Have a wonderful summer filled with fantastic books! Be sure to join the Hurst Public Library's Summer Reading Club! Bring your certificate to show Mrs. Zorn when school begins!

 

Be sure to click on "Useful Links" in the menu to the left for help in selecting terrific websites. You can also click on the link below to find review resources which will help you select great apps.  We are enjoying learning about our new iPads!

http://sqworl.com/zg71zw

 

Some of our 4th and 6th graders enjoyed talking with author Clete Barrett Smith (_Aliens on Vacation_, 2013 Texas Bluebonnet Award Master List) via video conference from our library recently.  Please visit our Shady Oaks website's online scrapbook to view photos from this exciting event.

The mission of the Information Literacy Specialists of the HEBISD Instructional and Library Technology Services Department is to be active participants in every child's education, to empower students and staff to be effective users of ideas and information, and to enrich the district curriculum by providing physical and intellectual access to materials in multiple formats, as we promote an enthusiasm for reading, life-long learning, and prepare our students to achieve in the 21st Century.

Be sure to click on "Useful Links" in the menu to the left to find great reading lists offered by the Texas Library Association, wonderful author websites, fascinating websites for students, and websites which offer stories to read online!

Click on this link to access the HEB suggested reading lists for each grade level:

http://schoolctr.hebisd.edu/education/components/scrapbook/default.php?sectiondetailid=57816&  

 

 All students visit the library each week to check out books. Parents, you can check out books, too, from 7:45-8:00 and 3:00-3:15 each day.  We have a great collection of books about parenting to assist you with the most important of all the many "jobs" you do.

 


Congratulations to our 2013 Texas Bluebonnet Award readers!

The Texas Bluebonnet Award winner for 2013 is _Postcards from Camp_ by Simms Taback.  _Aliens on Vacation_ by Clete Barrett Smith received the most votes at Shady Oaks.  Students working on their TBA reading lists had until January 15, 2013 to complete their reading. The Texas Bluebonnet Award reading program is sponsored by the Texas Library Association. From the document manager on this page, you can download a slideshow of our TBA readers suggesting their favorite books which they read this year. Thank you to our 6th grade Techno Team members for creating the slideshow! We appreciate the support of our Shady Oaks PTA in providing our t-shirts, designed this year by 6th grader Alexandra. Thank you so very much!

Please remember that the record form for the 2014 Texas Bluebonnet Award reading program can be downloaded from the document manager on our library website, and students in grades 3-4-5-6 who read or listen to at least five books from the list will vote for their favorite of the nominees in January, 2014. Be sure to visit the Hurst Public Library to find copies of the Texas Bluebonnet Award books, also. We do appreciate the help of our area public libraries in helping our students find the 2014 nominees as well as nominees from previous years which can be read for our Texas Bluebonnet Award reading program.

We are enjoying the HEBISD iBook (interactive book) collection! HEBISD Library Media Services is proud to announce our new iBook (interactive book) collection for all users in our school district! Please contact our librarian, Mrs. Zorn, to receive the login and password to access the iBooks and ebooks from any computer, 24/7.  In the attached photo, two students are enjoying reading an ibook on the computer.

Research shows..."School libraries are a powerful force in the lives of America's children. The school library is one of the few factors whose contribution to academic achievement has been documented empirically, and it is a contribution that cannot be explained away by other powerful influences on student performance." "What Research Tells Us About the Importance of School Libraries" Keith Curry Lance, Ph.D.

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HAVE COURAGE ~~ THINK BIG ~~ BE GREAT

... Obert Skye, author of the "Leven Thumps" series

We were very pleased to welcome back to Shady Oaks one of our favorite authors, Obert Skye, for a THIRD visit! He has created the outstanding fantasy series about "Leven Thumps," and has now begun a second series about some of the characters in that series with the first book, _Beyond Foo_.  He has also written an exciting trilogy about dragons: _Pillage_ ,  _Choke_ and _Ambush_. Our students are loving Mr. Skye's zany series "The Monster in My Closet"  which began with _Wonkenstein_ and _Potterwookiee_!  They are anxiously awaiting the publication of Book 3, _Pinocula_! Be sure to look at our online website scrapbook for photos of Mr. Skye's visit, and click on the icon below to view highlights of his presentation.



So much learning happens in our library media center! Please remember that parents are welcome to visit our library media center from 7:45 - 8:00 before school or 3:00 - 3:15 after school to choose books. We have a great collection of books about parenting, and you may also choose books to share with your children.

Checkout: Each class is scheduled for a weekly checkout period. Please contact Mrs. Zorn for information on which is your child's checkout day. Even though your child checks out books from our school's library media center each week, please remember that it is still very important to make regular trips - adventures! - to the Hurst Public Library! You will be absolutely amazed by all of their books and media materials!

Research and Technology Projects: Teachers may schedule groups to visit the library media center to work on research and technology projects which support the curriculum.

Library Instruction: Mrs. Zorn teaches classes to each homeroom. 

Assignments: Homework is usually not given, other than to always work hard to find books you will love to read during checkout periods, and then to READ - READ - READ!

All families: Be sure to try the resources available from Grolier Online by clicking on the "go arrow" below.  Please ask Mrs. Zorn for the password information. Thank you VERY MUCH to a tremendous Shady Oaks grandparent who has donated these online resources to us for one year!  We are enjoying using them very much!