You can now access the Shive Elementary School Library Media Center catalog by logging onto the internet and typing in the following URL:
http://destiny.rss.k12.nc.us
Choose Ethan H. Shive Elementary School from the elementary school list and begin browsing the catalog!!! (It is not necessary to click "login".)
Welcome to the Shive Elementary School media center.
Current Events:
Fall has been busy for Shive students. Kindergartners are well on their way to learning media center procedures, such as self checkin and self checkout. We have also been busy reading a variety of books and practicing our Book and Print Awareness Skills. Currently we are "visiting" classic stories, such as Cinderella, Rapunzel, Beauty and the Beast and Hansel and Gretel. We have been comparing and contasting characters and "story lines" in these classic tales.
First graders have been looking at "what makes a book good". We have listed our own criteria for what a good book should have as well as look at the various parts of stories (characters, setting, problem, and solution) and how they help make a book good. We are beginning to take a look at Native Americans. Students will be detectives as they begin to "research" the homes, weapons/tools, clothing, and foods of particular tribes. We will then read stories to see if they could be based on the facts that we have researched.
Second graders are busy as well. We are beginning to study Native Americans. We will be looking at how the Native American people used the land for resources. We will specifically focus on buffalo to see how they were used. Join us as we play "Buffalo Charades" as we try to guess the many uses of the buffalo.
Third graders will soon be looking at "trickster" stories. We will be reading stories and surveying each other to decide if the trickster made good or bad decisions in the stories. We will also be using maps and globes to find the settings of these particular stories.
Fourth graders are beginning to learn about the "Big 6" research process. This is a process by which any information problem can be solved. It involves identifying your problem, brainstorming possible sources that would help you solve this problem, visiting these sources and taking notes, creating a way to "show what you know" and then evaluating to see how well you did. Students will then use the "Big 6" process as they look into the history of the North Carolina lighthouses in the classroom.
Fifth graders have been busy with elections. We have looked at how the President is elected, the difference between Democrats and Republicans, and the voting process. Students have been put into "jigsaw" groups where they have been the "teacher". They were responsible for taking notes on an election topic, creating a visual to use as they taught their peers about their topic, and then actually teaching a small group of students about their topic. Creating jigsaw groups has created ownership of a topic by a student and put them in charge of how to best teach it to their fellow students. Next, we will be creating podcasts where students will teach us about the things they would do "if they ran the country".
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Thank you to everyone who visited our fall book fair. Our school has been able to purchase many new books for our media center collection. Without the help of our school community, our book fair would not have been a success.
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Future Events:
Our Battle of the Books team has been chosen. We are currently meeting together as a "book club" to discuss what we liked and didn't like about the books. We will also be comparing some of the similar books on the official Battle of the Books list. Team members are also creating summaries and recording important characters and events for a book that they have selected to become an "expert" on. Soon, we will begin writing practice questions for the books. After the December holiday break, we will start to focus on the Battle of the Books competition that will be held in March.
FYI: We print overdue notices quarterly. In an effort to conserve paper and toner, we are also asking students orally about missing items. We are also checking to make sure that every student has a library book checked out. If you do receive a notice, please ask your child whether they have returned their book(s) to the library. Often books have been returned to school and are in the classroom and not checked in through the media center when overdue notices are generated. Please let me know of any concerns that you might have about an overdue book.
