GoNoodle!

Many teachers at Glenbrook take movement breaks throughout the day to keep the students active. Want to keep this up during the summer (especially on those rainy days that keep us indoors)? Check out GoNoodle! It is a free online program with a variety of songs and dances to keep students movin' and groovin'! There are over 100 free videos that include popular themes such as Zumba, Kids Bop, yoga, and more!! Sign up for a free account and keep those kiddos active this summer!! 

End-of-Year Dates!!

End of Year Library Dates

GOAL: To keep the library open and operating for as long as possible

3 weeks remain

Countdown BEGINS!

STUDENTS WITH OVERDUE MATERIALS NEED TO RETURN THEM PRIOR TO CHECKING OUT ANY ADDITIONAL MATERIALS!

(PARENTS: Please contact Mrs. Gee in the library with any concerns that you have. We try our best to make it as painless as possible to replace lost/damaged materials!!)

Countdown…3

May 18-22 - Student checkouts are limited to 2 items. They may check out as many times as needed during the week.

Countdown…2

May 25-28- Student checkouts are limited to 1 items. They may check out as many times as needed during the week.

FRIDAY, MAY 29th

ALL STUDENT MATERIALS DUE

IDEALLY, all TEACHER  library BOOKS including guided reading books due

Countdown…1

LAST 4 days  of school---No checkout

June 3 - June 4

Teacher’s turn in equipment. PLEASE wait for June 3rd to turn in equipment such as iPads, cameras, webcams, etc… PLEASE, PLEASE, do not leave your items on the counter as mystery prizes for us to discover each morning. We need to keep records of equipment and what you returned so we can clear your account.

We SUPER x100 appreciate your help in keeping everything organized!

THANK YOU

Coming Soon!!

In March we held a fundraiser for the library where we raised over $1,000 for library improvements. One of the things that was top on our list was creating a Makerspace where students could come and get creative! There are many types of Makerspaces from the most basic (pencils and crayons!) to the most advanced (robotics and 3-D printers!). We chose something fun to start out with: Legos!!! We haven't introduced them to the students yet but here is what is coming soon:

Magazines Are on the Move!!

We just purchased a new magazine rack and had it installed in our library. Previously we used four book cases to house about a dozen magazine titles. It took up a lot of space, unnecessarily. As our book collection grows we are finding that we need those book shelves so we bought our new magazine rack! I love how much cleaner and organized it looks. I think the kids will enjoy it too!!

Sheboygan Children's Book Festival

Last weekend I took my oldest daughter down to Sheboygan to check out their Children's Book Festival. Initially I had to bribe her to go (we were only an hour from Milwaukee, so we headed down there after) but when we left the John Michael Kohler Arts Center more than four hours after we arrived, my daughter was begging me to bring her back the following year! It was pretty exciting for both of us!

We arrived a few minutes before the festival was to begin and surprisingly, there were only two other people in line in front of us. When the doors opened at 10, I was starting to think that maybe this wasn't going to be a very big festival! We walked around the art center while we waited for the events we wanted to attend to begin. {It is a very pretty center and I'm definitely going to head back another time!} At 10:45 we went into the auditorium and listened to author Blue Balliett talk about her adventures in writing, how she got started, and how she keeps going today. She was very interesting to listen to and my daughter even took the time to ask her questions about her books. Afterwards, we went to the lobby where we purchased a couple of her books and had them autographed.

After a quick lunch, we were off to see my favorite children's author, Kevin Henkes! He started out by telling us that he prefers to stay home rather than getting out but he was happy to be at this particular festival. He shared with us that he grew up in Racine, Wisconsin and is currently living in Madison. It's so exciting to have such a great author from our state! Kevin shared with us his family (mom, dad, brothers and sister) and how his family helps to shape the characters in his books. He also shared with us some hilarious letters from fans and one that really stood out where the young fan kept complimenting him on the books he writes, "especially the ones with the mice!" After his talk we headed back out to the lobby to stand in a very long line to get Kevin's autograph, but it was well worth it as he took the time to have a picture taken with us as well. We felt very spoiled!

Kevin Henkes, my daughter - Emma, and me!

I would highly recommend this book festival next year if you are looking for something fun (and free!) to do with your family. It is held at three locations in Sheboygan so there is plenty to check out! For more information on the festival or the authors mentioned above, click on these links:

Sheboygan Children's Book Festival

Blue Balliett, author

Kevin Henkes, author

STUDENTS GOING INTO GRADES 4 AND 5!!!

Now that I have your attention...Do you like to read? Are you interested in competing with other students around Wisconsin? Well the Battle of the Books may be  just the thing for you! We’ll be getting teams together next school year but you can get a head start on reading this summer! Here is the list of books we’ll be reading for the competition. If you think this is for you, go ahead and start reading! I’ll see YOU in the fall!!!

• 11 Birthdays by Wendy Mass
• Amelia Lost by Candace Fleming
• Big Nate Flips Out by Lincoln Peirce
• The Dark by Lemony Snicket
• The Day the Crayons Quit by Drew Daywalt
• Diary of a Wimpy Kid: Hard Luck by Jeff Kinney
• Flora & Ulysses by Kate DiCamillo
• How to Train Your Dragon by Cressida Cowell
• Killer Species: Out for Blood by Michael P. Spradlin
• The Lightning Thief by Rick Riordan
• Long Walk to Water by Linda Sue Park
• Loser by Jerry Spinelli
• My Side of the Mountain by Jean Craighead George
• The Nazi Invasion, 1944 (I Survived series #9) by Lauren Tarshis
• Number the Stars by Lois Lowry
• Oh, No! by Candace Fleming
• Pete the Cat and His Magic Sunglasses by James Dean
• Sarah Plain and Tall by Patricia MacLachlan
• That Is Not a Good Idea! by Mo Willems
• Walk Two Moons by Sharon Creech

Summer Reading Incentives

With summer vacation right around the corner it becomes difficult to encourage kids to read. I can attest to this myself as a parent of two elementary age students (one moving on to middle school in the fall). So in order to help parents encourage their kiddos to read, there are a couple of opportunities that parents and students can take advantage of:

Brown County Library Summer Reading Programs

The Brown County Library has three summer reading programs for kids of all ages to take part in. The first is Fizz, Boom, Read which targets students from birth through fifth grade. The second, Spark a Reaction, is for students going into grades 6 through 12. The third, Literary Elements, is geared toward us adults! So as you can see, they've worked hard to encourage all family members to enjoy their programs! Be sure to stop in and see what prizes are available for all levels. Sign up begins tomorrow, June 7th.

Barnes & Noble Summer Reading - Imagination's Destination

This program is for students going into grades 1 - 6. The steps are quite simple. Download a reading record from their website, read 8 books and record them on the reading record, bring your completed record to your local B&N store, enjoy a free book from a selection they have available! Who doesn't love a free book? I know I couldn't pass that up!

Scholastic Summer Reading Challenge

Scholastic has an online opportunity for students. This program began May 5th and runs through September 5th. Students can help to set a summer reading world record!

No matter what you decide to do this summer, I hope you will find time to read every day!