Re: Elem:Curriculum

["Jeanette B. Heath" <heathf@DREAMSCAPE.COM>]

        I recently did the reverse after 20 year...went from primary to
Highschool!
Now for next fall:
Week 1:  Every class, all levels.  Sit them on the rug in rows, cross
legged  or with their legs like a pretzel. ("Indian style" is no longer
used for good reason.) Cover Fire drill rules, where to exit, rules for in
the LMC.  And of course introduce yourself.  AND SMILE.  If any time left
over, promise a story for next time, find out some likes and dislikes.

Week 2:  Care of books:  Go through the shelves.  Find books that are water
or cool-aide damaged, moldy, scribbled in,torn, torn and mended with the
wrong tape, books with missing pages.  After a while you should have a
"collection" of "sad" books.
Greet the students with the saddest face ever and after seating them,
really put on an act complete with sighs about what you found.  Have them
guess what happened for each book, and share their feelings about seeing
the book in that condition.  Enlist their help to care for the books, have
them promise to show you the books if they find.  If you project the team
approach, they will trust you enough to bring you the books for mending.  I
even go so far as to show them my MAGIC tape which makes the rip disappear
like magic!  (And when the k-1s make a tiny rip so they can see me use the
Magic tape, I thank them profusely anyway and pretend I don't know. And fix
it.)

Third week:
Walk them through the process of signing out a book.  Show them how to
browse, how to place a book back on the shelf in the right place.  How to
pull a book out next to the one they're looking at so in case they don't
keep it, they can put it back.  Also, if they change their mind it's REALLY
IMPORTANT that they don't stick it back just anywhere.  Compare the books
location to an address.  If I went to Erics house and looked for him, and
he was down the street, would I
find him?  Books have addresses.
1st intermediate signout.

4th week:  1st primary signout, but review the process again.  With
kindergarten, check with their teacher.  If the kids have the concept of
taking papers home and bringing them back, they may be ready.  Other times
classes didn't start til October.

Also, you didn't say if you were automated or not.  I have some previous
messages I sent others --let me know which!

Hope this helps.  Although I love JR/Sr. high, I really miss the love from
the little ones.  It'll get hectic at times,  but enjoy!




Mrs. Jeanette B. Heath
Library Media Specialist
Red Creek Jr./Sr. High School
PO Box 190
Red Creek, NY 13143

Heathf@dreamscape.com (home)

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