Summer Reading: Tails and Tales

Hey Mountain Lions! Check out our Summer Reading Student Resource Course Canvas Page!  OR, if you’re a visitor here from outside our school – Welcome! Here are the Maryland Howard County Library resources listed below – Enjoy!

From the Howard County Library webpage:

“Each summer the Howard County Library System’s (HCLS) Summer Reading Club provides an educational bridge between the end of one school year and the beginning of the next. Children, teens, and adults are invited to participate in Summer Reading.”

*Sponsored by Friends & Foundation of Howard County Library System

INTRODUCTION

(This video is for ALL ages – more Elem & the sound is a little muffled)

(This video is for older kiddos  & the sound is excellent!)

THINGS TO KNOW

  1. Summer Reading will run from June 1 – August 31, 2021
  2. For children Ages birth – 4; Ages 5-10; Ages 11-17; and adults 18+.
  3. Register and participate online at hcls.readsquared.com  or download and print a paper copy at hclibrary.org/summer (Links to an external site.) (coming soon).

Here’s the Middle School Summer Reading List

HCLS BOOK TALKS

 

Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders Resources

Hey Mountain Lions! Check out our Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders (AAPI) Month Resources on our Student Resource Course Canvas Page!  OR, if you’re a visitor here from outside our school – Welcome! Here are the resources listed below minus the HCPSS district stuff!

Asian American and Pacific Islander (AAPI) Heritage Month Resources

Join our learning community in “celebrating the generations of Asian and Pacific Islander (API) (Links to an external site.) Americans who have enriched global society, playing a critical role in its development and success. Curated digital resources, teachers and students can explore the remarkable contributions that API Americans have given (Links to an external site.) to history, culture, the sciences, industry, government and more. In addition to recognizing the vast achievements of the API community, work with your students and community to understand diverse perspectives and the difficult struggles (Links to an external site.) that API Americans have grappled with throughout the history of the United States.”

Video Resources: 

Virtual Picture Book YouTube Read Aloud

Attribution: Adapted from the  AAPI Instructional Virtual library (Links to an external site.) 

Curated & created  by Wennie Lee and L’oreal Edmonson of HCPSS – Maryland – 2021

 

Got Curbside Books?

Our MHMS Curbside Library Media Book

Pick Up Program is Going Strong!

HOW This Works:

Hey Murray Hillers!

As I’ve mentioned in my many Canvas messages and grade level Student Resource Course announcements (you’ve read all those, right?) Our Curbside Book Pick-Up Program is going strong!  The only snag has been our PAC system sometimes goes down for maintenance. If you try to shop for books and the page won’t load let me know ASAP so I can get on the phone to yell at them to fix it.  Errr… I mean, so I can gently alert them to the problem. 

  • Follow the directions & fill out the Curbside Book Pick Up Google Form
  • Submit the form before 1pm by TUESDAY (late requests get filled the following week)
  • Only 1 Graphic Novel Per Kid at a Time – because they’re so dang popular!  Get a chapter or non-fiction book to go with instead!
  • Come to MHMS starting Wednesday from 10:00am to pick up your requested books on the cart in the front vestibule of the school. (That area between the two set of front doors)  Look for your name on the paper bag or post-it note.
  • If you miss the Wednesday pick up time, the Curbside Book Pickup Media Cart will be in the school front vestibule open M-F during school hours 8am-3:30pm. If you request a book but don’t pick it up after 3 weeks we’ll most likely bring it back in & put it back on the shelf so another student can check it out. Please only take the book with your name on it! No rando shopping! lol

How To Directions Slideshow

Please place returning or overdue books on the bottom shelf!

Can’t get out of the house? Prefer reading an eBook? Check out my presentation Doggone Clever Stuff for info about eBooks from MackinVia, how to read an eBook in the presentation above,  read books on Actively Learn, and the Howard County Public Library. 

~Ms. Gwyneth Jones – Library Media Specialist & Ms. Kathi Bell – Media Assistant

Not sure if you have an overdue book? Check your Office365 Email (link on bottom of hcpss.me) to see if you’ve received a notice that you’re OVERDUE! — Your Email address is: yournamelogin#@inst.hcpss.org – You may have to designate that we’re EASTERN STANDARD Time – NYC or Washington DC. Canvas inbox or email me if you have questions.

Questions?

Problems?

Message Ms. Gwyneth Jones through Canvas Inbox.

See my INSTAGRAM post @TheDaringLibrarian for pics of our NEW BOOKS!

Hey there, still reading? Cool.

Are you a Sixth Grader?

We REALLY need the 310 (Eep!) HCPSS Media Books that some of you still have checked out belonging to your former elementary schools to be returned ASAP.

Some kids have up to 5 books each – that’s a LOT of books!

If you could please drop them off to your previous Elementary school that would be great! They’ll be SO happy!

For Laurel Woods – there’s a Return Book Drop bucket avail from 8am-4pm 

For Gorman Crossing – there’s a Gator Drop Off box from avail 8am-4pm

These are either out front of the building or just inside the vestibule – no need to enter the building. YAY!  Please wear your masks. Any other HCPSS school just call the front office & find out the drop off spot & the hours! 

If you can’t manage that, you can drop them off at MHMS and we’ll make every effort to get them back to the right Library Media Collection.

Extra, Extra! MHMS Metropolitan Newspaper: Issue 4

Extra Extra! Get your MHMS Metro News Here!

Our #MHMSMetro student run & #GTSeminar newspaper is available for download!

Featuring:  Sports |  Arts, Music and Sports | International News | Politics

Page 5: Boredom Busters – DOWNLOAD the PDF Version below.

Our Mission: “At the Murray Hill Metropolitan we are dedicated to authentic, realistic and unbiased news for our students, their families and the public. Every month we cover a wide variety of stories from what’s happening at Washington to our new hall pass system. We hope to make sure our school is conscious and respectful of other people’s opinions, the news and politics.”- Murray Hill Metropolitan Staff

Download :  MHMS-Metro-Issue 4

Enter our Comic Competition!

Missed an Issue? – Want to get in touch? – Questions? Suggestions? 

Catch Up With Us On Our Website!

DOWNLOAD: MHMS Metro Crossword 1 -PDF

 

Keep Calm & Read On!

Hello, kids, parents, our community!

I’m not gonna lie, it’s kinda weird out there right now but I truly believe we’re going to be OK. Things will get back to normal. They always do. #History. I don’t know when, but they will. Practicing positivity is important and good for you! That, and washing your hands! In the meantime, HCPSS and our education partners have some cool and FREE resources for you!

Don’t forget we’re all in this together — even if we’re physically apart right now. I will try and update this post as I stay at home and help my community and to take care of my family. Starting with scrubbing all floors and not letting anyone inside with shoes on. It’s a slipper & sock zone only! I so heart fuzzy socks!

FREE Grab-N-Go Meals in the parking lot of Laurel Woods Elementary and 8 other locations throughout the county.

HCPSS Continuity of Learning

From a recent email to all HCPSS educators from our amazing Superintendent Dr. Michael J. Martirano:

“I’ve had the opportunity to check in at a few of our meal distribution sites, where I have been proud to observe our Food Services staff members hard at work ensuring children continue to have access to nutritious meals while schools are closed. Today on our second day of distribution, 5,304 meals were served at our nine sites. I am grateful that HCPSS is able to provide this service and I’m even more pleased that we have been able to expand our typical meal offerings to include three meals each day. I encourage all families to take advantage of this service.” ….also from Dr. M 

“On Friday, all students went home with a document that detailed ideas for engaging students in learning activities while schools are closed. These resources are posted online and have been translated into multiple languages. While the activity ideas do not represent the same level of instruction that occurs in our schools, they are intended to help keep our students stay intellectually active while they are at home during this closure.” 

I have to confess, I’m an unabashed fangirl for our Sup! And it’s not to curry favor or kiss butt, I’m retiring in 3 or 4 years! He’s just all that, has his heart in the right place, and he brought back our School Library Media Assistants after they were cut by she who will not be named!

Oh and I gotta warn you, if you’re new to this blog or my Daring Librarian professional blog — I write in a conversational style and I use a lot of exclamation marks. Kinda like Elaine Bennis. Just. Like. That!

Got Books? 

The last day before we left for this unexpected early spring break, I checked out a LOT OF BOOKS! There were no limits on how many books our readers could check out. From one book to 10, I encouraged our students to take as many home as they could hold! I even offered string bags to carry them in. Did I check out enough books? NEVER! lol

But if you didn’t get a chance to come by the Library Media Center and get some books, it’s OK….you have other resources!  Keep reading!

 

ALL HCPSS kids can access great stuff using their school login.
Every HCPSS kid can log into hcpss.me – from there you can get to all kinds of great resources! FREE eBooks from MackinVia and more! The kid has to remember his/her Active Directory or school login & password. Outside our school server they may need to add @inst.hcpss.org to their regular login – see below.

example regular login: dvader9644
another way to login: dvader9644@inst.hcpss.org

3/30/2020 — NEW! Students now have the ability to reset their Active Directory HCPSS Network (Canvas, GSuite, & Synergy) passwords without intervention from HCPSS staff – please direct parents & students to this new resource:

 From Dr. Martirano’s HCPSS Update:

Advanced Placement (AP) Online Review
Beginning on Wednesday, March 25, the College Board will provide free, online, live AP review courses, delivered by AP teachers from across the country. These courses are optional, mobile-friendly and available on-demand, so they can be accessed at any time. The focus is on reviewing skills and concepts from the first 75% of the AP course, with some supplementary lessons covering the final 25% of the course. Access course schedules on the AP Students website.

Digital Resources for Elementary Students
Elementary Students can log on through hcpss.me to use:

  • Wixie: an online publishing and creativity platform that lets students share what they know through their writing, their voice, and their art.
  • Type to Learn: an online, research-based keyboard curriculum that includes pre-tests, lessons, assessments, and typing games and activities tailored to grades 3-5.

Naviance Resources for Middle and High School Students
Naviance is a comprehensive college, career and life readiness program that allows students to explore career interests, begin their post-secondary exploration and discover careers matched to their interests. Find more details online. Students can log in through hcpss.me, then click Naviance.


DISCLAIMER: I am sharing these resources in good faith that at the time I curated this list the offers, logins, and sites were active. However,  at any time, the companies listed could change their permissions. Access problems? Please contact the companies directly. I’m sorry I can’t troubleshoot for you. Mostly because I’m lazy. For the record: I have not NOT been sponsored or compensated (not even a cool T-shirt or swag!) for any inclusion on this list.


Don’t have eBooks, a Kindle device, or other Digital Reader

Hello YouTube!

You can listen to loads of books read aloud on YouTube! Search for audiobooks & your favorite author, title, or subject. Here’s a great example from one of my favorite authors Neil Gaiman.

The 6 Best Audio Books You Can Listen to For Free on YouTube 

Here’s my Curated YouTube Playlist of 30+ FULL Audiobooks (I will be adding to this, would love suggestions!) of FREE Audiobooks – You know Harry Potter had to be #1!

ALL HCPSS Kids can get to these FREE digital eBooks & audiobooks from MackinVia.

Free Online Events and Activities for Kids at Home

by our friends at Common Sense Media – Including LIVE Virtual Storytimes!  Provide some structure and schedule to your family’s day (updated regularly).

SMUSD Library at Home from my Californian friends 
From Katie Boone: Here’s a free access and resource from our partners Capstone and PeppbleGo  “You have been set up with free remote access to PebbleGo and Capstone Interactive eBooks. This access is valid through June 30, 2020 (The majority of you already subscribed to PebbleGo can of course continue to use your school’s login credentials). We hope these resources are helpful to your school and your students during this sensitive time.” 

Student Access Instructions

  • PebbleGo:
    • Visit www.pebblego.com and click “Sign In”
    • Username: engaged
    • Password: learning

Additionally, the following resources may be helpful for community communication and usage:

Super Resources from Scholastic! 

Day-by-day projects to keep kids reading, thinking, and growing.

“Even when schools are closed, you can keep the learning going with these special cross-curricular journeys. Every day includes four separate learning experiences, each built around a thrilling, meaningful story or video. Kids can do them on their own, with their families, or with their teachers. Just find your grade level and let the learning begin! -The Editors of Scholastic Classroom Magazines.”

From PBS Learning Works:PreK-12 Resources for Emergency Closings

“As teachers, students, and families deal with school closures, PBS LearningMedia producers and educators have come together to curate a special collection of resources organized by grade and subject area. Find videos, lesson plans, and activities that support learning at home. Create a free account to save and organize content.”

From our partners in learning Follett School Solutions (PreK-12)

“Follett has created a resource page outlining the array of eLearning solutions, including Collections by Destiny, Follett Destiny Discover, WebPath Express, and more. Video tutorials, forums and instructions for accessing these solutions also are available.

To help schools with eLearning during the closures, Follett announced March 11 it is waiving the cost for current Destiny customers through June 30 for its Classroom Ready Collections (CRC), which are standards-aligned, educator-curated Open Educational Resources (OER) that include lesson plans, activities, videos and worksheets. More than 2,300 free CRC licenses have been activated in less than a week.”

UPDATE:

“To help make eLearning easier, we are providing free access to eBooks from Lightbox™ and AV2 World Languages through June 30, 2020. You can register for access here.

Lightbox™ offers over 1000 PreK-12 titles in science, social studies, language arts, math and more. AV2 World Languages features high-interest titles in 10 different languages with full audio support.

Parents and students will find these resources interactive, easy to use and a great way for students to independently explore a new topic. We hope that you, your students and their families find this helpful during this challenging time.

Visit Follett Community for more details on this offer and other free eLearning resources available through Follett Destiny Discover®

 

 

Musical Bookcases

The last couple weeks (before testing starts again!) we’ve had a LOT of fun with a new book selection activity I’m calling #MusicalBookcases.  It was a little crazy, super fun, & very kinesthetic! I really need to beef up our circulation numbers, aka, getting more books into the hands of kids. 

 

Here’s a sneak peek at how it was in action!


For Librarians and Teachers looking for how to do this in your school, more info coming soon on my professional blog!
Below is my eye-rolling & somewhat cringeworthy YouTube instruction “how to” directions for the kiddos. Even with that, I still lost my voice by the end the day today! Think about the “flipping the classroom” or library type of addition to the activity.

 

Club DEN: Kahoot It in Media – Updated!

From Ms. Behrens – MHMS 7th Grade Team Leader

“We are going to implement something a little different for 7th grade DEN. Once a month, students will report to a different DEN class where the teacher will be implementing some kind of team building/relationship building activity to engage in with students. The goal of this is to foster a sense of community with our students and build authentic relationships in the building.

Each 7th grade DEN teacher will host an activity (games, drawing, trivia, etc) and students will be able to select their top three choices for the activity they would like to participate in. We will then assign students to each group (trying to accommodate their first choice, but are asking for three choices in case we can’t).

Our goal is to start this on November 7th. Students will report to this different DEN on that day and one Thursday in December. Then, in January and February, we will offer different activities and students will have a chance to chose something different.”

I am going to be doing Kahoot! Games

in the Library Media Center!

(and there MAY be prizes!)

Here are the Kahoot Games I’m thinking about (You know I had to sneak in Library & Digi Citizen stuff in here!)

PLAY Kahoot! Game Pin Enter Here!

(if you DARE!)

Guess this Animal – Photo Reveal!

**NEW! Name this Animal (11 Questions) – Photo Reveal!

(**Denotes NEW! Added in January)

**Superhero Picture Reveal (10 Questions) 

**New Year Trivia 2020 (16 Questions)

**Anime Trivia (20 Questions)

**Last Year in Movies Trivia (15 Questions)

Animation Movie Characters – Long Version 30 Questions

(Thanks Ms. Kemp!)

Character Traits (by Flocabulary) Kahoot

 

 

 

Magical Mystery Meme Reveal

Using Context Clues, Vocabulary Stumper

Know Your Anime? (15 Questions)

Digital Lives, Digital Friendships – from Common Sense Media!

Thanksgiving in America: Customs & Traditions

Thanksgiving TRIVIA Image Reveal

 

Speed Dating by Genre

 

BONUS: This is the 1000 question Kahoot of really hard trivia!

Join MHTVNews – Live NEWS Broadcast!

Join #MHTVNews we love having our kidds join our awesome team! Application link below!


Watch our Video!
Hey MHMS Kids! It’s MHTV Application Time! Pick one up in the Cafeteria at lunch (see above) return it to Media (there will be a box on a chair) OR…..be super cool & fill out the GSuite Doc Application below! (HINT: Use your password from last year!) We’d love to have you join us — esp. 6th graders!

MHTV Application: GSuite Version 

While I have you here! Muuwaa!

COOL Happenings at our Savage Branch Library!

Fall at Savage is packed full of free practice tests for SAT, ACT and PSAT, as well as numerous other awesome classes and events such as as teen movies with popcorn, tie dye, college and career readiness workshops, sparkle glitter jars, financial literacy, intro to sign language, a writing workshop with published teen author Zack Smedley, canvas and cookies painting party, suicide prevention, rainbow book meet up, theater preview of HHS fall play, anime club and a new interactive 4H series featuring STEM jobs — please share with your students and teachers ❤️
Sarah Cooke | Teens’ Instructor
Howard County Library System | Savage Branch | 9525 Durness Lane | Laurel, MD 20723
410.313.0752 office | 410.313-0760 main

Welcome Back to School!

Welcome Back Kiddos, Parents, & Families!

Here’s our Media Orientation Cartoon!



This is my 22nd year at MHMS! Wait, what?? Whoda thunk it!?

I am SO honored to have been a part of this community since the beginning. I never thought I was one of those teachers who would stay in the same school for like, forever!

But here I am, still happy, loving our quirky middle school kiddos and the vibrant and rich diversity of our amazing neighborhood! I also like that I live near our community and only have to drive 7 minutes to get here!

This year is going to be fantastic and challenging! I’m so happy that Ms. Bell, our amazing Media Assistant is with us full time! Thanks to our new FULL TIME AWESOME Superintendent, Michael J. Martirano for bringing back our much needed (and loved!) Library paraeducators a couple years ago. We really appreciate having our Library & Literacy program fully staffed – because we serve about 800 people! 730+ kiddos & 80+ teachers and staff!

That’s a lot of people and we love it!

Please follow us on Instagram!

I will try and share all the amazing things that happen every day here at MHMS – the cool kiddos, the fun times, the Science, the ELA, the Social Studies, MHTV, ART, STEAM, Drama, well – as much as I can!

We LOVE to share the cool things that happen every day here at MHMS! In the Library, in the hallways, everywhere!

 

View this post on Instagram

 

Mr. C enjoying our new sticker coloring book! #6thGradeMakerBoys19 #makerspace #steam @hocoschools #celebrateHCPSS

A post shared by @GwynethJones (@thedaringlibrarian) on

 

View this post on Instagram

 

Beautiful Friday #Shelfies on a 2 hour delay day!

A post shared by @GwynethJones (@thedaringlibrarian) on

But wait! There’s More!

The following are student, parent, and community resources I want to bring to your attention.

hcpss-connect-banner16This page will also feature our new HCPSS Parent Portal – HCPSS Connect

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If there’s something you need or that I can help you with…please don’t hesitate to let me know! I’d love to help!!

Summer Reading List 2019

 

The Summer Reading List is Here!

Where does the time fly? I can’t believe it’s that time of year again! Time to share our Summer Reading List with you! It’s my 27th year in HCPSS and 22nd year here at Murray Hill Middle School! W00t! A lot of things have changed but some thing stay the same. Like still LOVING to read. Every day. Especially, in the Summer time! There’s nothing better to sit outside, on the beach, under an umbrella, or in a screened in porch and just read. For hours and hours! Where do you like to read? Any verified official Murray Hill  kid who answers that in the comments will get a surprise next year!  Sorry, Svetlana in Vladivostok, you are not eligible to win, but I still appreciate you reading this blog!

…..also, Pssst! Grownups! The ADULT Summer Reading List is linked at the bottom.

We Invite you to view & download the Middle School Summer Reading List Jpeg Page 1 and Page 2 or 2019SR_MSfinal- PDF

Thanks to our our A+ partner Librarians at the Howard County Library and two of our local HCPSS Middle School Teacher-Librarians we have created this Super Fun Reading List for all the kiddos in our district! (or the world!)

Visit our Howard County local Savage Branch Library & Hi Tech STEM Education Center this summer and FLIP over summer reading or flip over some amazing tech learning opportunities!

Murray Hill kids – If you read any of these books this summer, we would LOVE to hear what you thought in the comments! Follow us on Instagram to see pics of kids being AWESOME every day in our library and throughout the school!

Also, if you take a picture of yourself reading this summer or visiting a Library & tag me at @TheDaringLibrarian you’ll get a prize! Also, please tag @HoCoLibrary to maybe get some extra SWAG! 😉 But you have to find me in September and remind me, by saying like “Swag Me” because I’m getting old! LOL

 

 

 

From the Howard County Public Library, Our A+ Partners

Welcome to Summer Reading: A Universe of Stories

Join us for Summer Reading KICKOFF on Saturday, June 1 from 10 am to 2 pm at HCLS Miller Branch!

  • Activities in the Enchanted Garden include planting a sunflower and being a human sundial (weather permitting)
  • Indoor activities include crafts for children, and encounters with moon rocks and other rocks from space borrowed from NASA
  • Food trucks: Kona Ice and Say Cheese!
  • 11 – 11:45 pm performance by The Milkshake Duo
  • 12:30 – 1:30 pm fun with Eric Energy

ENROLL in Summer Reading Beginning June 1, 2019

Children, teens, and adults can participate! Enroll online from home or at any HCLS branch OR pick up a paper booklet at any branch.

  • After you’ve enrolled online or picked up your Summer Reading booklet, log the books you read and mark off activities as you complete them.
  • Mix and match any combination of 20 books read and/or activities completed
  • For every book/activity you complete, you receive an entry into a branch and systemwide prize drawing for your age group.

FOR ONLINE PARTICIPANTS: HCLS has a new online summer reading portal called BookPoints!  Beginning June 1, 2019 you can register for a free summer reading account and create your BookPoints Username and password. Earn up to 41 entries into end-of-summer prize drawings by participating online!

FOR PAPER ONLY PARTICIPANTS: Between July 1 and August 31, return your completed booklet to any library branch to receive one entry into the end-of-summer prize drawings for each book or activity you complete. Check off a minimum of 20 books and/or activities to officially complete Summer Reading 2019: A Universe of Stories!

Recommended Summer Reading Lists for the Whole Family!

PRIZES TBA

  • Prize drawings will occur in early September, with winners notified by mid-September.
  • All prizes and coupons while supplies last. One prize per reader.

THANKS TO OUR SPONSORS

Sponsored by Friends and Foundation of Howard County Library System