September Issue 2022
Hello Everyone! Welcome to the first Library Newsletter of the school year! We are all glad to have everyone back and we are super excited to have tons of new teachers and students rolling in this year, check below their favorite books and recommendations. For the people who haven't had the chance to visit the library yet, please feel free to come around and enjoy your time here! We have new resources too! -Alessia, Grade 11
IB Seniors' unmasked smiles!
As we roll back into the school year, here are some tips to help you get back into a normal routine...
Have a planner or calendar.
Prepare for your extracurricular activities.
Gather all of your supplies and purchase new ones as need be.
Clean out your accustomed study area.
Throw away any unneeded documents.
Be realistic about your time.
Set priorities for this year.
Set goals for this year. What do you want to achieve?
International Literacy Day
KG Storytelling Session - September 8th, 2022
IB CAS students organized a 30-minute storytelling activity for KG and first grade classes to celebrate International Literacy Day. They chose stories to read to the little ones, as well as the activities they did afterwards. This included a lot of arts and crafts!
Mr. Wyncoll's View on Literature
Interview - Ideas & Opinions on Literature
Mr. Wyncoll has been teaching for 31 years, starting with being an athletic trainer and physical education teacher for 9 years, 5th grade social studies and reading for 6 years. He has been to the Philippines, as a secondary principal, Nigeria and Ecuador, as a HS principal, and Bali, as the head of the school.
About GAA: The staff deeply cares about the education of the students. Mr. Wyncoll has 16 years of IB experience and believes he can find some small areas for improvement at GAA. He aims to make an impact on the educational student experience by closely monitoring the course options and ways of teaching. He looks forward to challenging GAA students to own their education.
Your school, your opportunity.
What is literature to you?
Mr. Wyncoll: With the IB language class, students are compelled to interact with classic novels and various types of media. This presents different perspectives and opens students to new ideas, which is why literature is important. People in the present generation has a myriad of literature presented to them, so it's incomparable to literature before. With technology at a rise, younger generations are also being exposed to false information, which can be very dangerous.
How would you compare literature when you were in highschool to literature nowadays?
Mr. Wyncoll: With technology growing towards the younger generations, young people are often recommended the kind of literature and things they like. But it is also important for them to broaden their perspective by trying new things, exploring more topics.
In retrospect with the advancement of technology in the present, as a professor, how would you raise interest in literature for the younger generation?
Mr. Wyncoll: Beginning from an early age, it is recommended that parents expose their children to literature. Not only does this build the love of reading, but it can also create quality time with parents and their children. Literature is imperative in order to lead a successful life with flying colors.
What is the challenge that you might encounter to promote literature with our present time? With all this technology, a lot of people are more interested in what the digital world can offer.
Mr. Wyncoll: Technology is omnipresent and knows what you like, so the challenge is to somehow fight AI for more young people to read with a broad mindset. Don't get funneled to only the things you like.
New Library Resources
Only teachers and IB students can access
Only teachers have access
Welcome to the new teachers! Check out their favorite books below.
Mr. Eric Kinderman
English Teacher
"The Catcher in the Rye" by J.D Salinger
The novel details two days in the life of 16-year-old Holden Caulfield after he has been expelled from prep school. Confused and disillusioned, Holden searches for truth and rails against the “phoniness” of the adult world.
"A book where teenagers can definitely relate to the main character."
Mrs. Sarah Kinderman
Social Studies Teacher
"The Stationary Shop" by Marjan Kamali
Set among the political upheaval of 1950s Tehran, The Stationery Shop follows teenager Roya as she discovers the power of love, loss, and then, decades later, fate.
A highly recommended novel from Ms Sarah!
Mr. Garth Wyncoll
Secondary Principal
"Talking to Strangers" by Malcom Gladwell
Talking to Strangers (2019) is a powerful exploration of how little we know about the people we don't know. It explores how we misjudge and misunderstand strangers, sometimes with terrible consequences, making a powerful case for more tolerance and patience in our dealings with others.
Mrs. Pushpa Dasari
HS Counselor
"Get out of your head" by Jannie Allen
"This book is more for grownups so I recommend to the older audience, it's a great way to change your way of thinking"
Identify the negative thought patterns that are keeping you stuck.
Understand the science behind why your thoughts can change your life.
Mr. Alan Hogan
Social Studies Teacher
"The Analytics of Confucius"
This book can be found in our library!
The Analects of Confucius is a collection of aphorisms and historical anecdotes embodying the basic values of the Confucian tradition: learning, morality, ritual decorum, and filial piety.
Ms. Danielle Smith
Mathematics Teacher
"Rich Dad Poor Dad" by Robert Kiyosaki
Rich Dad Poor Dad tells the story of a boy with two fathers, one rich, one poor, to help you develop the mindset and financial knowledge you need to build a life of wealth and freedom.
Mr. Antoine Rogers
Business Management Teacher
"The Law of Success" by Napoleon Hills
The Law of Success was a precursor to Napoleon Hill's Think and Grow Rich. Hill was well known for researching what made millionaires different from the common man. The sixteen lessons in this book perfectly crystallize everything you will need to know to succeed during these hard economic times.
Mr. Kevin Hueston
Biology Teacher
The Biology textbook by Miller and Levine
You may find this book in the biology class!
Ms. Azra Husain
World Studies Teacher
"Eleanor Oliphant is completely fine"
by Gail Honeyman
The story centers on Eleanor Oliphant, a social misfit with a traumatic past who becomes enamored with a singer, whom she believes she is destined to be with
Mr David Dasari
Secondary Curriculum Coordinator
"I am Pilgrim" by Tarry Hayes
"Pilgrim" is an American former intelligence agent known as the "Rider of the Blue" who later writes a book on forensic pathology. Pilgrim becomes involved in a case in New York City where a mysterious woman uses his book to commit untraceable murders in the aftermath of 9/11.
Mr Jefferson Torres
Music Teacher
and his adorable son!
"Give Me Wings: How a Choir of Former Slaves Took on the World" by Kathy Lowinger
is a beautiful, informative, and inspiring book for readers ages 11 to 14. This is the story of Ella Sheppard who was born a slave.
All About Literacy
An interview with the Literacy Coordinator and 8th Grade English Teacher -- Ms. Amy Dobbs
Ms. Amy Dobbs started off teaching reading during her reading certification so she could work with students that struggled with reading and reading comprehension, from then she worked with secondary and lower school. She has since gotten her Master's degree in Literacy. Ms. Dobbs's main focus is on working with students on how to improve literacy and working with multilingual students to grasp the English language. She has also worked with students who have learning disabilities on how to improve reading and writing across the board.
What are some things that you do in the literacy program to promote literacy or encourage adolescents to read?
Ms. Dobbs: The literacy program and my goals for this year are to support and help the teachers so they are able to implement literacy strategies into all of their classes whether it be science pe or music so they can help students and encourage literacy in reading and writing vocabulary. Secondly, it's to read more and help them find their interest, level, confidence, and love for reading. Thirdly, to also help the parents and provide them with strategies on how they can support their children with reading .
What does reading mean to you?
Ms. Dobbs: In all honesty, it is the original time traveler, with literature you can be transported to any location any timezone, any situation. If you are in a bad mood and you pick up a book you can be taken away to a wonderful environment. It's something that makes you happy and peaceful. Through reading, you can learn about different situations, locations, different people, and so much more. It is such a way to let your mind explore the world without ever actually leaving your chair.
What is the biggest challenge you think kids have when trying to develop their literacy skills and how can they overcome it?
Ms. Dobbs: The biggest challenge is social media because many students are on social media . This generation is called the digital generation because most of their reading takes place on a laptop or phone. When they read on their devices they have a tendency to skim what they are reading , they don't look at the details nor read critically. There have been many studies that show that students read less than then they did 30 -40 year ago, this is a challenge to get them from skimming and scanning to read with attention to detail and reading for content. They can overcome this challenge by trying to pick up a physical book or really try to delve into the topic and fully grasp what they are reading.
Literacy Day Word Search Winners
Meet some of our new secondary students with their book recommendations!
Zeyab Aly, 9th Grade
"How to be the Best Lawyers Think, Argue, and Win" by Joel P. Trachtman
Sarah Jabr, 11th Grade
"Pride and Prejudice" by Jane Austen
Yousef Hussein, 12th Grade
"The Night Circus" by Erin Morgenstern - for IB students only
Erick Anjos, 12th Grade "Diary of a Wimpy Kid" by Jeff Kinney
Santiago De La Flor,
12th Grade
"The Complete Big Nate" by Lincoln Peirce
Janna Aljundi, 12th Grade
"Kafka on the Shoe" by Haruki Murakami
Sienna Riera, 12th Grade
" It Ends With Us" by Colleen Hoover - for IB students only
Brianna Strokes, 12th Grade
"Harry Potter and the Blood Prince" by J.K. Rowling
Giorgio Carta, 12th Grade
"Macbeth" by Shakespeare - for IB students only
Hussein Ayyad, 10th Grade
"Diary of a Wimpy Kid"
by Jeff Kinney
Alwande Mdletshe, 11th Grade "The Curious Incident of the dog in the night time" by Mark Haddon
Farida Ayyad, 10th Grade
"Ugly Love" by Colleen Hoover - for IB students only
Grade 6 Library Orientation was held during the 2nd and 3rd week of September. To get them familiarized with the library collection, they had an exciting scavenger hunt where they had to explore the library and find books using the library catalogue.
For queries and assistance, please contact the Librarian at a.parente_gaa@gemsedu.com
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