Creating Connections

Our partnership with Northern Tier Regional Library  and the Allegheny County Library Association has allowed us to secure public library cards for every student in our district.  Having a public library card allows our students to expand their connections to valuable resources across the state of Pennsylvania. More information about the Student Public Library Card Initiative can be found on this page.

The High School Library  has 2 new collaboration whiteboard tables that students use for group studying, working out math problems, or getting artistic. Each table has a screen that they can connect to their chromebooks to display group projects, like this digital newpaper article that the students are working on in the picture. This group used the whiteboard table to draw a political cartoon and imported the pictures they drew into their project they had displayed on the screen.

Mrs. Pursley's and Ms. Mansfield's reading classes visited the library in November and December to participate in Jólabókaflóðið, an Icelandic tradition that celebrates reading. Students responded to a survey that asked them about their likes, dislikes, and preferences, and the librarian chose 2-3 books for each student based on their responses. They returned on no-tech day to receive their selections and spend a period enjoying and sharing books. We even used an old-school dictionary to look up challenging words!  This was a fun way to tie in goals from our Culture & Diversity team with library literacy.

The Battle of the Books is a competition designed to encourage reading and to give recognition to those who like to read. The battles bring together students, families, and staff from across the district as well as community members.  This year 240 students in grades 4-6 competed in grade level battles. Mrs. Shenefiel and fourth grade teacher Mrs. Strine coordinate that Battle of the Books.

Students pictured are taking part in our K-3 all-inclusive, "One Book, One School".  All students took part in activities centered around the book, Tornado by Betsy Byars.  Prior to reading the book students made predictions on what they thought the book was about.  When the Tornado book was completed at the end of March an all school game show assembly, "Are You Smarter than a 3rd Grader" was held to help students review the book.  The students had a great time.

Connecting to the PRSD strategic initiative, a PROF grant was written for a "sustainability" shelving display.  The background mural was designed and created by Mrs. Laslavic, Hance Art Teacher.  Sustainability-themed books were purchased for the Hance Library.  Students and staff can borrow any of the books on the new shelving display as well as many others available in the library.

The Wexford art teacher taught a lesson on paper mache to first graders and the results were cute crayons!  At the same time the Wexford librarian read The Crayon Man by Natascha Biebow, and showed the video from Mr. Roger’s Neighborhood on how crayons are made. Then students created their own home-made crayons! 

Throughout the year, students a crossed multiple grade spans have come to our new flexible collaborative space to work on multiple projects in the library. Here the second and third graders are working on one of the many google applications to complete their work on landforms around the world.