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.

Summer Reading 2020

It’s Summer Reading Time!

Here’s the Howard County Middle School Summer Reading List!

 

Download the PDF and look for these titles!

Middle School

High School

Don’t forget, there are 100+ eBooks available to ALL MHMS kids through our Clever & Mackin account!

From our friendly neighborhood Howard County Public Library Savage Branch Teen Librarian:

Summer Reading: Imagine Your Story (Ages 11-17) (Jun 01 – Aug 31)

SUMMER READING: IMAGINE YOUR STORY!  

Track your reading, play fun educational mini-games, and find missions full of activities! 

Earn points and unlock badges as you go. A new Mission will be added every Monday.  

Earn 1 point for each Mission you complete or book you log. Missions may be completed in any order.  

Each book logged as part of a mission earns 1 bonus point.  

When you have reached a total of 10 points, you have officially completed Summer Reading 2020! 

 

What happens after you earn 10 points? Keep on reading! Continue reading, logging books and completing Missions to earn up to an additional 4 points and 4 badges! 

PRIZES FOR COMPLETING SUMMER READING  

When you complete Summer Reading, you will earn a donation to the Community Action Council of Howard County!*  

 

* Friends & Foundation of Howard County Library System will make a donation of up to $5000 in food and goods to the Community Action Council of Howard County after Summer Reading ends. Donations earned by each reader will have a variable value.  

If you are interested in donating directly to CAC or learning more about their services in Howard county, please visit cac-hc.org. 

Sponsored by Friends & Foundation of Howard County Library System. 

HCPSS Kids: Stay Connected!

Here are some ways to stay connected during the summer, including enrichment activities, reading lists and programs, the free summer meal program and more.

Read Across America: Bookmark Contest

We Have Our Winners!

 

From our Reading Specialist, Ms. Deb Burkey:

“In celebration of Read Across America Day, The MHMS Reading and Media departments are sponsoring a bookmark contest. Prizes will be awarded for the top three bookmarks. A copy of the winning bookmark will be professionally produced for the entire student body. Entries can be submitted through December 20 and will be on display for judging through the month of January. Visit the MHMS website for details. If you are interested in making a donation, you can do so by check or on-line payment. Checks should be made out to MHMS and include “bookmark contest” on the note. On-line donations can be made through OSP. Donations will go toward publishing fees and prizes. Please encourage your student(s) to participate. Contact Deb Burkey at deborah_burkey@hcpss.org with any questions.”

We have our finalists! Please see below to view our exciting 11 finalists in our contest!

 

Stay tuned, we will announce the winners here soon!

For more information:

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.

 

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

Go Ahead, Scam Me Kids!

WARNING: Rant Below.

So, my last post was about an easy interactive reading promotion idea using Post-It Notes I got from my fabulous friend (and one time mentee) Tiffany Whitehead. Didn’t read it yet? Just landed here? That’s OK, I invite you to go back and read it before going much further… it’s OK, I’ll wait.  And for full transparency, I thought that it only fair that my kiddos, my students, know how I feel about this — so I’m posting this here as well as on my professional blog.
(watches Ancient Aliens loves that memetastic Giorgio A. Tsoukalos but can’t stand the annoying voice of that David Childress)

This post was inspired by an anonymous blog comment on my professional blog. I’ll post it below. Oh wait! Eep…sorry

You also probably should skim this Reading Promotion post on my professional blog, too! It’s cool, I’ll go check Twitter while you do and Tweet back to my favorite band of all time XTC & Andy Partridge.

‘Cause that’s where the anonymous or unknown comment was left. My below rant will make more sense if you get the context. OH! I know, I’ll screenshot it. Wait here for a sec. BRB.

Here’s my reply… I think I went a little overboard. That happens.

Hello Unknown~ You know, it shows how much I’m so excited for a REAL comment (rather than the usual SPAM for classes in Mumbai, Mozambique, or Mobile that I get from spammers and bots) that I’ll answer even an anonymous comment! Because, you know, how do I know it’s “real” because if they cared that much for the answer, why can’t they even leave a name, right?  Some great comments or questions I’ve even emailed to answer in more detail or called on the phone. Ok……enough of that. Sorry if that sounded snarky.

How do I know the kid actually read the book?….Here’s how I know. They returned the book!  If a kid really wanted SCAM me to get whatever kind of faux brass key, stuffed animal, sticker or prize…then have at it.

And when I did the Passport thing with the stamps, there really wasn’t really a prize, just the the satisfaction of having every square stamped. I can’t even remember if I gave it back to the kiddo or displayed it up on the board. But knowing how bad I am about changing my one bulletin board in the library, I’m pretty sure I just gave it to the kid with a big high five and a whooping “Great job sweetie, well done!”

Because, what’s really the reason we’re doing this? To get the kid in the door. OR to get the kid to read more. OR to encourage the kid to read a different or varied type or genre of book. Basically, just to get the kid to read.

At least they’re visiting the library. Because, really…isn’t that what we want? Occasionally, I’ll flip open the book an pick out a character’s name or event in the book and ask a random question, but really — I don’t care. (OK, I’m kind of fibbing here, I think I’ve done that like once or twice in my 20+ years)

But yeah, go ahead and SCAM me kids!  Come and get my prizes, just come to the library & check out a book. It’s all good. For every prize I’m scammed out of, I’m sure there are dozens of kiddos avidly reading the books. Because that was me. I was that kid. I was the kid that came to get a book every morning and every afternoon. I was the kid that had the reading during class and hiding the book inside the desk trick down pat. I was RARELY caught. Ok, I was caught a couple times but I always did it. (Kids, don’t do this in class! lol)

Then, I transferred to Phillis E. Williams Elementary School, a 1970’s OPEN CLASSROOM style school and for a kid like me, I thrived. I hurried up, hustled to every classroom in the pod and did all my work as fast and as well as I could, so I could get that free time to curl up in the School Library or classroom corner and just READ.

This is when I switched to public schools and got identified as a TAG  or GT kid, one of the BEST things was that I didn’t have to do as much boring stoopid stuff that I already knew how to do, by rote,  and was able to “test out” and then craft my own learning plan. That’s why I’m such a big fan of PBL and UDL as a Teacher Librarian. OK, enough about me – sounds kind of braggy. GAH. Sorry.

WOW…this turned out to be sort of a long rant. I hope it comes across ok, because I guess I’m sort of passionate about this topic.

When it comes to reading promotion, I want to do fun things to encourage kids to read that doesn’t cost a lot of money, doesn’t take a lot of time to manage or organize. (Yeah, I’m kind of lazy that way) I like a reading promotion that has that special something — that fun kind spark of engagement that will encourage the kiddos to give it a whirl.

What do you do to promote reading? What features do you find that makes a great and easy to do reading promotion?  And what’s your name, hon? 😉  Either way, hope that helped!

Cheers!
~Gwyneth

About this picture. And I don’t usually share personal info …this is awkward for me. Stop reading if you want.

A long long time ago in a far away place, OK…it was the late 70’s in the DC Metro area….You can tell it was the 70’s from the orange shag rug carpeting and my shag haircut. Anyway, that year there was a big blizzard that kept us out of school for days and days. I finished reading ALL my Library Books and it was COLD! So, I planted myself on top of the heating grate in our Living Room …..and read my falling apart Gothic Novel called The Laird of Tariff Hall. Mom, I guess, thought it was funny so she took this picture. Notice the Redskins Tube Socks I stole from my brother! Hee hee. Please take note of the crochet afghan that my Gramma made me. I still have the book. Wish I had the afghan.

 

The director knew me because I was a kid extra in one of the plays he
directed at my Bowie High School where my Mom was an English Teacher. Why pay for after school childcare
when you have a hammy but biddable kid who is more than happy to be an extra in
every school play? By the time I got to high school I had been in like
10 plays already. Says a lot about my early Gleek years.

Unthinkable Scragg comes to mind. I may not have even had a name, just a grubby little extra. It was a blast.

Anyway, Kyle lives in Annapolis now. Yeah, I just stalked him real quick on Google. Probably a good thing I’m not on Facebook.

The next year I went to High School and discovered the band XTC and today, on Twitter, as I was writing this blog post, my musical hero of 39 years MADE MY DAY. See?

——->OMGosh, SQUEE! It’s like the BEST THING EVER!!!!!

OK, enough rambling and reminiscing on and on. Don’t know why I felt like sharing that. I think I’m pretty good about not nattering on about myself in my blog posts. Or at least I hope so! Or at least not during the main content area. Eep!  How tiresome! Night friends!

Please leve a Comment if you like and include your name if you’d like me to connect with you!

Please do not SPAM or try to SCAM me. That wouldn’t be cool.

Readers Recommend

Come on in and recommend! OR….

It’s kinda like a low-tech YELP review for books!

Hey MHMS Kids, Check this Out!

This is a cool reading promotion that’s all about you!  Come on into the Library Media Center and find a book you’ve read and liked. Even better, find a book you LOVED! Like you could even maybe read it again kind of love. Go to the display pictured….

How To:  Grab a sticky note and write on the clipboard your book recommendation. You can sign your first name & your grade or just something like “an 8th grader”….I just want to make sure that the other kids reading YOUR note know that it was written by a fellow teen. Leave that book on the shelf, if there’s not enough room, just prop it up or find me or Ms. Bell to help you and feel the warm happy feeling you helped another kid read find a great book! 

Don’t know what to write? Here are some suggestions:

I loved this book because…

This is a great read if you liked _______________(list a similar book)

This book was really:  Funny, Scary, Romantic, Adventurous, Mysterious, Thrilling, Intense….basically insert any adjective that fits here!

 

Peel off the post it and stick it on the cover and as my Dad would say….
Viola!

 

Thank you for your recommendation!

~Ms. Jones – Your Daring Librarian

Hey Teachers & fellow Librarians, Here’s the  Easy How To:

Hi there!  If you landed here & are a Teacher, or Librarian, or a Teacher Librarian or Media Specialist or a grown up — let me invite you to scoot over to my professional blog for the low down deets on this Reading promotion!

This is reading promotion idea that’s inexpensive, low-tech, includes student voice, and I totally nabbed it from the amazing Librarian Tiff five years ago and I still love it! It’s kind of what you can call an oldie but a goodie. This can work at any time in a School Library or ELA Classroom.

I was inspired by Librarian tiff because she also does this in her School Library and created this amazing graphic below, made it Creative Commons, and gave it out to the world! I love beautiful signage that I don’t have to make myself! Because I’m kinda (occasionally) lazy.

(Grab the sign in several sizes from Tiff’s Flickr gallery)

I bought some colorful mini clipboards from Amazon & lined sticky notes. I already had the mini galvanized buckets of golf pencils – stole those from my PAC computer bank. This way kids don’t write ON THE books. Don’t judge me for being a little OCD and not wanting the pencil impressions on the front of a Library book!

Student Voice:

The kiddo can write anything. “I loved this book because…” and sign it their fist name or just “an 8th grader” etc. My kids love seeing what other kids have read. Same idea, but in a low tech way, as my #BookDropLifeInstagram posts.

This way kids can recommend books to other kids and be heard.  Simple. Easy. Effective.  I think it’s really important to allow kids to feel like they have a voice in the Library Media Center and in our school. Participatory Librarianship.

Save the Stickies!

At the end of the year, when I put this display away, I always take the sticky note off the front of the book and paste it inside the front cover. So the next kid can open the cover, read the book blurb, AND the student recommendation.

I was inspired to create a NEW Speed Dating notation sheet for kiddos. Feel free to make a copy & use it!

Another reading promotion idea that I like to bring out around this time
of year is my VIP Key Readers. You can read more about that here….

Reading is the Key! – The Daring Librarian

 

Your Turn!

What easy & inexpensive ways do you promote reading in your School Library or Classroom? Please share in the comments, Twitter, or Instagram ways you reach out to kiddos to get them to read?

Thanks for Visiting!

Cheers dears!

Twitter: @GwynethJones – IG: The Daring Librarian.
Future Ready Teacher Librarian & Tech Leader. Mover, Shaker,
Blogger, International Ed Tech Keynote Speaker, Blogger, &
Google Certified. Author of the award winning Daring Librarian
blog. ISTE Board of Directors PK-12 Representative 2010-2014 –
Creator of Content. Meme & Trope Archivist. Coastal Cottage
owner. Geek. Ridiculously Humble.

 

Resources:

Speed Dating to Find Your {Book} Match

inspired by Jennifer Ward
 

 

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