“Rainbow Vision is specifically looking for material for our literary magazine that has an LGBTQIA+ theme, is written by LGBTQIA+ authors AND their allies, and/or is written for an LGBTQIA+ audience. We are currently accepting short stories, poetry, art work, song lyrics, personal narratives, essay, film/video, music/audio, photography, script/play/manuscript, drawing, etc.” – Ms. Danielle DuPuis
“Teachers and students are encouraged to share this magazine. However, we’d ask that you not reprint or repost content publicly without permission. If you’d like a hard copy of this magazine or would like permission to post on your site, please email pride@hcpss.org for more details.”
Students & Families: The MHMS Daring School Library Media Center has always been a Safe Space for ALL of our Students! READ: Our School Library is a Safe Space
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.
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:
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 theAP Students website.
Digital Resources for Elementary Students Elementary Students can log on throughhcpss.meto 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
by our friends at Common Sense Media – Including LIVE Virtual Storytimes! Provide some structure and schedule to your family’s day (updated regularly).
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.”
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.”
“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®
Like, a couple weeks ago, when our local weather person was going to be out of school & we didn’t have a quick replacement – what to do? Another #MHTVNews crew member was at home with a broken wrist & we were facetiming her in the studio before the show when the 7th grader Payton who started the facetime call, had the wild idea to put Kasey (our injured wing friend) on the TV show on using the phone! Brilliant! But would it work?
Payton took a picture of the weather script & sent it to her — I was busily trying to share it with her via GSuite – Payton won. And we tested the volume. The rest of the school wasn’t so happy about that! (the morning bell hadn’t rung yet, simmer down folks!) LOL But here’s how it came out
It wasn’t perfect, we wish we had used the set up as pictured above, just putting the tripod down on the weather desk – but it was a hoot and the feedback from our audience (the kids in the classrooms) was that the other kids really perked up and took notice!
I’m getting older, going to retire in 3 or 4 years, I’m not crotchety quite yet, but I hope I never get too old to try a last minute wacky fun idea that a kid has with all in and wild abandon.
Your turn! What wild & wacky ideas have you tried in your TV Studio, School Library, or Classroom? Do you ever try things with kiddos and say “this might now work, but let’s try it anyway?” Having that kind of (dare I say Daring?) chutzpah or embracing the fail attitude in front of the kiddos is a good thing! It’s OK to fail!
Cheers dears!
More TV Studio cuteness from Instagram. Follow me & the awesome that goes on every day at our school on Instagram at @TheDaringLibrarian
Follow our fun using our hashtag #MHTVNews on Instagram and on Twitter!
MHTV Hall of Fame
Getting started in a TV Studio program at a young age put me on the path to success. Being able to get your hands dirty and experience all aspects of journalism (onair, producing, etc) helped me decide my career and put me steps ahead of others. I am so thankful for the #MHTVNewshttps://t.co/6gTfk1A8JF
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!
Makerspace for Little or Nothing Youdon’t have to spend thousands of dollars to start a Makerspace area. You don’t have to have a designated room or rip out bookcases.
You don’t have to make a Lego wall or buy a 3-D printer!
You can even have a Makerspace on a cart!
When we have testing in our Library, I put all our Makerspace stuff on an AV cart and roll it into our server
room. This post evolved from a previous post called Makerspace Starter Kit Updated on my professional blog where I had some of these idea, but I felt that it deserved it’s own expanded post.
You can take baby steps into the Maker Movement. I’ve been saying that for 7 years or so….long before I blogged about it, I tried it out.
A Makerspace is what you make of it!
Big or small, lavish or little, it’s all about the maker mindset. Constructivism. Be creative! Be crafty! Ask your kids what they want and brainstorm how to bring it to the school! Ask for donations. Ask for help. Don’t worry if it’s not perfect at first or if you fail. Just give it a shot.
TP & Paper Towel Building Blocks
Collect toilet and paper towel rolls, heck – have the whole school collect them! Say you’re trying for 50 or 100 – put a decorated cardboard box outside your Library or Classroom for donations!
Make sure to Tweet, IG out, or add the request to your staff & community newsletter! But be careful, you could get an AVALANCHE of materials!
Then cut them into different lengths, have the kiddos paint them with water based paints and notch them with scissors — then let kids build with them! Store them in milk crates or bins. Voila!
I’ve heard lately, that some people don’t like this idea because they’re concerned about germs. I guess TP rolls & airborne germs? I’m kind of a germophobe, and I didn’t even think about that! Sheesh. How about lightly spraying all the cardboard rolls with Lysol? OR..how about using paper towel rolls cut into different lengths? More! Cardboard Tube STEM Activities and more! This is a Mommy blog that has lots of great STEM ideas! W00t!
Origami is the perfect addition to a Maker program. Gather some origami books (I have like at least 10) paper of all kinds, safety scissors, rulers, and a recycling bin or the scraps and Voila! Kids love folding paper and even though I’m not patient enough to do this myself, many of my kiddos are amazing at Origami!
Here’s the super cool Cassius, who does smile, I swear! Giving us like two big tubs of great LEGO pieces! Such a great kids!
My lovely wonderful Library Media assistant Kathi, took them home over the weekend and put them all in a bucket with a bleach solution & dried them in the sunshine. Voila! Just like new!
Ask your PTA, ask your kids, have a LEGO donation bucket by the door of your Library Media Center or classroom and check out yard sales and thrift shops. Bleach is amazing and cheap. Go for it!
Now… I’ve totally snagged (with permission!) some amazing ideas from MY Makerspace Guru, Diana Rendina!
Graphic by @DianaLRendina
Cardboard Creature Challenge Now, shamelessly stolen from my Makerspace Gur, Diana Rendina – Teasing Excerpts from the amazing article she wrote for Demco titled 3 Design Challenges for the Low-tech Makerspace (Link below – I promise! Just don’t want to lose you quite yet, you may never come back!;-)
“The Cardboard Challenge has long been one of my favorite makerspace activities. Inspired by the amazing short film Caine’s Arcade and the Imagination Foundation’s Global Cardboard Challenge (October 6th – Join in!), I create a new variation on this challenge every year. We’ve created cardboard arcades, robots, buildings, etc.” — Read the article for more!
Graphic by @DianaLRendina
Tech Take-Apart Robot Challenge Tech take-apart is a classic makerspace activity. This design challenge
takes it a step further by recycling the technology into a robot made by
students. This project doesn’t have to be super complex — picture a
shoebox painted with black paint that has keyboard keys and circuit
boards glued to it.(link below – I promise!)
Graphic by @DianaLRendina
Recycled Book Art Gallery Our Art Teacher does this and we always love to provide gallery and brainstorming space! Maybe she gets some of our weeded books OR maybe she uses donated books from the kids and
MHMS Upcycled Book Art Gallery Walk from my IG
the community. I can’t speak to that here… my supervisor might see this!
Here’s what Diana has to say about this!
“We all have damaged or out-of-date books that we’ve weeded from our library. Instead of tossing them out, why not transform them into recycled art? Browse Pinterest or check out some of the recommended resources below to gather inspiration for students. Provide students with a variety of arts and crafts supplies, including glue, tape, paint, scissors, glitter, etc. Teach the students about what an artist’s statement is, and have them write one up once their project is done. Then create a gallery of all the students’ projects in the library and invite classes to visit for a gallery walk. This is a great way to introduce students to the world of professional art and a fantastic way to recognize their work. Design prompt: Working alone or in pairs, transform a used book into a work of art. You can use any arts and crafts materials, including paint, scissors, glue, tape, etc. Write an artist’s statement explaining how you came up with your idea and how you created your art. You will have one week to complete the project. All of the book art will be displayed with artists’ statements in a gallery in the library. ”
She makes my Makerspace look like small potatoes or tater tots! I admire all she does and in a perfect world, I would totally adapt more of her ideas and projects. BEHOLD and admire!
Don’t forget that video production, animation, green screen, blue screen, TV studio, coding, programming, any collaborating with a Science class can make your school Makerspace program shine! Make sure to bring in other subject areas. Don’t just have a Maker program in the Library, have the Maker mindset all over the school. Work with your Tech Ed teacher, FACS (what was once called Home Economics) and Art teacher. Make your Library a great space to display artwork. I’m a big advocate of STEAM rather than STEM. Think about gallery openings and gallery walks. This gets more people into your space.
Consider creating short videos on Instagram or YouTube having kids talk about their artwork & create a QR code to that post that you print out and put next to the artwork. That way, when people see the display, they can scan and see the video.
Do NOT let the expense, mess, trouble, or obstacles stop you from doing this! Be the innovator and the spark in your school or district. You got this! I know you can be AWESOME!
Honestly,
this last part was in a previous blog called Makersapce Starter Kit Updated but in case you missed it, I think this part is an important part of the conversation for any Maker project.
What do you think are the essential conversations?
——————-TESTING: A (Sad) Fact of Life – Packing My Making Away——————-
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. Tsoukalosbut 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 tocurl 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?
If you like XTC, I can assure you, your nerd eye is open.
——->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.
The Winter Bazaar is a small holiday shop where students can use their Gotchas to “buy” gifts for their friends and family. The Winter Bazaar occurs during lunch shifts. We are in need of volunteers to help supervise and “sell” the items during lunch shifts. The items will be priced and displayed on tables for students to browse and “purchase”. Your primary responsibility will be to take Gotchas as students purchase items, encourage them to shop quickly so others can visit the Winter Bazaar, and monitor all of the items for sale. It really is a fun experience to watch students shop for their loved ones! (Students are also limited to five items each day.) Use the link below to sign up for a day and time to help supervise. Thank you! Please contact Ms. Behrens (laura_behrens@hcpss.org) with any questions.
Winter Bazaar Donations Needed: The Winter Bazaar is in need of your donated items! The Winter Bazaar is a small store filled with items that students can purchase using their Gotcha’s. Donated items include, but are not limited to, books, candles, jewelry, games, household items, decorative items, baby items, toys, movies, CDs, etc. Items can be new or gently used. The success of the event is dependent on donations; anything you can donate would be appreciated! Students really enjoy being able to “purchase” these items for their friends and family. All donations can be dropped off in the front office, or Ms. Hodder’s classroom (room 106). We will begin collecting items on November 1st. If you have any questions, please contact Ms. Behrens (laura_behrens@hcpss.org). Thanks for your support!
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!
Recommended Summer Reading Lists for the Whole Family!
Participate in activities, crafts, and games. Enjoy the music of live bands: School of Rock House Band and Charm City Junction. Activities include Kindness Rocks, crafts for children; and Rock Band for teens.
HCLS MILLER BRANCH
Saturday, June 2
10 am – 2 pm
The fun continues all summer, when you enroll in Summer Reading: Libraries Rock! Sign up for a free account at hclibrary.beanstack.org, or pick up a booklet at any branch. Then log the books you read and mark off activities as you complete them for chances to win prizes.
I just want to share a few coloring pages I curated online & made into PDF’s & JPEGS for our kiddos! I love adding new coloring pages to our Makerspace, especially during special months and with themes. There are a LOT of FREE coloring pages out there for a school Makerspace, you just know how to find them, adapt them, & follow the copyright licensing!
I uploaded the curated coloring sheets as Jpegs on Flickr embedded below and to download as Printable PDF’s on Slideshare.
Enchantress of Numbers! Augusta Ada King-Noel, Countess of Lovelace was an English mathematician and writer, chiefly known for her work on Charles Babbage’s proposed mechanical general-purpose computer, the Analytical Engine
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!
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.
