Readers Wanted!!!

The WMS Library is seeking readers interested in participating in the 3rd Annual Sumner County Middle Schools' Battle of the Books. The event will take place on May 2 at Station Camp Middle School.  Transportation and a meal will be provided.

To be considered for the team one must have read at least three books from the list below by March 22.  Once a team of 4 has been chosen, more books will be assigned which will need to be read.  In all, by May 2, students will need to have read 5-7 books.

Our school battle is always held during the last couple weeks of school in May.  Some of the titles below will also be on that list.

2013 SUMNER COUNTY

Battle of the Books Titles and author

After Ever After by Sonnenblick

Alex Van Helsing:  Vampire Rising by Henderson

Chasing Lincoln's Killer by Swanson

Countdown by Wiles

The Grimm Legacy by Shulman

Heist Society by Carter

Is It Night or Day? by Chapman

King of Ithaka by Barrett

Little Blog on the Prairie by Bell

Long Walk to Water:  Based on a True Story by Park

The Lost Hero by Riordan

Matched by Condie

Moon Over Manifest by Vanderpool

One Crazy Summer by Williams-Garcia

The Red Blazer Girls and the Ring of Rocamador by Beil

Scrawl by Shulman

Ship Breaker by Bacigalupi

Slob by Potter

The War to End All Wars:  World War I by Freedman

Woods Runner by Paulsen

If you are interested in participating, please see Ms. Creasy.



Young Adult Books in Series and Sequels

Have you ever read a book and loved it so much you wanted it to continue?  Well, lucky for us all, many young adult authors write sequels and books in a series.  One of the questions I am asked most often is what book comes after this one.  Should you find yourself asking this question without the assistance of a librarian, a great website to go to to find your answer would be THIS ONE... part of the Bettendorf Public Library's page.

Once on the page you may search by the author's name or the name of the series.  Just click on the letter.

Happy reading!

Do You Need Help With Your Grammar?

Welcome back to the second semester of school!  To me, the spring semester always seems the busiest.  There are many school and library activities coming up on which I'll post about later, but for today I wanted to introduce you to a website you may find helpful. 

http://www.grammarly.com/

Grammarly is an automated proofreader.  You simply copy and paste the text of your research paper, book report, etc. onto the site and it will check for over 150 types of grammatical mistakes, provide vocabulary suggestions to enhance your writing, and check for any issues with plagarism, too. 

You must become a member to fully use the site and there is a charge for joining, but you may find it worth your while to take a look.  I certainly wish I had known about this to use with my own daughter.



P.S.  Some of you 8th graders currently working on your research paper may find this site very helpful.

P.S.S.  Don't forget...if you have out an overdue book and return it prior to this Wednesday afternoon, I will waive your fine.

Thank You...

...for making our 2012 Book Fair a SUCCESS! 

Our Book Fair Is OPEN!!!

Nov. 7 - 15

Your child will have the opportunity to visit with their reading class once during the fair.  See below.  Plus, they are also welcome to shop during any free time they may have during the day.

Thursday, Nov. 8 Ms. Doolittle - 6th grade

Friday, Nov. 9  Ms. Baughn - 7th grade

Monday, Nov. 12 Ms. Guy - 8th grade

Tuesday, Nov. 13 Ms. Rippy - 8th grade

Wednesday, Nov. 14 Ms. Bellonis - 6th grade

Also, if you happen to be at WMS for Thanksgiving lunch on Friday, swing by the book fair and visit with us before you leave.

Finally, please be sure to stop by with your child on one of our Family Nights.  There will be a drawing for door prizes, including $20 in a book fair gift certificate for some lucky student and another $20 for his or her reading teacher.

Monday and Tuesday evenings

Nov. 12-13

3:00-6:00 p.m.

Ghoulish Workers...

...always ready to scare up a good book for anyone who dares to venture into the library on Halloween! 

 Aida



Kirsten and Savannah

Typing 101

Did you know that students will soon (THIS SCHOOL YEAR) begin taking standardized tests via a computer?  It's true.  8th grade students will type their TCAP Writing Assessment in February.  At WMS, we are working to prepare our 8th graders for this challenge by teaching keyboarding skills through a related arts class.  Most 8th grade students will have exposure to this prior to the test. 

However, the need to know how to type is not just limited to our 8th graders.  Within the next year or so, incoming 6th graders will need to be proficient, as well, typing at an average of 30 WPM.  (For a little perspective on how education is changing, I was not required to take a keyboarding class until my sophomore year in high school.)

If you would like to help out on the home front, so to speak, there are many great keyboarding websites you can use.  I have listed one below.

http://www.whitley.k12.ky.us/Whitley_Board/techweb/6th_Keyboarding.html

This free site includes several easy lessons on keyboarding, plus a 1 minute Pre-test that mom and dad may even find fun to take. 



P.S.  Don't forget...our Book Fair will be Nov. 7-15. 

Mark Your Calendars...

...our annual Book Fair is on its way!

November 7 - November 15

8:00 - 3:00 Daily

Family Nights 

Thursday, Nov. 8

3:00 - 6:00

Monday, Nov. 12

3:00 - 6:00

For more information, visit our Book Fair webpage .

Tutoring Available

Small-group afternoon tutoring is now available in the library Mondays - Thursdays from 3:00 - 4:00 p.m.   This is an excellent opportunity for struggling students to get a little extra help with homework and study skills.

Parents wishing for their child(ren) to stay should first call, email or stop by to set up the initial visit. 

Transportation is not provided.

(615) 644-3003

tyla.creasy@sumnerschools.org

Henry Ford once said, "My best friend is the one who brings out the best in me."  Bringing out the best in our school library takes many friends - people just like you who value the library.

For a minimum donation of $10 per member (or $25 for a family membership) you can help enrich the library experience for our students.  Your membership makes it possible for us to add even more materials to the collection and it supports many of our annual events.

Each member's name will be added to a roster visible here on our library blog.  In addition, each student friend will have his or her picture taken for our local paper.

If you wish to become a member please send in your money in an envelope and return it to Ms. Creasy in the library.  Make sure you include a note indicating the name of the student/person making the donation. 

Checks should be made payable to WMS.

Thank you for your continued support.