Metra is proud to announce the Fourteenth Annual Metra Safety Poster Contest. This year's theme is "Obey the Signs" and it encourages being aware and following signs when around trains and railroad tracks
The Safety Contest is a key part of Metra's ongoing effort to increase public awareness of lifesaving railroad safety practices. One first, second and third place safety poster contest winner will be selected from each grade, K-12, and awarded the following prizes:
First Place: iPad
Second Place: $250 Gift Card
Third Place: $100 Gift Card
All posters should be done on white paper that is the size no smaller than 8 1/2 inches x 11 inches and no larger than 12” x 18”. The winning designs will be featured in Metra’s safety calendar, website, station displays and on weekend passes.
Students can also enter the Annual Metra Safety Essay Contest for your chance to win an iPad. Contest participants are asked to describe in 300 words or less why it's important to “Obey the Signs" when near trains and railroad tracks. Essays containing fictionalized information will be disqualified. There will be a first place awarded in each of the essay contest's three divisions: Grades K-4, 5-8 and 9-12. The first-place winners in the essay contest will receive an iPad.
See the link below for more information, rules and previous year’s winners. Special congratulations to our White Eagle Winners last year:
3rd Grade - 2nd place Gia Choudhary
Kindergarten - 3rd Place Neil Choudhary
3rd Grade — Essay Honorable Mention Arvind Narayan and Aarohan Jai Anand
Poster Entries Due to Mrs. Vieira by Friday, Jan. 24th or online through Metra by Friday, Jan. 31, 2020.
We have two author visits this month! Second grade will Skype with author Nate Ball as part of Naperville Reads and 3rd-5th grade will get a visit from Art Baltazar!
New To Do
Make a toilet paper reindeer.
Dreidel fun: play with coins or make a tally
Build the tallest holiday tree
Chinese Zodiac pattern block challenge
All the Time Fun!
Weave on our school loom… over, under, over, under
Try a BeeBot Challenge Card
Play OSMO
Program Dash: Use a challenge card!
Squigz, Legos, Pipe Cleaner creations, Rainbow Loom and more!
Thank you to everyone who shopped at our fall book fair. Be sure to check out some of our new books purchased thanks to all your support. All proceeds from the book fair go directly back to the library! Check out a few below…
The Upper Case
Just when Private I thinks all is calm-now that he's cracked the case of 7 Ate 9-Question Mark storms into the office.
Mark is worried. All the uppercase letters are M-I-S-S-I-N-G! But that's absurd. This is CAPITAL City!
Private I is the last letter standing. Will he solve his BIGGEST mystery yet, the UPPER CASE, before it's too late?!
When Pencil Met Eraser
Ever wonder why there’s a little pink eraser on every pencil?
When Pencil draws on the pages of this book, Eraser erases parts of Pencil’s work, and the book itself becomes a canvas for their different takes on creativity—until the two discover their artwork is even better when they work together.
Let Me Finish!
When our young hero settles in to read, the last thing he wants is for some noisy animals to ruin the ending of the story.
But ruin it they do.
And as it turns out, the boy is quickly approaching a surprise ending of his own! Maybe he should have listened to the animals after all. . . .
A Greyhound A Groundhog
When a greyhound meets a groundhog, wordplay and crazy antics ensue. The two animals, much like kids, work themselves into a frenzy as they whirl around and around one another. (Around, round hound. Around, groundhog!) The pace picks up (Around and around and astound and astound!), until they ultimately wear themselves out.
A Mustache Baby Christmas
Billy is an unusual baby—he was born with a mustache! And his pal Javier was born with a beard. Things get even sillier on Christmas Eve when Javier’s beard turns white and he becomes Santa Baby! Being Santa Baby is a lot of work—listening to the other babies’ Christmas wishes, taste testing treats, and getting the dachshunds, ahem, reindeer, ready for their big night. Luckily, Mustache Baby, AKA Elf Baby, shows up in the St. Nick of time to help make the toys. But when he finishes, he decides to keep them all for himself! Hijinks ensue, landing Mustache Baby firmly on the naughty list. That is until a visit from Santa Grownup reminds him that it is much more fun to give than to receive.
Angry Cookie
Oooohhh . . . not you again! AGGGHH It’s so bright! . . . Close this book this very second, you nosy noodle!
Cookie has woken up on the wrong side of the bed and is very angry. You want to know why? Well, you’d have to keep reading to find out, but now Cookie’s calling you annoying and telling you to mind your own business. If by chance you do stick around, you might hear about a certain roommate’s terrible musical skills, why you should never let your barber try out a “new look,” how it’s impossible to find a hat that fits a cookie, and why an ice-cream parlor that’s out of your favorite treat can be a source of desolation. Then there’s the matter of a hungry bird who tries to snack on you. . . .
Explorers of the Wild
Boy and Bear both love to explore the outdoors. There are so many neat things to see, and so many strange things to find. These explorers are prepared for anything . . . except each other!
When Bear and Boy meet in the woods, they're scared at first. Really scared. But soon these kings of the wild realize that no mountain is too big to conquer if you have a friend to climb it by your side.
Mister Shivers Beneath the Bed and Other Scary Stories
What is hiding under the bed? What is scratching at the window? Find out in New York Times bestselling author Max Brallier's scary stories collection. These five spine-chilling stories will have beginning readers everywhere begging to stay up late to read (with the light on!). With authentically scary, easy-to-read text and creepy, full-color artwork throughout, this book is perfect for young children who crave lite scares. This is also THE book to share at sleepovers or around a campfire. It will send SHIVERS down your spine!
Minecraft Woodsword Chronicals Series
Five young Minecraft players in the real world find themselves transported inside the game they love. But now it's not a game—and they will have to use everything they know to explore, build, and survive!
The adventures continue in the Minecraft Chapter Book series as five young Minecraft players find themselves transported inside the game they love. When zombie hordes attack them in the game, and bats invade their school in the real world, Ash, Morgan, and their friends realize that it's going to take all their talents to get to the bottom of these monstrous migrations.
Judy Moody: Book Quiz Whiz
Judy Moody is in it to win it. Win the Book Quiz Blowout, that is. Judy and her brother, Stink, are two-fifths of the Virginia Dare Bookworms, and they’ve been reading up a storm to prepare for Saturday’s face-off against second- and third-grade readers from the next town. Judy’s trying out all kinds of tactics, from hanging upside down like Pippi Longstocking to teaching herself to speed read The Princess in Black, and Stink has fashioned a cape of book trivia sticky notes to help him remember all the penguins in Mr. Popper’s Penguins. But when Judy, Stink, and their fellow teammates discover the other group has a fourth-grader (no lie!), they get a bit nervous. Are the Bookworms up to the challenge?
A Dog's Purpose: Lily's Story
A rescue dog to the rescue!
Lily is the smallest puppy in her litter and the only girl. Her brothers are bigger and stronger and like to push her around. When Lily meets a girl named Maggie Rose at the animal shelter, Lily discovers things are not so bad. Lily’s size means that she can help other animals who are in trouble. It’s Lily to the rescue!
Mr. Lemocello's All Star Breakout Game
Greetings, boys and girls, gamers of all ages—are you ready to play Mr. Lemoncello's BIGGEST, most dazzling game yet? After months of anticipation, Mr. Lemoncello is taking his games out of the library and going LIVE across the nation on the world-famous Kidzapalooza Television Network! Everyone's invited to audition, but only a lucky few will be chosen to compete in front of millions of viewers in a brand-new, completely immersive live-action breakout game—with real kids as the playing pieces! Kyle Keeley is determined to be one of them.
Each of the winning teams must make it through five different rooms in Mr. Lemoncello's fantastic new Fictionasium by solving a puzzle to unlock each room and, in the end, break out of the library! But nothing is ever as it seems with Mr. Lemoncello, and the surprises in store just might stump even the game master himself. Can Kyle break out of his own expectations—and win Mr. Lemoncello's ultimate game show?
The First Book is a Nickelodeon Movie!
The Vanderbeekers to the Rescue
For the Vanderbeeker kids of Harlem’s 141st Street, spring break couldn’t be off to a better start. Isa’s back from band camp, Oliver’s building his first-ever treehouse in the backyard of the brownstone, and Laney, Jess, and Hyacinth are excited to help their mother when she gets the once-in-a-lifetime chance to star in a cooking magazine.
But the Vanderbeekers’ plans go off the rails when an unexpected visit from city officials puts their mother’s bakery in jeopardy. Now they’ll have to band together to save the day before they’re out of business.
Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire Illustrated Edition
Harry Potter wants to get away from the pernicious Dursleys and go to the International Quidditch Cup with Hermione, Ron, and the Weasleys. He wants to dream about Cho Chang, his crush (and maybe do more than dream). He wants to find out about the mysterious event involving two other rival schools of magic, and a competition that hasn't happened for a hundred years. He wants to be a normal, fourteen-year-old wizard. Unfortunately for Harry Potter, he's not normal - even by wizarding standards. And in this case, different can be deadly.
Words on Fire
Danger is never far from Audra's family farm in Lithuania. She always avoids the occupying Russian Cossack soldiers, who insist that everyone must become Russian -- they have banned Lithuanian books, religion, culture, and even the language. But Audra knows her parents are involved in something secret and perilous.
In June 1893, when Cossacks arrive abruptly at their door, Audra's parents insist that she flee, taking with her an important package and instructions for where to deliver it. But escape means abandoning her parents to a terrible fate.
As Audra embarks on a journey to deliver the mysterious package, she faces unimaginable risks, and soon she becomes caught up in a growing resistance movement. Can joining the underground network of book smugglers give Audra a chance to rescue her parents?
Epic Athletes LeBron James
Whether you call him King James or simply LeBron, one thing is certain: LeBron James is THE face of the NBA. At just eighteen, and facing sky-high expectations, LeBron headed straight from high school to the pros. Cool under pressure, he went on to shatter the record books and become the most popular athlete in America.
Yet nothing was ever handed to LeBron. As a kid, he had to move homes constantly, even separating from his mother for a time. But through all the adversity, he took his natural talent and combined it with hard work to set himself on a path to greatness.
Gross as a Snot Otter
The creators of Pink Is for Blobfish are back, and they've brought 17 of their most revolting friends: there are slippery, slimy snot otters, gulls that projectile-vomit on command, fish that communicate via flatulence, and chipmunks that cultivate healthy forests by pooping a trail of seeds wherever they go. But there's more to these skin-crawling creatures than meets the eye, and as zoologist Jess Keating explains, sometimes it's the very things that make us gag that allow these animals to survive in the wild.
Smell My Foot
“Maybe your foot smells good.
Maybe your foot smells great.
But I will not smell your foot until you say PLEASE.”
Meet Chick and Brain. And their friend Spot. Chick likes to follow the rules. Brain might not be as smart as he looks. And Spot just wants to eat lunch.
Mr. Wolf's Class: Lucky Stars
Every day in Mr. Wolf's class is an adventure... even when you have to stay home from school!
Mr. Wolf's students are having a "writer's workshop" and are learning about personal narratives. Sampson doesn't think anything worth writing about has ever happened to him. But when he and Margot go for a bike ride one morning, he has an accident that gives him a new perspective, and he thanks his lucky stars that he's going to be okay. Meanwhile, Penny gives treats to the rats at school so that they'll leave gifts for her, and Stewart and Oliver try to learn how to get along at recess.
DC Super Hero Society: Field Trip Disaster
When a foreign exchange student arrives at Justice Prep, Diana is excited to greet her! While Clark (Superman) is also curious to meet this shy student, Bruce (Batman) is wary. Bruce's suspicions are warranted when they are unable to find any record that this student even exists. When the three confront her, an accident transports them all the way to the 31st century! Now Diana, Clark, and Bruce get to meet the heroes of tomorrow... the Legion of Super Students!
Our displaced time-traveling heroes will struggle to grasp future technology, homework assignments, and most importantly -- bullies. Especially one in particular who has a plan to go back in time and change the course of history! It's up to Clark, Diana, and Bruce to stop this villainous plan before it happens, and find their way back home in this newest Secret Hero Society adventure!
White Bird
In R. J. Palacio's bestselling collection of stories Auggie & Me, readers were introduced to Julian's grandmother, Grandmère. Here, Palacio makes her graphic novel debut with Grandmère's heartrending story: how she, a young Jewish girl, was hidden by a family in a Nazi-occupied French village during World War II; how the boy she and her classmates once shunned became her savior and best friend.
Sara's harrowing experience movingly demonstrates the power of kindness to change hearts, build bridges, and even save lives. As Grandmère tells Julian, "It always takes courage to be kind, but in those days, such kindness could cost you everything."