Principal Tim Salem and LMS Janine Johnson co-authored "Collaboration and Connections: How to Transform the School Library into a Vibrant Learning Hub" for the Association for Middle Level Education (AMLE's) member newsletter.

Scotts Ridge Middle School Principal Tim Salem and Library Media Specialist Janine Johnson traveled to Tampa in October for the bi-annual American Association of School Librarians (AASL) Conference. In 2022, AASL awarded Mr. Salem the Distinguished School Administrator Award in recognition of his contribution “to the operations of exemplary school libraries and to advancing the role of the school library in the educational program.” 


Mr. Salem was also named to the AASL School Leader Collaborative, a group of superintendents and administrators from throughout the US dedicated to "deepening the visibility and understanding for leadership of an effective school library where the school librarian provides an inclusive and personalized learning environment, creates equitable access to diverse resources, and transforms teaching and learning for all learners." 


Tim and Janine presented at the conference, attended an awards ceremony and morning "Interactive Summit" between librarians and administrators, as well as numerous other sessions throughout the three-day event. They met other librarians, building leaders, and authors, including the keynote speaker ARTivist, author, and Hollywood film illustrator Nikkolas Smith.


More can be found in the RPS Newsletter and Ridgefield's Hamlet Hub.



"As seen in" the Ridgefield PS District Newsletter

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Fund for Teachers Fellows present at CASL/CECA 2022 conference. See below for more about Mrs. Johnson's FFT travel.

Tim Salem was the Lunch Keynote Speaker at the 2022 CASL/CECA (CT Assoc of Librarians/CT Educators Computer Assoc) conference on November 4th at Southern CT State Univ. Janine Johnson was one of four Fund For Teachers grant recipients presenting a morning session titled, "Oh the Places You'll Go! How Fund for Teachers Can Get You There!"  

Tim is the recipient of the 2022 AASL (Amer. Assoc of School Librarians) Distinguished School Administrator Award. Tim has also been named to the AASL School Leader Collaborative, a group of superintendents and administrators from throughout the US dedicated to "deepening the visibility and understanding for leadership of an effective school library where the school librarian provides an inclusive and personalized learning environment, creates equitable access to diverse resources, and transforms teaching and learning for all learners." Congratulations Tim!

Summer 2022: Ms. Johnson traveled to six cities in Central Europe, thanks to a Fund for Teachers grant tied to the SRMS curriculum/collection.  Click below for her post-fellowship report and slides capturing the experience.

Tim Salem AASL.mp4

CONGRATULATIONS MR. SALEM!!!! 

He is going to need a bigger shelf in his office! Please join us in congratulating Tim for winning the 2022 AASL (American Association of School Librarians') Distinguished School Administrator Award! Since its inception in 1985, only one administrator per year has received this national award.


We already knew we were fortunate to be working with amazing administrators and staff before Covid, but since returning to "somewhat normal," we appreciate even more the "fail forward" environment we work in. 


<<<This video captures the moment he found out. 


Scotts Ridge and Rogers Park Middle School have concluded their year of virtual and in-person shared book discussions centered around Jacqueline Woodson's book Harbor Me. In April the students traveled to one another's' schools. 


The experience and student reactions will be shared at a CEN conference 1:30 pm presentation titled Hybrid Meetings and Shared Reading: Creating Connectedness and Community on May 5th.  

This February, Tim and Janine joined Wesleyan University’s Head Librarian and DEIJ Program Coordinator in a presentation addressing fifty academic, public and school librarians across the state for the Connecticut Library Consortium’s “Community Collaborative” discussion around DEI initiatives. 


https://www.ctlibrarians.org/events/EventDetails.aspx?id=1600362


Not exactly an article or an award but....SRMSLLC was featured on Ridgefield Tiger Talk discussing today's Library Learning Commons.

On March 23, 2021, CAS (CT Assoc of Schools) hosted “Race, Equity & Books: How Reading Can Be an Entry Point for Essential Conversations,” a webinar featuring staff from Scotts Ridge Middle School in Ridgefield. During this 60-minute session, Principal Tim Salem, Library Media Specialist Janine Johnson, and Social Studies Teacher Tom Broderick shared strategies and resources for using literature to foster conversations around equity, social and racial justice, and cultural responsiveness.  

SRMS Principal Tim Salem and Assistant Principal Lisa  Frese have been named co-winners of the Connecticut Association of School Librarians’ 2020 Administrator's Award. This award honors administrators who provide support for school library services through encouragement and funding.  October, 2020

Janine Johnson has been awarded a 2020 Fund for Teachers Fellowship award. Her project description and more about FFT can be found HERE.

AASL (American Assoc. of School Librarians) Collaborative School Library Award, Spring 2018   (See article below for more information about this project.)

The CT Association of School Librarians awarded Janine Johnson the Carlton W.H. Erikson Award in the Spring of 2018

Publications:

Education Dive: As K-12 virtual reality use grows, researchers consider impact on children

Knowledge Quest (Journal of the Amer. Assoc. of School Librarians): Jumping into the world of virtual and augmented reality, March/April 2019


Knowledge Quest: How to Get Started:  School Libraries Go Beyond the Four Walls - March/April 2019

AASL Knowledge Quest post about Collaborative School Library Award project, July 2018