Oaklawn is committed to teaching our students tolerance and respect of other cultures through language. Language is one way to understand other cultures and learning another language shows respect as well as offering a different pespective and view of the world. Students learn to appreciate and value different cultural perspectives.
Wells Fargo "Reading First"
This week at Oaklawn several classes will be receiving a free book from Wells Fargo thanks to a literacy partnership between Wells Fargo and Scholastic. Students in first and second grade classes in the Media Center today (December 16th) all received a book in English or Spanish. We read the stories, discussed the vocabulary as well as other elements of the story. Students enjoyed reading their books with their favorite animal or puppet! Thanks to Wells Fargo and Scholastic for this "gift" of reading for our students!
Vance High School Spanish classes visit Oaklawn
On December 11th Vance High School Spanish II and Spanish III classes with Sara Perkins, their teacher visited Oaklawn. Students read their original stories in Spanish to Sra. Liranzo's first grade class, Sra. Pachon's second grade class and Senor Vaquero's fourth grade Spanish class. This is the fifth time Spanish classes from Vance High School have visited Oaklawn. Oaklawn's schedule and classes have been organized by Cathy DuPre and Myrna Yupanqui, Media Assistant. Myrna Yupanqui handled the daily schedule and photography on December 11th. The Oaklawn teachers stayed with their classes and facilitated the question and answer period to check comprehension after each story. All the students benefited from the oral language exchange and learning opportunity.
Sra. Pachon with her class, Vance teacher, Sara Perkins Sr. Vaquero with his class,Vance High School Spanish students and teacher,
and Vance High School students. Sara Perkins.
Sra. Liranzo and her class listening to Vance High School students read and explain their stories.
(above photographs courtesy of Myrna Yupanqui)
Our thanks to the many volunteers who joined us as we read around the world! Books were provided by Scholastic for our language magnet school in Spanish and some in French! Ellen Young, our Bookfair chairperson handled many of the logistics and the reordering of books, while our Spanish speaking vounteers helped many of our Spanish speaking parents.
Thank you to all our volunteers for giving up their valuable time to come and be a part of our bookfair -- we could not do it without you! Thanks to Jessica Melo, Pilar Pedersen, Jennifer Batres, Tamika Robinson, Maria Salas, LaToya Watford, Melveda McDowell, Perneice Mendez, Delores Cassell, Dana Walters, Kemi Robbs, Patricia Haynes, Jill Stallings, April Turner, Michelle Bennett, Carolyn Codrington, Prissy Curtis, Alvin Curtis and Maria Gonzales!
One of my goals as a Media Specialist is to provide students with materials they enjoy and want to read. It is important that students select books on their own and bookfairs are important because students are exposed to the newest titles to excite them about literacy and reading. Students may or may not want to read what we as adults read as children -- they may or may not want to read "the classics." The important piece is that they read for pleasure, because that will motivate them to read even more, and to practice this lifelong skill. And they will have to read later in life --for information --for main ideas -- for details --to understand an automobile insurance policy, an IRS return or even to pass (yikes!) a driving test.
Bright Ideas Grant Funded for 2009-2010 - United Energy has awarded a Bright Ideas grant in the amount of $2,000.00 for an idea I submitted in September. I have been looking for a way to energize our 5th grade students and to inspire them to read even more. What better way than to combine what they love (technology) and reading? Our funding will enable us to buy "Playaways" to charge up our students to listen to stories, and then to inspire these students to read MORE by connecting to an author, genre or sequels. Thanks to Raquel Marquez, Jessica Dover Richardson (English as a Second Language teacher) and Saunje Fertil (Literacy Facilitator) for working with me to use the playaways for book clubs in their classrooms! My intent is to stimulate conversation and discussion after students together hear the wonderful literature (delivered in a somewhat different format!) Students will also be able to check out the Playaways! Ask your fifth grader when they will begin using the Playaways!
I am excited about the opportunities this year will provide and look forward to working with students as well as teachers!
I started off the school year representing Charlotte Mecklenburg Schools and Classroom Central at the Carolina Panthers Countdown to Kickoff Luncheon I was one of 20 teachers district wide escorting the players and coaches to their tables for the luncheon. The proceeds from the luncheon benefited Classroom Central, the non-profit store providing supplies to Charlotte-Mecklenburg School teachers and students.
Two authors have come to visit students at Oaklawn in October and lots of planning and research have gone into preparing for their visit. My thanks to Myrna Yupanqui and all the "special area" teachers for their support and help with the stage, the sound equipment, and photography, etc. during the two events.
Our first author/illustrator, Bryan Collier visited with 3-5 grade students on October 9th. He is the illustrator of a number of award winning books, including Martin's Big Words: The Life of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., Rosa, Freedom River, Uptown, and Visiting Langston (all winners of the Coretta Scott King Award for illustrations). Martin's Big Words: The Life of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. also was a Caldecott Honor Book in 2002. In the Media Center all classes are learning about Bryan Collier as well as exploring collage in one of his books. In his own words, Bryan Collier says "At home and at school I was encouraged to read. I remember the first books with pictures that I read by myself were The Snowy Day by Ezra Jack Keats and Harold and the Purple Crayon" by Crockett Johnson. I liked the stories , but I really liked the pictures." (from http://www.bryancollier.com/artist.html accessed 9/30/09)
In an interview from "Reading is Fundamental" when asked what he talks about with kids, Mr. Collier responded "I talk about what they hope for. I ask if they’re dreaming, and if they are, what about. I try to dispel that whole thing about power and fame. I think today everyone wants to be famous for no reason.
I talk to them about purpose. I get incredible responses because they’re right there questioning the same thing. As you become an adult, things jade you and change you. But I want them to hold onto that feeling about purpose, because there’s something much more important than fame and riches. If you do something and don’t have any purpose, you find yourself lost." (http://www.rif.org/kids/readingplanet/bookzone/collier.htm accessed 9/30/2009)
Diana S. Zimmerman, author of the book Kandide and the Secret of the Mists came to Oaklawn on October 15th. A fifth grade teacher, Jeff Smith, in Florida has used this novel to "teach important life lessons, namely that it is okay to be different, but that it is not okay to bully or make fun of others." Many teachers are using her novels in class for reading and comprehension but also for discussions leading to personal growth and life strategies for students. The students at Oaklawn absolutely loved her! Their comments? "She was awesome," "she reached for her goals and made me think that I could reach my goals too," "she was exciting......she never gave up even when she wrote her book," "I loved the money part" and "she got me amazed by her magic."
In Media classes, students began her book by predicting from the cover. Many predicted the book was a "fairy tale" and when questioned gave details and characteristics of a fairy tale. After reading the first chapter and looking at all the "evidences" we decided the genre would be fantasy fiction. We discussed the characteristics of fantasy fiction (for fourth and fifth graders this was a review). The book captivated the students and mixes fantasy and adventure with practical lessons in life. Students were asked to use adjectives to describe Kandide's character. They used words like "egotistical," "arrogant," "vain," "spoiled," "she's thinks she's all that," and "she thinks she's the queen already." We discussed why she acts the way she does and if one would want to be her friend. Most students responded, "NO!" however, one student responded "Yes, because there is hope that she will change." The book captures the students' imagination and they were quick to point out that although the book is a fantasy fiction it is also "real" in that it highlights basic understandings, basic values and human characteristics that are present in real life. They can see themselves, their friends, their brother or sister and parents in the story. As we continue, we will talk about how the author builds suspense, build vocabulary as we discuss new words in the text (i.e. "folorn," "persistent," "annoyance," "persevered," "flirtatious," etc.) and continue to talk about the characters and the changes they undergo.
Oaklawn also represented Charlotte Mecklenburg Schools as one of several school media programs highlighted for a national conference tour, the American Association of School Libraries on November 5th. Oaklawn's Media Center was showecased because of our magnet theme of world languages and we shared ideas and resources with other Media Specialists from all over the country!
At the August 19th Media Services "Market" (professional development for Media specialists and assistants) I was honored to receive the Gertrude Coward Award for 2009-2010. The award "is given each year to a library media specialist in Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools in memory of Gertrude Coward who was library director from 1948-1977." I am very touched as there are outstanding media specialists at 103 elementary schools, 33 middle schools, 31 high schools, 4 alternative schools and 5 pre-K schools, all of whom work to provide resources, and connections for our 21st century learners and teachers.
"The Gertrude Coward Award honors and perpetuates the vision, courage and example of one whose character and service formed the framework for the library media program in CMS. This award is given for outstanding commitment to the profession and for excellence in achievement as a library media specialist." (from CMS intranet press release)
My thanks to my principal, Patty Moreira-Garcia, Ann Waller (physical education teacher), and Gillian Schultz (former music teacher at Oaklawn) for their nomination. They wrote: "it is evident of excitement when students are waiting to enter the Media Center in the morning to select a new book.....She is an activist for the rights of all children to have opportunities and books to read." Taking time from their busy "beginning of the year schedule" Ann and Patty attended the Market in celebration. Guests also included Myrna Yupanqui and my husband, Brian DuPre.
