Sato third, fourth, and fifth graders had the incredible opportunity to meet Aron Nels Steinke, the author and illustrator of the beloved Mr. Wolf’s Class graphic novel series. His visit brought books to life in a way that truly inspired our young readers and artists.  

During his time with us, Steinke shared his journey from being a teacher to becoming a graphic novelist, showing students how real-life experiences can spark creative storytelling. He walked them through his writing and illustrating process, offering a behind-the-scenes look at how his books come together and sharing passages from his newest graphic novel, Speechless. 

Encourage your child to keep up the enthusiasm! Ask them about their favorite part of the visit, and maybe even check out Mr. Wolf’s Class and Speechless together. Who knows? This visit might inspire the next great young author in our community! To order an autographed copy of Speechless, contact Mrs. Fry.

This month, elementary students are diving into Black History Month with a hands-on research project using Gale in Context: Elementary. This lesson helps students explore and celebrate influential Black Americans while sharpening their research and digital literacy skills.  

Using their Chromebooks, students access Gale in Context, select a historical figure from a list of over 100 icons, and gather key facts and images. They’ll learn how to navigate research databases, properly cite sources, and summarize key achievements.  

The project culminates in creating a page for a Black History ABC Book, a beloved Sato tradition where each student highlights a different historical figure. The best pages will be compiled into a published book for the school library!  

This project teaches students about significant historical figures and fosters research skills, creativity, and a deeper appreciation for Black history. Encourage your child to share what they’ve learned—it’s a great way to celebrate Black History Month together!

​The Dewey Decimal System, developed by Melvil Dewey in 1876, is a method for organizing library books by subject. It divides knowledge into ten main categories, each assigned a hundred-number range. For instance, the 500s cover natural sciences and mathematics, while the 900s are dedicated to history, biography, and geography. This structure allows for detailed subcategories, making it easier to locate specific topics. ​

The Dewey Decimal System remains relevant in the digital age, especially in school and public libraries. Its logical arrangement helps patrons find materials efficiently. Learning this system enhances students' research skills and fosters information literacy—abilities that are beneficial beyond the library setting. ​

The Dewey Decimal System is widely used globally. Its adaptability and enduring relevance underscore its value in organizing knowledge and supporting lifelong learning. 

To celebrate Native American Heritage Month, fifth graders this week participated in a book tasting, an activity where students get to sample a variety of books by reading the title, looking at the front and back cover, looking at the table of contents if there is one, looking at the illustrations if there are any, and reading a few pages from each one. Similar to tasting different foods at a restaurant, this activity helps students discover new titles and genres that might interest them. Finding a book you are interested in reading can be a challenge, so this strategy is a helpful tool for developing a life-long love of reading. This week's selection included local authors and award wining books by and about Native Peoples, including picture books, fiction, nonfiction, and folklore. To explore more books for Native American Heritage Month and all year long, click on "book lists" tab under the inclusivity tab above. 

Sora is the app for Beaverton School District's digital library with ebooks and audio books available for students all year long. Users can also link their Washington County Library card to access even more great reads. This is a great way to access popular titles!

• Install the free Sora app from the Apple App Store or  Google Play Store, or go to soraapp.com

• Under your Profile, select "add library," enter Sato, and click "this is my school"

• Select "add library," enter Washington County, select Washington County Cooperative Library Services, and click "this is my library"

• When you are ready to borrow a title, sign in and start reading!

• BSD User Name/password: 6 digit student ID/BSD password

• WCCLS User Name/password: the letters BSD followed by the 6 digit student ID/ last 4 digits of the student ID (for example- library card: BSD123456 password: 3456)

• Users can check out up to three books at a time from BSD and five from WCCLS

• Check out time is for two weeks

• Return books when finished so other students can enjoy them

• If a book is not renewed, the item will automatically return

• Users can only renew an item if there are no holds on the item

• Users can place a hold on up to three books from BSD and five from WCCLS

• Check your Sora account regularly to see if a hold is ready

Note: Ms. Miller is donating her time and talent to make this presentation free for Sato. Please consider ordering a copy of the book to show your appreciation.

We celebrate Filipino American History in October to commemorate the arrival of the first Filipinos who landed in what is now Morro Bay, California on October 18, 1587 and to celebrate the birth month of Filipino American labor leader Larry Itliong. Filipino American History Month focuses on the events, experiences, and lives of Filipino Americans and their impact on society.

Food is an important part of many cultures, and strong family relationships are often formed around the dinner table. Cora Cooks Pancit is about a young Filipino-American girl named Cora who loves being in the kitchen, but she always gets stuck doing the kid jobs like licking the spoon. One day, however, when her older sisters and brother head out, Cora finally gets the chance to be Mama's assistant chef. And of all the delicious Filipino dishes that dance through Cora's head, she and Mama decide to make pancit, her favorite noodle dish. Includes a recipe perfect for the family table. 

From September 15 to October 15 each year we celebrate Latinx and Hispanic Heritage Month, which honors the cultures and contributions of both Hispanic and Latino/Latina Americans. During this month and throughout the year, we share the history, heritage, and accomplishments of Hispanic and Latino/Latina Americans past and present. 

Our heritage can be influenced by the places our families come from and the languages we speak.  Heritage is the part of our Cultural identity that comes from our parents and their parents and is just one part of our cultural identity. 

Drum Dream Girl is inspired by the childhood of Millo Castro Zaldarriaga, a Chinese-African-Cuban girl who broke Cuba's traditional taboo against female drummers. Her story is an example of intersectionality: the complex, cumulative way in which the effects of the different parts of our cultural identities can combine, overlap, or intersect, especially in the experiences of marginalized individuals or groups

Throughout the year, students in third, fourth, and fifth grade learn library skills that will make them independent library users at any library they visit. Lessons include library collections, reading call numbers, using the library catalog, and understanding the Dewey Decimal System. Third and fourth grade students especially enjoy sorting books into our different library collections by reading the call number found on each spine label. Read the examples below to see you well you do. 

• The call number for the Harry Potter books is FIC ROW. Would you find these books in the fiction section or the series section?

• The call number for the Wings of Fire books is SER FIC SUT.  Would you find these books in the fiction section or the series section?

• The call number for the Dog Man books is GN FIC PIL.  Would you find these books in the graphic novel section or the fiction section? 

• The call number for the Raina Telgemeier books is GN 921 TEL.  Would you find these books in the graphic novel section or the nonfiction section?

• The call number for books about Malala Yousafzai is 921 YOU. Would you look for this book alphabetically or in number order?

Each year before students begin taking books home, we review the expectations for book care. These guidelines should be reviewed often to keep our books safe.

• Read with clean hands

• Turn pages carefully from the corner

• Do not draw, write, or color in or on  library books

• Use a bookmark; never dog ear pages or turn an open book over to save your place

• Carry the book with two hands

• Keep books away from food and drinks

• Keep books away from pets and small children

• Keep your library book in your backpack when you're not reading it

• Never attempt to repair a damaged book

• Return books on time so other students can enjoy them

We are so excited to welcome our students back to our beautiful library space! Again this year, our library will be co-staffed by Mrs. Fry who will teach our 3rd, 4th, and 5th grade classes and Mrs. Ballard who will teach our kindergarten, first, and second grade classes. 

Here are a few dates to look forward to:

• August 26-September 3 (first rotation): First check out for students in grades 4-5

• September 5-12 (second rotation): First check out for students in grades 1-2-3

• September 13-20 (third rotation): First check out for students in Kinder

• October 9-17: OBOB orientation and registration kick off for 3-5th grade

• November 1: Author visit for 3rd, 4th, and 5th grade

• November 13-14 tentative: Fall Book Fair

Your student's library days can be found by following the Calendar link above.