Library Media Services
Newsletter
April
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Library Media Services
Happy School Library Month!!
Happy School Library Month!!
School Library Month is the American Association of School Librarians' celebration of school librarians and school libraries. Every April school librarians are encouraged to host activities to help their school and local community celebrate the essential role that strong school libraries play in transforming learning. The AASL efforts for a national School Library Month were spearheaded by Lucille Thomas, chair of the School Library Media Month Committee. Thomas was appointed by President Judy King in 1983. Their work came to fruition on April 1, 1985, when AASL officials, local and national dignitaries got the first School Library Month off to a rousing start with a ceremony on the west steps of the U.S. Capitol.
Celebrate school libraries the whole month of April using helpful resources curated by the American Association for School Libraries.
AASL is hosting a free virtual Graphic Novel panel on April 3 at 7pm and virtual PLC on curating graphic novels for collections on April 10 at 7:30pm.
Libraries of all types are celebrated during ALA’s National Library Week, which is April 6-12. The theme is inspired by Raina Telgemeier & Scott McCloud’s new book, The Cartoonists Club, which has an activity kit that might inspire some artistic celebrations! Love the idea of “What draws you into the library?“
Join GASL on April 8 at the School Board Meeting to celebrate GCS school library media centers and gift the Board Members with a book in honor of School Library Month. SLMCs are invited to sign up to speak during public comments to highlight the work that you are doing in schools. To ensure a spot on the speaker list, email boardclerk@gcsnc.com as early as possible on April 7. (It is recommended to draft the email and schedule it to send at exactly 8:00am on April 7!) Guidelines for public comments are posted on the GCS Board of Education webpage.
Share what draws students and staff to our school libraries on GCS social media! Send in a picture or video of what is happening in your library, from STEM lessons to book clubs to lunch and learn maker activities to PD sessions to anything else that highlights how GCS school libraries prepare students for the world.
School Library Month Highlights Submission Form (or just email them to Natalie and Nancy!)
This month in GCS Library Media Services:
District Data
District Data
We are short of being on track to meet the goal of 1 million circulations this year!
What can you do to boost circulation at your school?
We EXCEEDED our goal of reading 10 million minutes this year!
How high can we go?
We are improving our digital book usage!
What can you do to encourage more use at your school?
School Shout Outs
School Shout Outs
Congratulations to our top circulating sites for February! Once AGAIN great job Crystal, Jennifer, Sissy, and Chesley! (Standard 2.a, 2.b, 4.c)
Congratulations Crystal Clapp, winner of a Dollar Tree gift card sponsored by GASL to fund the next STEM Challenge!! (Standard 2.a, 2.b)
Congratulations to our top Beanstack sites! Thanks for moving us toward our goal Heather, Jennifer, Colleen, and Margaret! (Standard 4.c)
Monticello-Brown Summit ES students working on the March STEM Challenge.
Students at Oak Hill ES, Jamestown ES, Fairview ES, and Washington ES building the towers for the challenge.
Next Up
Next Up
Next Quarterly Meeting
We will meet again in August!!
Agendas and resources from all 2024-2025 Quarterly Meetings will remain available.
Next Monthly Meeting
Location: Teams
Date: April 7
Two time options:
12:00-1:00
3:00-4:00
One of the meetings will be recorded each month.
Next New SLMC Meeting
Location: Teams
Date: April 10
Time: 3:30-5:00
New SLMC meetings are for any SLMCs in their 1st, 2nd or 3rd years with GCS LMS.
Upcoming Dates
4/7: Monthly Virtual Meeting
4/10: New SLMC Meeting
4/24: SLMC PLCs
5/9: DLMI Workday
5/16: DLMI Report due
5/30: End of Year Data due
April Responsibilities
Celebrate School Library Month! (1.c, 2.a, 2.b)
Share 3rd quarter data and activities with Admin and MTAC (1.c, 3.b)
Plan Asian American and Pacific Islander Heritage Month display/activities/lessons (2.a, 2.b)
Update Destiny Discover homepage and library website as needed (1.a, 3.a)
Attend DLMI training and begin gathering data (2.a, 5.a)
Tabulate time spent on technology and non-evaluated* tasks (1.c)
File or archive artifacts for evaluation
GCS Reads
GCS Reads
Great job! We have EXCEEDED our
10 Million Minute Goal!
See how your school compares for total minutes logged.
What reading counts toward the goal?
Student self-selected reading
At-home reading
Non-required class reading
Partner reading
Any reading in which the student is allowed a choice!
Any reading done for fun!
(Standard 4.c)
Beanstack also offers regular virtual trainings and recorded webinars that you can access anytime.
Upcoming webinars:
Beanstack EDU: Driving Engagement with Your Summer Reading Challenge
Date: April 15, 2025 at 3:00 pm ET
Audience: School and District Admin
In this 30-minute webinar we'll cover all the actions to take during your summer reading challenge to drive engagement using data and insights to track progress toward goals, provide incentives and recognition, and create friendly competition.
Beanstack EDU: Create Your Own End of Year Reading Report
Date: April 30, 2025 at 1:00 pm ET
Audience: All - School Admin, District Admin, and Teachers
In this hands-on 30-minute session, we'll walk through how to pull stats and insights from Beanstack to celebrate your student's reading accomplishments for the past school year. Not only that, we'll share our easy-to-use year end reading report template, so that you can leave this session with a polished report ready to share with your administrators and community.
Battle of the Books
Congratulations to our top Battle of the Books Teams!
Elementary:
1st place - Jones Elementary
2nd place - Northern Elementary
3rd place - Oak Ridge Elementary
Middle:
1st place - Academy at Lincoln
2nd place - Brown Summit Middle
3rd place - Southwest Middle
High:
1st place - Grimsley High
2nd place - Northwest High
3rd place - Early College
STEM BOB Results:
1st place - General Greene Elementary
2nd place - Shadybrook Elementary
3rd place - Rankin Elementary
Congratulations to all of the teams who participated in the inaugural competition!
Jones ES
Academy at Lincoln
Grimsley High
General Greene ES
Congratulations to Grimsley HS on their 1st Place finish at HBOB Regionals.
Congratulations to Grimsley HS on their 1st Place finish at HBOB Regionals.
Good luck in the State HBOB Competition!
Congratulations to Academy at Lincoln on their 2nd Place finish at MBOB Regionals.
Congratulations to Academy at Lincoln on their 2nd Place finish at MBOB Regionals.
Authors Engaging Students
Videos for the spring AES series are recorded and shared. All books for spring authors should have arrived at schools. The Meg Medina school visit on April 9 will be recorded and shared in mid-April.
The recordings, picture book lesson plans and author resources are accessible from the Authors Engaging Students Resource Site. (Standard 4.c)
Look for AES authors in the Greensboro Bound Festival line up on May 17.
News to Note
News to Note
4th-5th Grade Financial Literacy Beanstack Challenge
LMS and the Social Studies Department are collaborating on a Financial Literacy challenge in Beanstack. 4th and 5th grade students will complete the Bingo style challenge as they explore books, articles, videos and games to learn financial literacy skills.
The challenge will run in Beanstack March 23-May 2. Schools can win books for their school library media centers based on percentage of student participation in the challenge.
Digital Learning and Media Inventory (DLMI)
Each SLMC is expected to complete the DLMI. This report is required for each school by NC DPI. Data on the report is shared on the NC School Report Card.
Training for collecting data needed for the report will be the focus is the April 7 monthly virtual meeting. A 3 hour work session to work on the report is scheduled for May 9. Registration is required for those wanting to attend the work session.
The deadline for principal sign off on the DLMI is May 16.
End of Year Review and Data Submission
Each SLMC is expected to complete an end of year review and submit essential data to the Library Media Services Department. This data is used to determine needs and priorities for the coming year and to share the state of GCS school library media centers with district leadership.
The deadline for completion is May 30.
Library Donations
SchoolCash
The New SchoolCash Online system has a special donation set up for each school's library media center. You may ask your school treasurer to run a report to see if donations have been made. Donations are logged at the district level first and the treasurer will then move the donation to your school library media center's 302 account. This account can only be used to purchase materials for the school library media center and rolls over from year to year.
Destiny Catalog Clean Up
The contract between GCS Library Media Services and Follett for our library manager software is limited to using it for circulating materials. The contract does not include using it for inventory management. Since 2018, GCS SLMCs have been directed to discontinue cataloging equipment and other non-student circulating materials, including curriculum and class sets.
In order to bring GCS into full compliance with the terms of the contract agreement with Follett, SLMCs will be given the opportunity to clean up and remove any out-of-contract items from catalogs this spring. Final catalog clean up will be done over the summer by the Library Media Services Department.
Steps for cleaning up catalog records and call numbers were the topic of the February 3 virtual meeting.
Professional Learning Opportunities
When requesting professional development leave to attend a conference you will now be asked to complete a prior approval form. This form must be completed 60 days in advance. Administrators may give you the form to complete or simply ask for justification for conference attendance to put into the form. You can preview the form to be able to prepare responses when submitting requests.
Calendar
2024-25 Meeting List and Due Dates -
This document will always be the most
up-to-date, reliable resource for meeting dates, times and locations!
LMS Professional Learning Handbook page
(Standard 5.b)
Grade Level PLCs
Grade level PLCs will be in person during the January quarterly meeting.
PLC Resources and Links to Agendas
(Standard 1.b)
NCSLMA News
Conference Registration and Call to Present
NCSLMA is accepting presentation proposals until April 6. Details about the conference theme are on the NCSLMA website. Conference presenters receive a discounted registration rate.
Anyone attending the NCSLMA conference will need to complete the prior approval form by the beginning of August. LMS recommends getting approval by the end of the school year to be sure you are within the required 60 day period.
The conference is scheduled for October 8-10 in Concord.
Scholarship for First-Time Attendees
NCSLMA First Time Attendee Conference Scholarship and Travel Grant in the amount of $500 will be given to two (2) first-time attendees to be used towards travel, hotel, and/or registration fees for the NCSLMA Annual Conference.
CRITERIA: This must be your first NCSLMA Conference. The 2020 and 2021 virtual conferences do not count.
You may not receive additional funds/discounts from NCSLMA to attend this conference. Applications that are incomplete or not filled out correctly will not be considered. You must be a current member of NCSLMA.
Scholarship for MLS Students
Two scholarships, each in the amount of $1000, will be presented annually to increase the number and quality of school library media personnel in North Carolina. The scholarship will be used to assist in the cost of having successfully completed one three-hour graduate course leading to a graduate degree in Library Science and a North Carolina 076 Media Coordinator Certification.
Applicants must be a member of NCSLMA and in good academic standing with an accredited School of Library Science within the North Carolina University System. The graduate course must have been completed during the previous twelve months prior to the application deadline with a grade of B or better. This is a one time scholarship.
Monthly STEM Challenges Are LIVE! Go to the STEM Challenge site to participate!
SLMCs are challenged to engage their students in low-stakes, low-tech STEM activities this year! (Standard 2.a, 2.b)
The April Challenge is Drip, Drip, Drop. SLMCs who have students try the challenges and submit images to LMS will be entered into a drawing for a gift card sponsored by GASL. One winner will be drawn and recognized in the newsletter the next month.
How can you implement the STEM challenges in your school library program?
use the challenges in lessons with one of the suggested picture books or find an alternative in your collection
set up the challenge as a monthly center in your library
start a STEM club and work through the challenges using the Engineering Design Process
invite students in for "Lunch and Learn" maker activities
any way you want to!!
To help with future planning, challenges will be published on the STEM Challenge site a month in advance so the materials list will be available. You can preview the next month's challenge by clicking on the link in the left-hand menu of the STEM Challenges Google Site.
Destiny Reminders and Trainings
End of Year Tasks
SLMCs should review and complete End of Year Tasks to close out the year and make sure the database is prepared for the new school year.
Asynchronous Cataloging Training
All work in the cataloging course must be completed by May 15 to receive credit.
How do we sign up? Enroll in the Canvas Course
(Standard 2.a)
Destiny Training
All sessions have taken place and recordings are posted in the Canvas Course.
All assignments must be completed by May 15 to receive credit.
How do we sign up? Register in Performance Matters and enroll in the Destiny Training Canvas Course.
(Standard 2.a)
High Point Public Library Partnership Opportunities
Teacher Workday Performances
HPPL and Morehead Recreation Center in High Point will be hosting free performances for all ages on teacher workdays throughout the school year. Please share this information with your school community. Contact Sarah Nareau (sarah.nareau@highpointnc.gov) with questions about this program.
Fall and Spring Performances Event Flyer
Check out and share the April Calendar of Events and the daily Spring Break at the Library programs!
(Standard 4.c)
Discover Education Resources
Check out the DE April Newsletter for grade level suggested resources!
Timely Celebrations
April - National Poetry Month
April 12 - International Day of Human Space Flight
April 18 - Warner Brothers Studio Virtual Field Trip (Grades 6-12)
April 22 - Earth Day
April 23 - Shakespeare Day
April 23-24 - Holocaust Remembrance Day (Yom HaShoah)
May 6 - Meet the Magnets Virtual Field Trip (Grades K-5)
Check out the This Month at DE: April blog for new content, timely resources, and events to celebrate all month long!
Adobe Express Resources
Adobe Express for Education April Newsletter is here! Check out what’s new:
Unleash Your Inner Artist with AI – Use generative AI to create a unique self-portrait, then personalize it with text that showcases all the sides of your creative life. Plus, explore Generate Text and easy text editing tools! The Spring Challenge continues with this April Guided Activity! Enter by April 30th for a chance to win Adobe hats for the whole class!
NEW partnership with Book Creator—making it easier than ever to bring illustrations to life using Adobe Express for Education.
With Adobe AI Image Generator now integrated into Book Creator, educators and students can easily generate high-quality images to enhance their digital books—fostering creativity and deepen learning. This new feature allows students to visualize concepts, illustrate stories, and explore new ways of storytelling using AI-generated art.
To get started using Adobe Image Generator in Book Creator, follow these simple steps:
From Book Creator, go to the “+” button, then Apps, and select AI Image Generator to enable it.
Choose to enable it just for yourself or select which libraries you want it available for your students.
Alternatively, you can enable the app from the Teacher Dashboard by navigating to the Apps tab at the top of the screen.
Make sure to read Adobe’s Terms of Service before use. You can review important privacy and content safety notes by clicking on App Privacy details in the bottom left corner.
Once enabled, the Adobe AI Image Generator will be available for students to seamlessly generate images as they build their books!
Resources:
One-Pager: AppSmashing with Adobe AI Image Generator Book Creator
Guidebook: Book Creator Teacher Guidebook
Check out this tutorial and get started today! Log in to Book Creator with your Adobe Express for Education account and start creating!
Dig Cit Corner
Dig Cit Corner
April Digital Citizenship Theme: We care about everyone's privacy.
This topic introduces students to the concept of online privacy and the potential implications of sharing private information with a range of people: friends, the public, app providers, and more. Sharing information about yourself can be a natural and healthy activity, and it can lead to positive connections and personal growth. However, it can also present safety risks, and students need to be aware of potentially harmful consequences such as identity theft and financial exploitation. Read more about this topic on the Common Sense Education website.
(Standard 1.d)
Monthly activities to teach digital citizenship are available on the Guilford is Cyber Safe website.
Technology Tidbits
Technology Tidbits
The Technology Services Handbook For Schools is your one-stop shop for processes, resources, and guidelines.
🎯 Pro Tip: Use the Table of Contents to navigate through the document; you can also use Ctrl + f on a Windows device or ⌘ + f on an iOS device or to search by keyword.
Technology Approval and Procurement Process
Use the Technology Approval and Procurement Process request for all technology purchases including
Hardware
Software
GCS ‘standard’ technology
Brand new technology
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