Illinois Grant Money

For the last several years, we have applied for and received small grants from the state of Illinois. Given the state of the economy, it is good news that the grants for 08-09 came through. The number of dollars is not huge, but it does make a difference by allowing us to buy some extra books each year.

This year at Elizabeth Ide, we have ordered replacement copies of classics and old favorites. They are popular and popular books do get worn out because they circulate a lot. The children like them and, I think, we sometimes get parents or even grandparents interested. It is always a good idea to read to your children and to encourage them to read to you. Share the books!

At Prairieview, series books are very popular. Therefore, we used the grant money to fill in some gaps in our collection. Third, fourth, and fifth graders like to latch on to things that they

read. We like them to be reading as much as possible, so we accomodate their desires as we are able. Of course, we also encourage them to branch out. They are allowed to check three items at a time and they must choose three different things. It is good for them and good for the other patrons in the school. By the way, it doesn't hurt a bit to read to these middle grade students and to listen to them as they read to you. Some very good conversations may be generated.

What are we up to in class?

Prairieview




We are well into our basic computer skill unit. Last week we concluded our introduction to keyboarding. It would be very helpful for the students if they practiced regularly. Please remind your children to use the home row position and to look at the screen as much as possible. They will need to keyboard a lot in their lives.










This week, we started on some other skills. The third and fourth graders are reviewing how to use Open Office Writer. The fifth graders started a tutorial on Inspiration.








Elizabeth Ide


Next Thursday afternoon we will have Halloween Parties and on Friday, there is a teachers' institute. I thought it would be a good idea to start sharing Halloween books with the students this week. It has not been hard to stimulate enthusiasm. So far, no one will admit to being scared. The books are just spooky enough for primary students.

The Library Catalog

We have been using a program called L4U for the last several years for our circulation and our catalog. It has many handy features and we continue to learn new tricks that enable us to assist our patrons better.

This year we have embarked on a huge undertaking. We are labeling our collection in a more specific manner than we have

used in the past. This will be a great help in evaluating what is popular and useful in our collections. It will help us to recognize weaknesses.

The software enabled us to easily identify our non-fiction collection. The fiction collection is not so easy. We have to go through the collection item by item and update the loan type. This will take many hours, but it is not all bad. As I go through the titles, I become reacquainted with many items.

At the end of each month, we will evaluate the circulation statistics. As I make the adjustment for each item, each month's data will be more meaningful.

New Display at Prairieview

We have been catching a lot of attention at Prairieview because of a new display. One of our students was kind enough to share his Eiffel Tower, made of Legos. Mrs. Walsh-Rock, the new assistant, seized the opportunity to display lots of books about the Eiffel Tower, Paris, and other remarkable buildings around the world.

If you are curious, come and see all of this. The tower is visible from the hallway. The BACC students, who spend time in the I.M.C. each day after school, have been asking me if I have seen the tower.

October at Elizabeth Ide

As is her custom, Mrs. Drope has displayed the many books we have about Autumn and Halloween. She set them up on top of our bookcases on the first of October and they have been wildly popular.

The children are excited about pumpkins. I keep hearing stories about trips to pumpkin patches and growing things at home. It seems like a good idea to take advantage of their curiosity. So, I have included non-fiction books on pumpkins in my story times for both kindergarten and first grade this week. Do you know all the stages between seeds and full grown pumpkins?