Ms. Barbara's Pennekamp Library Website (2010-2021)
  • Home
  • Current/News
    • Creative Fun at Home
    • Author Visits / Book Orders
    • Super Literacy Quiz Bowl (SLQB)
  • Weekly Readalouds
  • Resources
    • PK Library Catalog
    • County of LA Public Library catalog
    • County of LA Public Library databases
    • World Book Online
    • California K-12 Digital Resources
    • Britannica School
    • MBUSD Tech Resources
    • ProQuest CultureGrams
    • ProQuest SIRS Discoverer
    • Social Studies Fact Cards
    • TeachingBooks.net
  • Reading Lists
    • MBUSD Summer Reading Lists
    • ALA Youth Media Awards
    • California Young Reader Medal
    • Other Reading List Links
    • County of Los Angeles Public Library
    • Redondo Beach Public Library
  • Contests
    • Super Literacy Quiz Bowl (SLQB)
    • California Young Reader Medal
    • County of Los Angeles Public Library bookmark contest
  • Book Club

February 3, 2014

2/2/2014

0 Comments

 
Next week (February 10-16) is Random Acts of Kindness Week, which usually coincides with Valentine’s Day (February 14). Second grade this week is hearing Somebody Loves You, Mr. Hatch, by Eileen Spinelli. It is a nostalgic favorite of mine. Pennekamp old-timers (such as myself) may remember when this book was dramatized here by the second-grade classes. Third grade will be hearing Each Kindness, by Jacqueline Woodson, which is about a missed opportunity to include a lonely classmate. 

In an interview in School Library Journal, author Jacqueline Woodson said this about the ideas behind Each Kindness:

I think there’s this sense people have that tomorrow will always come—that we’ll always have another chance at something.  But of course, it’s not always true. People die. People move away. Whatever the reason is, sometimes that moment is, as Chloe says, “Forever gone.”  When I got to this line in the book, I knew that’s what this book was saying to me and by extension, once it was published, to the world: that we can’t assume we’ll get another chance. So do the right thing in this moment—be kind. I think kindness is so easy. It connects people, and it’s empowering.  It feels good to compliment someone and watch their face light up.  At night, our family has to say what kind things we’ve done during the day.  The beauty of this is it makes us all slow down during the day, take in what we’ll be bringing to the dinner table.

Kindergarten and first grade will be voting this week on the nominees for the California Young Reader Medal. TK voted last week, with very different results in the two TK classes! I will announce the results of our voting next week, once all the voting is done, and then our results will be tallied with those of students all over California to determine the statewide winner.

After voting, the kinders will hear Sock Monkey Rides Again, in anticipation of Valentine's Day. (Thanks to Heidi Snively, the wonderful library media specialist at Grand View, for bringing this fun book to my attention!) Grade 1 will hear Brownie Groundhog and the February Fox, a light, short picture book about Groundhog Day (which also delivers a message of friendship). Did you hear? Punxsutawney Phil said six more weeks of winter!

TK is done with CYRM so we are reading about bears this week, in support of their study on that topic. The TK students have been given time lately to look at and read a selection of library books during their class visit. They seem to be really enjoying this! I don’t think I’ve mentioned lately that parents may check out books (10 at a time) from the Pennekamp library. Please feel free to come by whenever the library is not in use for a class visit.

That leaves grades 4 and 5. With both these grades I am continuing to read aloud our chosen novels.

Next week begins Pennekamp’s “Literacy Month.” Watch for special activities not just at the library but all over school throughout the coming weeks!

Kindergarten parents, you have begun receiving a "courtesy notice" from the library simply advising you what your child has checked out and when the item is due. The notice does not necessarily mean the item is late! I simply wanted a way to let parents know what materials are checked out. Kindergarteners should return their library books on their class's library visit day (Cannon, on Monday; Rios, Vanderpool/Schneck, and Vavao, on Wednesday) so that they can take a new book. Thank you for helping your child locate and return his or her book on "library day."

0 Comments

October 28, 2013

10/27/2013

0 Comments

 
The library will be closed this week on Friday, November 1. My apologies for any inconvenience. Most class visits have been rescheduled.

On Friday, November 1, at 3:30 p.m., Judith Schachner, author of the Skippyjon Jones books as well as her new book, Bits & Pieces, will be speaking at Pages, our local independent bookstore. 

Grade 4 will hear a new book this week, Aesop in California, by Doug Hansen. We will see if we can figure out the "moral" each fable is meant to illustrate. Grade 5 will be looking at an older book, The Man Who Walked Between the Towers, by Mordecai Gerstein. This book, winner of the Caldecott Medal in 2004, is set on the World Trade Center towers before the attacks of September 11. (Gerstein's Caldecott acceptance speech can be read on his website.) This book is in preparation for a discussion in two weeks of 14 Cows for America, by Carmen Agra Deedy, which also concerns the events of September 11.

Not surprisingly, though, Halloween is the topic during library time for many grades this week. TK/K will be hearing Halloween books that rhyme, as the students are working on recognizing and coming up with rhyming words. To Grade 2 I will be reading Frankenstein: A Monstrous Parody, which is a humorous retelling of Madeline, by Ludwig Bemelmans. Grade 3 is hearing How Many Seeds in a Pumpkin? in which characters preparing to carve pumpkins use multiplication concepts to count the number of seeds in each pumpkin. Whether or not our readalouds relate to specific curricular topics, classes have an opportunity during library time to practice literary response skills such as recognizing plot and characters, summarizing content, identifying theme, comparing and contrasting stories, relating texts to personal experience, and reacting to each others' comments. Such discussion can take place at home, too: talking with your students about what they are reading or hearing read aloud allows them to practice key skills and, I hope, will be fun and interesting for both you and your child. 

Speaking of fun, below please find a spooky library clip--happy Halloween! (Thanks to Yukari Matsuyama, former library media specialist at Robinson Elementary, for the idea.) 
0 Comments

September 30, 2013

9/30/2013

0 Comments

 
There is a lot of library news to report! First, I'd like to mention that the L.A. County Public Library is having its annual bookmark contest again. The theme this year is "Read, Seek, Explore!" All students are encouraged to participate. The entrance form is available here as well as at the Pennekamp library. Submissions are due by October 19 and can be turned in at the public library, the Pennekamp library, or the Pennekamp school office. Please note, designs must be in black or very dark blue ink.

We had our first ice cream coupon winners in the library's "Mystery Person" ticket drawing. The winners are Lauren C. (grade 5), Makena H. (grade 5), Evan L. (grade 4), and Joe S. (grade 5). These students (among others) were recognized for the quality of their participation during class visits to the library. Great job, students!

Several students have asked me to post the link to the "Dewey Rap" shown last week to grade 3, so here it is. Please be aware that this video is found on Youtube and that not all Youtube content is appropriate for children.

This is the first week that kindergarten students will be checking out from the library! They are very excited! Family members, please try to help your child remember his or her library book on the day that his/her class visits the library: Cannon, on Monday; Rios, Vanderpool/Schneck, Vavao, all on Wednesday. A student in kindergarten or first grade can only check out one book at a time, so students must return the book they have in order to take another. Parents, did you know that you can check out 10 books at a time under your own name?

Grade 5 is choosing new book report books. The "Resource Lists" in our catalog have been created to direct students to materials suitable for book reports and other projects. Please click on the tab for "Public" lists if they do not appear right away.

Grade 3 is hearing Moonshot, by Brian Floca, to support their in-class work on the phases of the moon. If your child would like to know more about the Apollo 11 mission, consider looking at information online with him or her. NASA, National Geographic, and the Air & Space Museum all have great resources. You might also consult World Book Online, to which our school subscribes (through the support of the Pennekamp PTA). For the World Book Online username and password, please ask your teacher or contact me. Grade 4 is hearing about John Muir and Teddy Roosevelt's designation of our national monuments and parks. For all grades weekly readalouds, please visit that page of this website!

Thanks to the PTA for providing the funds and support that are necessary to the library's success. Clicking through from this website to Amazon (see banner below) generates funds for our PTA, whenever you then make a purchase. Try it! 
0 Comments

September 12 to 16, 2011

9/11/2011

0 Comments

 
All grades visit the library this week! Students in grades 1 through 5 will be checking out books this week; kindergarten will begin circulation in a week or two. Please note that Pennekamp parents are invited to use the library during open hours except during class visits. Pennekamp parents may check out books, so come to the library to be added to our happy community of patrons. Please also take note of the Class Visit Schedule, which shows the day your student (or students) visits the library. Students cannot check out new books unless they have returned the books they already have, so they should bring their library books on their class visit days.

This week is bounded by two significant events in United States history. Today marks the tenth anniversary of the tragic events of September 11, 2001. In recognition of the day, fifth-graders will here 14 Cows for America, which tells the true story of a gift given to America by the Maasai people as a gesture of compassion and comfort. September 17 is Constitution Day (observed September 16 at Pennekamp), and students throughout the school will be receiving instruction this week in the history of America's Constitution. Links for both these events are provided on the Weekly Readalouds post for this week. 

Other grades are hearing books related to reading and libraries, and most grades are being introduced to the collection, the catalog, and library policies. Kindergarten will be hearing Edward and the Pirates, by David McPhail, because Monday, September 19, is Talk Like a Pirate Day! Aaaargh, me hearties, get yourselves a copy of Treasure Island (FIC STE) or How I Became a Pirate (E LON) and have a swashbuckling time!

One last special event to mention: New York Times bestselling author Judy Schachner, creator of the irrepressible Skippyjon Jones books, will be appearing at our local independent bookstore, Pages: A Bookstore. The event is Monday, September 12, at 3:30, and reservations are recommended (310-318-0900). 
0 Comments
    Barbara Siegemund-Broka, library resource specialist, maintains this blog to inform Pennekamp students and families about library news and related content. Any opinions expressed here are solely her own. 

    What's Ms. Barbara reading?

    Picture
    How to Do Nothing: Resisting the Attention Economy, by Jenny Odell
    ​
    Worth repeating:

    His eyes are soft. “Do you know why I became a librarian?”
       I wait for him to tell me, because of course I don’t.
       “Dewey,” he says. “As in the decimal system.”
       I’m not sure if he’s joking or not, but he continues, “I like order. I like organization. The idea of all the information in the world, all organized, everything in its place—I like that idea.”
       He clears his throat. “But I’ve been doing this job for a long time. And the thing I’ve learned is that stories aren’t about order and organization. They’re about feelings. And the feelings don’t always make sense. See, stories are like …” He pauses, brow furrowing, then nods, satisfied in finding the right comparison: “Water. Like rain. We can hold them tight, but they always slip through our fingers.”
       I try to hide my shock. Joe doesn’t seem like the poetic type.
       His caterpillar eyebrows knit together. “That can be scary. But remember that water gives us life. It connects continents. It connects people. And in quiet moments, when the water’s still, sometimes we can see our own reflection.”
     
    --From When You Trap a Tiger, by Tae Heller, winner of the 2021 Newbery Medal

    Archives

    August 2021
    June 2021
    May 2021
    April 2021
    March 2021
    February 2021
    January 2021
    December 2020
    November 2020
    October 2020
    September 2020
    August 2020
    June 2020
    May 2020
    April 2020
    March 2020
    February 2020
    January 2020
    December 2019
    November 2019
    October 2019
    September 2019
    August 2019
    June 2019
    May 2019
    April 2019
    March 2019
    February 2019
    January 2019
    November 2018
    October 2018
    September 2018
    August 2018
    June 2018
    May 2018
    April 2018
    March 2018
    February 2018
    January 2018
    December 2017
    November 2017
    October 2017
    September 2017
    August 2017
    June 2017
    May 2017
    April 2017
    March 2017
    February 2017
    January 2017
    December 2016
    November 2016
    October 2016
    September 2016
    August 2016
    June 2016
    May 2016
    April 2016
    March 2016
    February 2016
    January 2016
    December 2015
    November 2015
    October 2015
    September 2015
    August 2015
    June 2015
    May 2015
    April 2015
    March 2015
    February 2015
    January 2015
    December 2014
    November 2014
    October 2014
    September 2014
    August 2014
    June 2014
    May 2014
    April 2014
    March 2014
    February 2014
    January 2014
    December 2013
    November 2013
    October 2013
    September 2013
    June 2013
    May 2013
    April 2013
    March 2013
    February 2013
    January 2013
    December 2012
    November 2012
    October 2012
    September 2012
    August 2012
    June 2012
    May 2012
    April 2012
    March 2012
    February 2012
    January 2012
    December 2011
    November 2011
    October 2011
    September 2011
    August 2011
    June 2011
    May 2011
    April 2011
    March 2011
    February 2011
    January 2011
    December 2010

    Categories

    All
    Abraham Lincoln
    Ala Youth Media Awards
    American Revolution
    American West
    Apples
    Asian Pacific Island Heritage Month
    Authors Week
    Baseball
    Bears
    Black History Month
    Book Club
    Book Fair
    Bookmark Contest
    Brain Awareness Week
    Butterflies
    California Gold Rush
    California Statehood
    California Young Reader Medal
    Catalog
    Childrens Dental Health Month
    Chinese New Year
    Civil War
    Class Visits
    Clothing
    Colors
    Common Core Standards
    Cook Prize
    Destiny Quest App
    Dewey Decimal System
    Dinosaurs
    Earth Day
    Endangered Animals
    Fathers Day
    Fire Prevention Week
    Groundhog Day
    Guinea Pigs
    Halloween
    Hanukkah
    Hispanic Heritage Month
    International Dot Day
    Inventors
    Learning To Read
    Lewis & Clark
    Lewis Clark647b236af7
    Libraries
    Literacy Month
    Love Stories
    Manhattan Beach Education Foundation
    Manhattan Beach Historical Society
    Manhattan Beach Rotary Club
    Maps
    Martin Luther King Jr.
    Memorial Day
    Mothers Day
    National Bicycle Month
    National Library Week
    National Poetry Month
    Native Americans
    New Books
    Olympics
    Overdue Books
    Paleontology
    Pennekamp Pride Traits
    Pennekamp Pta
    Pirates
    Poem In Your Pocket Day
    Poem-in-your-pocket Day
    Poetry
    Pta
    Public Library Events
    Random Acts Of Kindness Week
    Roundhouse Aquarium
    Saint Patricks Day
    Saint Patricks Dayf547019d60
    Scholastic Book Clubs
    School
    School Library Month
    Science Night
    Science Week
    Screenfree Week171457ec08
    Seasons
    Sea Stories
    Self-acceptance
    September 11
    Simple Machines
    Snow
    Solar System
    Summer Reading
    Summer Reading List
    Summer Vacation
    Thanksgiving
    Toys
    Trees
    U.N. International Day Of Peace
    U.s. Presidents
    Valentine
    Veterans Day
    Volunteers
    Weather
    Women
    Women's History Month
    Womens History Month
    World Food Day
    World Water Day

    RSS Feed

Powered by Create your own unique website with customizable templates.