T H I S   W E E K                                                                                                   

Last week, while I was away nursing a nasty cold and sinus infection,  the Library elves came in and mounted the Smartboard and projector!!  The Library looks huge and we no longer have a "no-go zone".  Although three sections were cleared of books to accommodate the Smartboard, only two were needed so we ended up with more shelf space as well.

The Library has been rearranged to take advantage of the increased space. The early primary books are now in a  larger wooden bookcase and the easy chapter books section has expanded.  Students also have more elbow room at their tables.

The next step is to put up signage so that everything is easier to find.

 T H E   C A T   I S   B A C K...                                                                              

The order from ULS has arrived and Mrs. Edgar is prepping the new GARFIELD books for the Library.  These books, along with the new Calvin and Hobbes books, are a welcomed addition to our very popular comic section!  Comics are one of the few items that are limited to one per student. 

More cat books! The new series of Warrior novels will also be on the shelves soon.  These popular books by Erin Hunter follow the adventures of four Clans of wild cats in their forest homes. http://www.warriorcats.com/warriorshell.html 

 C H I N E S E   N E W   Y E A R                         

For the last two weeks, the students have learned about some of the ancient traditions of the Lunar New Year.  We watched video of the amazing Lion Dance and heard the story Sam's Lucky Money.  This year, Year of the Dragon, is considered the luckiest year in the Chinese Zodiac. The dragon is the only mythical creature in the Chinese zodiac. I was born in the Year of the Tiger which means I am suppose to be daring, adventurous, generous and reckless...Find out if your zodiac is more accurate!

 http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chinese_zodiac

 P A N D A S                                                                                                         

Did you know that giant pandas are carnivores that feed almost exclusively on bamboo?  Pandas are an endangered species that live in the remote Himilayan mountains in China.  We are studying these unique bears for the next two weeks with a focus on the factors that have contributed to their declining population.

MERRY CHRISTMAS AND HAPPY NEW YEAR!                                           

http://sendables.jibjab.com/view/pPetlafjDhiss3wa


 B O O K S   T H I S   C H R I S T M A S                                
In my family, we always give books as gifts.  Sometimes these books have been regifted or preread by the giver. In fact, one birthday, my mom told me I could have my present just as soon as she finished reading it! 

Every Christmas Eve, my children receive pyjamas and books.  My son who is going through a non-reading phase and hasn't read last year's book yet, received a Bathroom Reader and the latest edition of the Darwin Awards.  Annabel who is not much of a recreational reader, sped through Twilight last summer and is now working through the Hunger Games.  I gave her the second book, Catching Fire and a cook book.  My Dad's gift was the Sister Brothers and my mom got a dog training book for her new puppy, Daisy.  I received Julian Barnes's latest novel, The Sense of an Ending, and I bought Jerry the Chuck Davis book, Vancouver.

 H A P P Y   N E W   Y E A R !                                                                          

After two weeks of holidays, I was impressed how easily the students settled back into their Library routines.  We had a great first week back!

Many thanks to the Library Monitors who packed up the Christams decorations and put away all of the holiday books.  The school is lucky to have such dedicated helpers who are willing to give up their free time to keep the Library tidy and well organized.

The Monitors are also helping rearrange the Library to accommodate the new mounted Smartboard we are expecting this Spring. Moving the books gives me a chance to weed out the old, damaged and obsolete copies and uncover hidden treasures.

Mrs. Edgar is busy prepping the new books for the Library.  Some of the books we bought with our Scholastic credits include two new easy chapter books series, Flat Stanley and Black Lagoon Adventures.  We are also adding more of our popular Scooby Do, Spongebob and Pokemon books as well as filling students' requests for more Katie Kazoo, Big Nick and Lego books.