Stanwood Middle School Library Newsletter
April 2024 in the SMS Library
Ms. Byrum & Mrs. Palmer
Library Hours:
Monday: Open all day (7:20 a.m. - 2:20 p.m.) Mrs. Palmer
Tuesday: Open from 10:00 a.m. - 1:30 p.m. for book checkout and returns & lunch activities
Wednesday: alternating Wednesday's - Open all day (7:20 a.m. - 2:20 p.m.) * see note below
On the alternate Wednesday 's- 10:00 a.m. - 1:00 p.m.
Thursday: Open all day (7:20 a.m. - 2:20 p.m.) Mrs. Palmer
Friday: Open all day (7:20 a.m. - 2:20 p.m.) Ms. Byrum, Librarian
* Library is open full days on the following Wednesday's at SMS: March 6, & 20; April 3 & 17; May 1, 15, & 29; June 12
Free time activities in the library at lunch: Chess, puzzles, Uno card game, Battleship (plus other board games), coloring pages. Open during both lunches. No food or drink in the SMS Library.
LUNCH TIME LIBRARY RULES: Effective as of April 19, 2024: Students . . . if you are going to be in the library during lunch time, you MUST be something such as playing a game (checkers, chess etc.), doing puzzles, reading, or drawing, etc. You may not just sit and "chat" with your friends. It creates a very noisy environment for the library, which is not conducive to a calm, relaxing, and quieter place where students can unwind. If your sole purpose is to "chat" with friends, you will be asked to leave and find an alternative place in the school to socialize. Thank you for making the library a great place!
April is National Poetry Month:
Launched by the Academy of American Poets in April 1996, National Poetry Month reminds the public that poets have an integral role to play in our culture and that poetry matters. Over the years, it has become the largest literary celebration in the world, with tens of millions of readers, students, K–12 teachers, librarians, booksellers, literary events curators, publishers, families, and, of course, poets, marking poetry's important place in our lives. Haiku interactive Tool
28th Annual National Student Poetry Contest
The America Library of Poetry
$500 Grade Prize and many other prizes will be awarded!
Details below:
Official Rules the the 28th Annual National Student Poetry Contest:
Poem must be no more than 20 lines! (any subject)
Any style except concrete & blackout provided the content is school appropriate.
Scan the QR code and click “enter contest online”
Entries must be made online or mailed by April 30, 2024.
Visit the Website: www.libraryofpoetry.com
See Ms. Byrum in the SHS Library for more details! Visit the website for full details on guidelines.
Check out Recently added books, popular titles and eBooks in the SMS Collection on our Destiny Discover Catalog!
Destiny Discover Catalog: type in your search terms and get started!
Check out our eBooks!
VOLUNTEERS NEEDED - Attention Parents / Guardians: Would you like to volunteer at Port Susan Middle School in the Library? We have a need for volunteers who would like to come help us organize the library shelves, ensure books are in order, and make books easier to find for students? If you are interested, please email the Librarian (click link).
How credible is that information? Click on the article to find out!
Google or Gale? Choose the right source for the right type of information.
Where to find reliable sources?
Choose the right source for the right type of information. Go to the Research Toolkit website for more information.
What are the Sasquatch Awards?
The Sasquatch Awards are novels for grades 4-6, open nominations, committee selected, student voted. Twelve great books are nominees. But only one will win. Fourth, fifth, and sixth graders can participate in the voting process by reading at least two of the nominees. The nominations for 2024-25 are now closed. The selection criteria includes the following considerations: Reading enjoyment, reading level, interest level, Genre representation, racial diversity, gender representation, diversity of social, political, economic, or religious viewpoints, Washington State interest, effectiveness of expression, and imagination.
The Winner for 2023 is:
TWINS, BY VARIAN JOHNSON AND SHANNON WRIGHT
Maureen and Francine Carter are twins and best friends. They participate in the same clubs, enjoy the same foods, and are partners on all their school projects. But just before the girls start sixth grade, Francine becomes Fran -- a girl who wants to join the chorus, run for class president, and dress in fashionable outfits that set her apart from Maureen. A girl who seems happy to share only two classes with her sister! Maureen and Francine are growing apart and there's nothing Maureen can do to stop it. Are sisters really forever? Or will middle school change things for good?
Varian Johnson is the author of several novels for children and young adults, including The Parker Inheritance, which won both Coretta Scott King Author Honor and Boston Globe/Horn Book Honor awards; The Great Greene Heist, an ALA Notable Children’s book and Kirkus Reviews Best Book; and the graphic novel Twins, illustrated by Shannon Wright, an NPR Best Book.
Varian was born in Florence, South Carolina, and attended the University of Oklahoma, where he received a BS in Civil Engineering. He later received an MFA in Writing for Children and Young Adults from Vermont College of Fine Arts, and is honored to now be a member of the faculty. Varian lives outside of Austin, TX with his family.
