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OPALS - HES
OPALS - WDB
Week 16 - Happy Solstice! (Dec. 21)
Grades K-3 will read On the Shortest Day, by Laura Sulentich Fredrickson and illustrated by Laurie Capel. They will also read Solstices, a non-fiction book about the science of the solstices, by Grace Hansen. Solstice coloring
Grades 4-6 will continue their Novel Study - All the Ways to Go, by Jessie Janowitz.
Week 15 - More Holiday Reads! - Hanukkah
This year Hanukkah begins at sundown on Sunday, 12/14 and will last through the evening of Monday, 12/22. It is the Jewish wintertime “festival of lights” holiday, celebrated with a nightly menorah lighting, special prayers and fried foods.
Grades K-3 will enjoy The Book of Candles: Eight Poems for Hanukkah, written by Laurel Snyder and illustrated by Leanne Hatch. Students will color and play word games after book exchange, and they can explore our Hanukkah Choice Board in their classroom.
Play a virtual game of dreidel here.
Woodbury Plans
Woodbury Plans
Week 14 - Holiday Reads Begin! - Christmas
Grades K-1 will read How Does Santa Go Down the Chimney? by Mac Barnett and illustrated by Jon Klassen. It's one of the many new books that arrived in the HES Library just before we left for vacation.
Grades 2-3 will read Favor Johnson: A Christmas Story, by Willem Lange and Bert Dobson. The story of Favor Johnson, now a Vermont classic tale, was originally featured on Vermont Public Radio (VPR) December 20, 2002. Coloring and word puzzles can be found here.
Grades 4-6 will continue exploring this year's Vermont Golden Dome Book Award nominees and tracking which titles they may want to read over the next few months. View the SLIDE SHOW here.
Explore Some Thanksgiving Fun Over Vacation
Explore Some Thanksgiving Fun Over Vacation
Week 13
K-3 will read Bear Says Thanks, by Karma Wilson and Jane Chapman and do some fun activities. The NovelEffect soundscape is here.
Grades 4-6 will continue exploring this year's Vermont Golden Dome Book Award nominees and tracking which titles they may want to read over the next few months. View the SLIDE SHOW here
EVERYONE - Enjoy other Thanksgiving-related stories and activities at home using the choice boards above.
Week 12
K-3 will read The Yellow Bus by Loren Long, a color bling author illustrator. NovelEffect will supply the soundscape. Students will design their own bus or illustrate something that fills them joy. Watch Loren read his book aloud here. Learn more about the history of school buses with Scholastic News.
Grades 4-6 will begin exploring this year's Vermont Golden Dome Book Award nominees and tracking which titles they may want to read over the next few months.
Week 11 - Ms. Baranyay will be out at a conference Thursday and Friday
K-3 will read The Recess Queen, a story about a recess bully, by Alexis O'Neil and Laura Huliska-Beith. Check out the read-aloud here. The NovelEffect soundscape can be found here.
If time allows after book looking and checkout, we will pair The Recess Queen with a new book in our library - Recess, by Lane Smith, a two-time Caldecott Honor winner - see his portfolio here. This engaging read should be a fun one!
Grades 4-6 will finish Elf Dog & Owl Head if they didn't last week. Others will sample some short stories new to our library. All will write some reflections on our visit with M.T. (Tobin) Anderson last week, then learn about the many new books in our library and have time to browse for a great new read.
Peace begins with a single act of kindness. What will yours be?
Week 10 - Happy Halloween!
K-2 will read A variety of Halloween-themed stories, including (K) Room on the Broom, by Julia Donaldson, (1) Hallowiener, by Dav Pilkey, and (2) Dragon's Halloween, also by Dav Pilkey (2).
Grade 3 will continue reading of The Skull, by Jon Klassen.
Grades 4-6 will try to finish Elf Dog & Owl Head before our visits with M.T. Anderson on Thursday!
Week 9
K-2 will read The Library Fish, by Alyssa Satin Capucili and Gladys Jose, and Listen to a read-aloud here. The Novel Effect soundscape is here.
Grade 3 will read the first half of The Skull: A Tyrolean Folktale, written and illustrated by Jon Klassen. Listen to a read-aloud here. The Novel Effect soundscape is here. Learn more about Jon's creative process here and here.
Grades 4-6 will continue our fantasy chapter book read-aloud, reading chapters 16-17 of Elf Dog & Owl Head, then check out library books.
Week 8
Kindergarten will continue to learn about taking care of library books. They will read A Perfectly Messed Up Story by Patrick McDonnell, then Larry the Lion will teach some important Book Care Rules. Our plan is to check out our first book this week!
Grades 1-3 will review book care with Skoob The Shelf Elf. Another Shelf Elf, Skeeter, will help us review why it's so important to use a shelf marker when browsing books in the library, and then we will sing the Shelf Marker Song (start @ 0:54) to help us remember how to use a shelf marker. Students will go home with a Shelf Elf bookmark!
Grades 4-6 will continue our fantasy chapter book read-aloud, reading chapters 14-15 of Elf Dog & Owl Head, then check out library books!
Week 7 (HES: Mon.-Thurs. 10/6-10/9)
Welcome back to the Hardwick Elementary School Library!
All classes will review Library Procedures & Behavior Expectations
Kindergarten will read Pete the Cat Checks Out the Library by James Dean. They will learn all about the library and how to behave in our beautiful space, then color a note to bring home.
Grades 1-3 will read What Happened to Marion's Book? by Brooke Berg and Nathan Alberg, as a refresher on how we take care of library books. Our plan is to check out our first book this week! Check library bags for a copy of our Book Care rules and Library Day reminder for your fridge!
Grades 4-6 will continue our fantasy chapter book read-aloud, reading chapter 13 of Elf Dog & Owl Head. We will also check out library books!
Week 6 (HES: Tues.-Wed. 9/30-10/1; WDB: Fri. 10/10 plans here)
Grades K-3 will read The Leaf Thief, by Alice Hemming and Nicola Slater with a soundscape by NovelEffect. Listen to the read-aloud here. After the book, students will do some fall-related activities.
Grades 4-6 will continue our fantasy chapter book read-aloud, reading chapters 9-12 of Elf Dog & Owl Head.
Week 5 (HES: Mon.-Thurs. 9/22-9/25; WDB: N/A)
Grades K-3 will read a former Red Clover Award nominee, Dragon Was Terrible, by Kelly DiPucchio and Greg Pizzoli, then create "Wanted" posters for the terrible beast. Upper grades finish with a word search. Check out the read-aloud here if you missed it in class!
Grades 4-6 will continue with our fantasy chapter book read-aloud, reading chapters 7-8 of Elf Dog & Owl Head.
Week 4 (HES: Tues.-Thurs. 9/16-9/18/25 & Mon. 9/29/25; WDB: Fri. 9/26/25)
Grades K-3 will celebrate International Dot Day (on the 15th-ish every year), with a read-aloud of The Dot, beloved book by Peter H. Reynolds, and some fun dot-related activities. Turn up the excitement with the NovelEffect soundscape.
Grades 4-6 will continue with our fantasy chapter book read-aloud, reading chapter 4-6 of Elf Dog & Owl Head.
Week 3 (HES: Tues. 9/9/25 - Mon. 9/15/25; WDB: Fri. 9/19/25)
Woodbury - Our week looks a little different. Please see THIS PLAN.
HES Grades K-1 will read Library Lion, by Michelle Knudsen and illustrated by Keven Hawkes, with a NovelEffect soundscape in the background. They will have time to complete an activity/coloring page at the end of class. Watch a Storyline Online read-aloud with Mindy Sterling. See photos of Patience and Fortitude here.
HES Grades 2-3 will read This Very Tree: A Story of 9/11, Resilience, and Regrowth by Sean Rubin. NovelEffect will help set the tone. They will then complete an activity.
Grades 4-6 will continue with our fantasy chapter book read-aloud, reading chapter 3 of Elf Dog & Owl Head.
Week 2 (HES: Tues. 9/2/25 - Mon. 9/8/25; WDB: Fri. 9/12/25)
Grades K-3 will revisit Library routines and behavior expectations, then read another dragon-themed picture book, Do Not Bring Your Dragon to the Library, by Julie Gassman and illustrated by Andy Elkerton. It'll be extra fun when we use NovelEffect for the soundscape to the book! Students will finish the class period with an activity/coloring page. Get some wiggles out with the Dragon Dance Movement Break or the Milkshake dance.
Grades 4-6 will continue with our fantasy chapter book read-aloud, reading chapter 2 of Elf Dog & Owl Head.
Week 1 (HES: Mon. 8/25/25 - Thurs. 8/28/25; WDB: Fri. 9/5/25)
Welcome, or welcome back, to Hardwick and Woodbury Elementary Schools! The books and I missed you! 💙 I'm so excited to share all of the awesomeness that can be found in our school libraries! 📚
First things first! Library class looks a little different right now. I will be visiting you in your classrooms for the next few weeks while the construction is wrapping up. What about checking out books?? We have been invited to check out books from the Jeudevine Library, so I will be working on the details of making that happen if it looks like we will be displaced for more than just a few weeks. Thanks for your patience with this.
Next, we'll talk about Library Procedures and Expectations.
What sorts of routines do we have in the library?
What is the Golden Moment? 🧘
What does it mean to be Respectful, Responsible, and Safe in the library? What does it look and sound like?
Last, let's read a book! Kindergarten-Grade 3 will read The Library Dragon, by Carmen Agra Deedy. Grades 4-6 will jump right into our chapter book read-aloud chapter 1 of Elf Dog & Owl Head, by M.T. Anderson. This is an extra special read-aloud because Mr. Anderson will be visiting HES later this fall! More to come on that later...
🤗I'm so glad you're here!
💜Love, Ms. B.
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