Maury since 2007. She has a Masters degree in Library Science from The Catholic University of America and a Bachelor's degree in Public Relations/Communications from Elizabethtown College.