Embedded Files
Seven Snapshots from West Hills High School Library's 2019-20
#1: Building Upon past Best Practices
#1: Building Upon past Best Practices
While we are always looking for ways to improve the school library program, we also maintain features that continue to be valuable. Some of the practices that we continue to build upon include the following.
Supporting student literacy, knowledge building, and inquiry
Collaborating with teachers to meet curriculum & instructional needs
Providing direct support to students with technology & resources
Fostering community & connection across grades and interests
Browse previous library highlights using the buttons below.
#2: Promoting literacy across the curriculum
#2: Promoting literacy across the curriculum
The library supports the development of a multiple literacies in a variety of ways, including but beyond checking books out to students. Below is a sampling of efforts from this year!
Maintaining a relevant collection using student and teacher recommendations, as well as researching professional reviews
Collaborating with teachers to support independent reading projects across levels, which allow students greater choice
Supporting Individualized Instruction reading classes that regularly visit the library for book checkout and job skills development
Promoting and assisting students with accessing reading materials and engaging in reading-related participatory opportunities
Continuing to collaborate the the San Diego County Library Santee Branch to advise the Readers and Writers Club
Fostering and leveraging community relationships to secure donations to cost effectively offer students more resources
Encouraging the building of a community of readers at the school through displays and crowd-sourced reading campaigns
Promoting literacy and supporting the school in general at community events like Freshmen Showcase, Back-to-School Night, PACK Day
Ms. Sannwald continues to collaborate as a member of the WHHS Literacy Committee to support literacy instruction on campus and learning based on UDL principles.
#3: Collaborating with classroom teachers
#3: Collaborating with classroom teachers
To optimally support student literacy and research skill development, Ms. Sannwald is eager and grateful to collaborate instructionally with classroom teachers whenever possible. Below is a sampling of some collaborations from this year.
Modern Controversial Issues Research, including News Literacy
#4: Supporting students as content creators
#4: Supporting students as content creators
In addition to helping students access content, the library strives to empower students as creators themselves. Below are some examples from the past year.
Facilitating instructionally-supported makerspace access with Maker Hub Design Time
Celebrating students' literary and art creations with Inkwell 2019-20
Providing frequently used access to recording corner equipment and space
Displaying student artwork, including these new additions, brings extra life to the space
Showcasing student work products from class projects provides an authentic audience.
Making buttons, especially school spirit ones, continues to be popular.
Featuring student-contributed original art on special edition bookmarks
Providing access and assistance with the new ASB-funded Cricut such as for athletics teams
#5: Adapting services during distance learning
#5: Adapting services during distance learning
As with classroom teachers, the work of the WHHS Library shifted considerably with distance learning.
When serving the community on-campus and under regular conditions, the library typically has an average of 400+ visits a day with the image from 3/9/20 providing an example of exactly how active the library can be on any single day.
Nevertheless, even without in-person contact, the goals of the library program remained constant: to connect with students and teachers, to help provide access to and guidance with resources, and to facilitate inquiry-based learning opportunities.
Below are some specific examples of WHHS library activity during distance learning.
- Sharing district-wide resources for distance learning, plus maintaining a Virtual WHHS Library Google Classroom open to all students for site-level engagement, most successfully with asynchronous Questions of the Day.
- Flexible instruction for the Library Assistant course, with some students notably taking advantage of career preparation options, creating resumes and cover letters.
- Collaboration with teachers including assistance with digitization of curriculum, instructional screencasting, and development of unit resources.
Daily social media postings amplified messages also posted on the school website and sent via email.
- Creating, updating, and sharing information for students such as digital reading options, study skills support, Chromebook troubleshooting hints, Senior Chromebook updates, and Destiny instructions.
- Collaboration with ITS, Library Council, Finance Techs/auditor, and site-admin to develop procedures for senior Chromebook sales.
- Collaboration with site admin to facilitate end-of-year management of textbooks, library books, invoices, and senior Chromebooks. Contributions included running reports and emailing notices, creating staff help guidance, and communicating with students and parents.
- Engaging in professional development opportunities and working on long-term projects such as website updates, including auditing accessibility compliance for library web resources.
#6: Connecting with Professional Communities
#6: Connecting with Professional Communities
Ms. Sannwald engages within professional communities to keep learning ways to improve the WHHS library program. She also enjoys sharing her experiences and knowledge gained at West Hills with others.
In November 2019, Ms. Sannwald attended and presented as a panelist at AASL's National Conference along with fellow members of the American Association of School Librarians first Induction Program cohort.
#7: Contributing to FutureForward goals
#7: Contributing to FutureForward goals
During the 2018-19 school year, West Hills teacher librarian Suzanne Sannwald collaborated with GUHSD Library Council members to define a common vision for the library program district-wide of opening doors for students by increasing student equity & access and driving student learning with collaboration & literacy.
To start the 2019-20 school year, GUHSD's Library Council built upon that work by identifying three goals for shared, district-wide growth:
- Increased Outreach and Information Sharing with Students and Teachers, including Non-Comprehensive Sites
- GUHSD Online Database Change Implementation, User Experience, and Curriculum Integration Improvements
- Improve Efficiency and Balancing of FutureForward Chromebook Management
Students working on research projects have benefited from this year's Online Database Enhancements.
Resource Snack Time content was developed and shared to meet just-in-time information needs of staff.
Distance learning has provided conditions to accelerate expansion of our digital reading options.
Teacher Librarians collaboratively launched Growing Readers, an online Summer Reading Program.
Connect with us! #whhspack #WeConnectHere
Connect with us! #whhspack #WeConnectHere
Connect with the WHHS library throughout the year. Click on the icons to visit our website and social media.
Social icons from Nikita Landin(Creative Commons 3.0 )
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