EXTENDED LIBRARY HOURS - Starting September 21st

            Monday and Thursday            3:40 pm to 4:30 pm
            Wednesday                            7:50 am to 8:40 am

Thoreau Reads a Million theme will be “Pop Open a Good Book” The Popcorn theme will tie in with popcorn reward parties.  Awards, prizes and free Micro days off will be awarded to the top winners.  Various promotional items will be used to support the popcorn theme.

The goal is to have each student read a million words this year.  Students will keep track of their reading by keeping a reading log sheet.  Students will also take Reading Counts quizzes on the books they have read, write reviews on Destiny, and contribute to the TDA Reads a Million blog and wiki.

The grant will provide @ $11,000 to $12,000 to purchase books.  Book carts will be included in the grant to create traveling libraries to circulate throughout the school to give students immediate access to books in their classrooms.  In addition, 12 to 18 wireless netbooks with charging cart and access point will be purchased to use in the library.  Thoreau will investigate the possibility of acquiring access points in other areas of the building so the wireless netbook cart can be utilized with more students.

The library will be open extended hours starting September 21^st.  The library will be open Monday and Thursday from 3:40 to 4:30 pm and Wednesday and Friday from 7:50 am to 8:30 am for a total of at least 75 extended hours for the school year.

Three parent workshops will be presented during the year.  Proposed topics include “Accessing Online Databases from Home”, Book Talks for Parents – Helping your Child Select appropriate Books (held in conjunction with the book fair) and one on Web 2.0 and Social Networking:  What is Your Child Really Accessing?

Two students will be selected to attend 21^st Century Learner Workshops with the LMS.  Parental permission and transportation arrangements for off-site workshops will be required. 

The LMS will present training to the staff during faculty meetings and plan meetings to train teachers in how to use the new digital resources and how to incorporate them into co-teaching units.

LMS/Teacher teams will collaboratively work to create model instructional units and share those models with the Thoreau staff.  Workshops will also be presented by the LMS.

A literacy council will assist the LMS in implementing the various grant projects.  Members of the Thoreau Literacy council are Kristy Hutton, Sharon Hawkins, Audra Bull, Denise White, Meg DeWeese and Sandy Bond