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Since many of you asked if I would post a hit on this question, here it is. Sorry it's so late... Susan Speranza, LMS Bellows Falls Union High School Bellows Falls, VT 05101 Castleriggpekes@adelphia.net ------- For several years, the library gives a certificate to one student from each classroom that is the first to reach 100 AR points. The student brings a printout from the AR program that shows the date and number of points to me. I take their picture and post it in the library. The last week of school, I usually take these students to lunch off campus, but this year our principal changed the procedure, so I ordered trophies from Renassiance Learning to give each student during Awards Assembly. If you have student helpers, it would be appropriate to give them certificates for services. Hope this gives you sonetime to consider. This is an elementary school and I have a group of 7 5th graders and 7 6th graders and they collect and shelve all my books. They are taught be me and they do a super job., I just check the shelves periodically. I give them an award and a certificate for a sundae as well as a pizza luncheon each year. Hi- I give out a library award to one person in each fourth grade class at their moving up ceremony. I pick someone who has stood out as a good citizen, followed the rules and perhaps has shown some interest in the library outside of class. We are beginning a Library Award just this year. It will be named after the recently deceased wife of the man for whom the school is named. She donated money to the library over the last 20 years. I was trying to think of criteria for the award and came up with the following: Library Patron & Promotor 1. Responsible 2. Member of book club 3. Citizenship 4. Shares books with others Reader 1. A constant reader 2. Participates in Reading programs I picked two students to win the award this year. One does not belong to my book club but is very active in the public library's teen club and does advertising for them in our library. The other is the president of my book club. Both are constantly telling other students what books they need to read and promoting reading on a one-to-one basis. Both were part of the library's "Hall of Fame" program to read 100 books this school year. Both are good solid kids. And what is really nice, both will not be receiving awards from other curriculum departments so the library awards will be very special for them. I gave out awards this year for the 1st time ever as a librarian. It was not by choice...being new to the school I was told that the library gives out a reading award, with a couple of honorable mentions. I went by the "old" rule...the student w/ the most Accelerated Reader points got the award. However, I was very unhappy about it because I thought the award should have been given to the student whose reading had most improved/changed...one of my 6th gd girls came in as a obligatory reader, if it was required - she'd read it...otherwise, she wouldn't. By the time I got through w/ her, she was loving mysteries and historical fiction. I went to my headmaster with my concerns and he said that I am more than welcome to change the rules. Next year, I will give out two awards (for the school assembly), one for the most AR points (because that is an accomplishment) and one for most improved reader. For my end of the year celebration, certificates will be given to students who: have read the most books from the statewide middle school reading list, have read challenging titles, have scored a 100 reading log grade each quarter, and I'll probably add more. We do Reading Counts as a VOLUNTARY program, run through the library. At the end of the year, I award certificates to my high point readers. This will be the first year I'm planning on giving out any awards too. My school has AR but it is not used much--to encourage it's use, I'm recognizing the students who earned more than 50 points on AR quizzes (only 8 in a school of 500 + which is why I made the threshold so low) and students who borrowed an average of a book per week or more (only 21 kids). Ironically, there are only two students who are on both lists. I'm calling the library users "power readers". My circ system allows me to print a report of usage for the year. I put that into a spreadsheet, totalled the columns (it does a monthly usage report) and then sorted from top to bottom. I give out awards mostly to 5th grade students. These awards are for Media Club, news crew, 100 points or more in AR and I always chose at least students to give what I call my life long reader awards to. These are the students that are curious, that read for the joy of reading and for knowledge, not just for the AR points. For the younger grades I give 100 AR points or more awards. During the year I take the student's picture and attach it to a cut out of a book (purchased at a local school supply store) I put the pictures on the wall for the whole year, I include this with their AR award. I am not a big AR fan and this is the ONLY thing I do to even recognize AR in our building. Other teachers and parents take care of the rest. I do make a big deal out of second grade students who reach 100 points because that means they are really reading above grade level to achieve 100 points. If you are interested in seeing what my awards look like send me an email to this AOL address and I will send them as attachments. However, I am not at home and will be gone until June 16, so will not be able to send them prior to that. The library gives the top Accelerated Reader Awards (top points earner in each grade) and the top Virginia Young Readers (10 books selected by our state) Awards (read all 10 books). I gave AR awards to the top 3 students in grades 1-4. There were 5 who accumulated over 100 points in 5th grade, so I gave each of them an award. In first grade, there was a student who was .2 points from the 3rd place, so I gave 4 awards in the first grade. I gave each student a Certificate of Award and a medallion symbolizing Reading Achievement. I placed an AR sticker on the back of the medallion. I purchased the medallions from Positive Promotions with Book Fair money. This was the first time our students received anything from the library. Next year, I'd like to add a Technology award. However, this year was a mess. Our typing program was not supported by our newer computers. So, I winged it all year. I apologized profusely and I just hope I didn't mess them up. Our students will have to take a state mandated computer test in the 8th grade. They have to pass it before they can graduate from high school. I would also like to give an award to the most improved readers in each grade - maybe one per class. Of course, I would have to get input from their teachers. Maybe I could give a Certificate of Award and a Super Reader pin. I only give out AR point clubs that students have earned. Also, I have library workers in 5th grade that I gave a certificate of appreciation to and 2 other 5th grade girls who participated in a community-wide storytelling festival I helped organize, so I also gave them a certificate of participation. I do not give out awards based on participation during class because I only have weekly, scheduled lessons with 2nd grade. Kdg. and 1st grade have special programs that I help implement but aren't really condusive to giving special awards since I see groups of 12-15 students for only 4 minutes at a time in a literacy station. My 3rd - 5th graders come to library for a weekly D.E.A.R. (Drop Everything And Read) time during which time I also scheudle in other classes for research, lit. circles, and other extension activities. So, when considering these factors, I stick with AR certificates and special awards for students who go above and beyond in other areas that I'm involved with. Hope this helps. I am in an elementary school and we have Library helpers to check books in on their recess time. I give out certificates for "Library Service" as long as each student signs in on her card at least 10 times during the school year. The certificates are presented at our school award assembly in June. I gave out awards to my top accelerated reader in each grade, to my top in each grade for a local program called "I Love to Read", and my top reader of the state award books. I know many schools recognize kids who've read all of the most of the state award books. I have two reading programs. Not all students participate, and it can be challenging. For grade 2, anyone who reads, and reports 15 Caldecott books receives and award. By report, I will have them tell me the name, and ask them a question. "What is your favorite illustration? Why?" Nothing too complicated. 3rd-8th grades do the same with 15 Newbery books. There are plenty of "old" Newbery books appropriate to the 3rd grade. I also give a library service award. This goes to the person who has voluntarily done work in the library. -------------------------------------------------------------------- All LM_NET postings are protected by copyright law. To change your LM_NET status, e-mail to: listserv@listserv.syr.edu In the message write EITHER: 1) SIGNOFF LM_NET 2) SET LM_NET NOMAIL 3) SET LM_NET MAIL 4) SET LM_NET DIGEST * Allow for confirmation. 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