Library News

September 12, 2022


It's beginning to look a lot like Library -

Every shelf you go,

Take a look at the fiction and nonfiction,

With books on display that glow!

It's beginning to look a lot like Library -

Check out like a store,

And the prettiest sight to see, is the books we bring home

Through your own front door!

September 13, 2021

Welcome back! At GRAIS we're so excited to have classes back in the Library this year. Book circulation will begin the week of September 20th.

January 26, 2021

Shop the PTO Virtual Book Fair! From now until February 7th, use the book fair link to browse and order books online. Orders will be sent directly to your address. Please contact the GRAIS PTO for more information.

January 6, 2021

Happy New Year! Students have just returned to our school and we already have many exciting things happening in the Library. First, we will begin limited book circulation in a few weeks. Students will only be allowed to have one book out at a time. Also, following CDC and Mass Library System guidelines, when books are returned, they will be quarantined.

Students are also being taught about several free online book sites in Library class, including EPIC, Overdrive and Tumblebooks. The links for all of these will be available on their Library Google Classrooms and on the Library Links page. EPIC is free to use for unlimited reading from 7 a.m. - 4 p.m. Monday-Friday. Parents may also sign up for a free account (see this flyer) to use EPIC for 2 hrs./week on weeknights and weekends. Overdrive and Tumblebooks are free to use with a public library card.

Also, 5th grade teachers are beginning a reading challenge and we are beginning the Mass. Children's Book Award reading challenge in both grades. 5th graders may count books that they read for the MCBA Reading Challenge for the 5th grade reading challenge as well (twice the rewards)! You will be able to find more information at the MCBA Reading Challenge page and on the Library Google Classroom.

November 25, 2020

GRAIS is very excited to welcome author Gordon Korman to our school for a virtual author visit.

He is a prolific author who has written over 90 books for children and young adults, including many books in the 39 Clues series and Swindle. His book, Restart, was on the Massachusetts Children’s Book Award reading list last year. His latest book, War Stories, was published by Scholastic Inc. this year.

Mr. Korman will visit our schools virtually on Tuesday, December 15th for Cohort A and Wednesday, December 16th for Cohort B. Each grade will have a 40 minute Zoom meeting with Mr. Korman. Our students are preparing for his visit by reading one of his books with Mrs. Grabke. We will also research his website to learn more about him and prepare questions for his visit.

October 12, 2020

One of the many joys of my job as School Library Media Specialist is connecting students with great books to read for leisure. We all know that the more time children spend reading, the better readers they will become. Giving children the opportunity to choose from our large and varied collection can motivate them to engage in more reading activity.

This year, due to Covid-19 and our concern for safety, we will be slowly rolling out the time when we are able to check out school library books. Since we won’t be circulating our school books for the time being, I want to make sure that every student has the chance to use the numerous resources available at the public libraries in Freetown and Lakeville. I have been working with the Public Librarians to give students easy access to getting library cards.

Although it won’t be required, I strongly recommend taking advantage of this opportunity to sign up for a library card for your child if they don’t already have a public library card. I don’t have specific plans yet, but sometime during our classes we may be using the online resources from the public libraries and students will need a card to access these resources. The cards may also be used on your own time to use the wonderful collections and online tools that these libraries offer.

I have attached library card applications for both libraries. Please choose the appropriate application to fill out and return all library card applications to Mrs. Grabke by October 20th.

https://drive.google.com/file/d/1-XYH3JzNkgKFwEFK8_7Zu68nYx6dGKgR/view?usp=sharing

https://drive.google.com/file/d/1uDFciiNXefQ2vq5e3vufIR7n_sXQDeNz/view?usp=sharing

October 5, 2020

When the schools closed last Spring, many students still had Library books that they haven't had a chance to return. We will start collecting those books next week. I will give students a list of books that they have checked out. Please return all Library books as soon as possible. Thank you!

September 1, 2020

Welcome to the 2020-21 school year! I am here at GRAIS getting ready for our new hybrid model. One change that you'll notice is that Library is now on the Specialist rotation which means that we will be interacting on a more regular basis. We will continue learning Library skills, but the focus will be on reading, technology and research skills. If you have any questions about Library Class, feel free to email me at cgrabke@freelake.org. See you in a few weeks!

March 17, 2020

There are many sources to read, listen to and watch stories online. Here are some of my favorites:

Scholastic -- Learn From Home

Story Time From Space

Read, Wonder and Learn

Write, Draw, Create Community

Storyline Online

Kidlit TV

Books to Enjoy

Open Library (You must create a FREE online account first)

March 7, 2020

It's a bit blustery today, but hopefully since March came in like a lion, that means April will come in like a lamb! Just like the change of seasons, we are coming to the end of several projects and beginning some new ones.

In January we held the bookmark contest to choose one bookmark to enter in the MSLA Bookmark contest -- you can read more about it on the bookmark page. 5th grade completed some lessons in January and February for Black History Month. Students learned about the library's biographical resources, discussed leadership character traits and created word clouds. See examples here. And the 4th graders have finished their explorers research and are presenting their slide presentations in their classes.

I've been working with the Math teachers on making the math subject books easier to access. I'll be rearranging some books and I've created book lists that students and teachers can find on the Library Catalog. I'll also be going to Math classes to share some math stories soon. Lastly, the MCBA Reading Challenge is ending -- students will vote on their favorite stories next week!

January 13, 2020

It's a new year and there is a lot of new things happening in the Library. First, you may have noticed a new page link at the top of the website for the MSLA (MA School Library Association) Bookmark Contest. Mrs. Boissonneau is helping with the bookmark contest -- click here to find out more!

We are finishing our Digital Citizenship unit and classes will be starting some library research projects soon. There will be some Black History month lessons and 4th grade will be researching explorers. If you're looking for math books to help prepare for the Math MCAS in April, I've added lists to the Library Catalog -- click on Resource lists on the left side once you are in the GRAIS Library Catalog.

Finally, books are on display in the Library for the 5th grade Reading Challenge. The MCBA (MA Children's Book Award) Reading Challenge is in full swing. I'm always happy to help students find a great book to read for the challenges or just to enjoy!

December 9, 2019:

Happy Holidays! One of my favorite ways to enjoy time off is to snuggle with my dog, a cup of hot cocoa and a good book! The Scholastic Book Fair is a great place to find books for both kids and adults. Students will be able to visit the book fair all week from December 9th - December 16th, and parents may visit during Parent-teacher conferences on Tuesday, Dec. 10th and Thursday, Dec. 12th. I hope you stock up on some awesome books -- they make great presents, too!

MCBA Update: Ms. Mastro and I have begun our Lunch Time book talks. This is a fun time for students to share and learn about the great MCBA books that they're reading. We have had two talks so far, and are looking forward to more. For the tentative schedule for future book talks, please see the MCBA page.

November 8, 2019:

When our kids are young, we do our best to help them get the most out of the Internet while protecting them from the risks and downsides of the online world. As children mature, our role shifts to helping them learn to make their own safe and thoughtful decisions as they navigate their digital lives.

This year at George R. Austin Intermediate School, I will be teaching a Digital Citizenship unit and preparing our students to:

• Think critically and evaluate websites, email, and other content online.

• Protect themselves from online threats, including bullying and scams.

• Get smart about sharing: what, when, how, and with whom.

• Be kind and respectful toward other people online, including respecting their privacy.

• Ask for help with tricky situations from a parent or other trusted adult.

I will be using a few carefully chosen resources in this unit. They include Be Internet Awesome, a multifaceted program developed by Google; Netsafe Videos from Planet Nutshell in collaboration with the Utah Education Network; and the FBI’s Safe Online Surfing website. I have shared the links to these resources on the Library’s web site.

Smart, safe technology usage can enable students to help drive their own learning and help our school function better. This program will mark an important step toward our goal of ensuring that all our students at George R. Austin Intermediate School are learning, exploring, and staying safe online, both inside and outside the school walls. I encourage you to ask your student about what activities they are participating in and continue the conversation at home – and who knows, you just might pick up a few privacy and security tricks yourself!

October 8, 2019:

All classes have been visiting the library to check out books -- please help your children remember to bring back their books on library day so that others may enjoy them too!

Mrs. Mastrogiacomo and I spoke to all students at lunch today to tell them about our upcoming reading challenge -- The Massacusetts Children's Book Award. Sign up and book check out for the program will begin next week -- click here for more information. Also, special thanks to the PTO for their support of this program.

September 9, 2019:

Classroom teachers are beginning to bring their classes for book browsing and checking out books for independant reading. Students are having a lot of fun doing a Library Scavenger Hunt to review the different areas of the library and learn about Library expectations!