Wakemedia Monthly
March 2023
March Digital Learning and Libraries Checklist
Information overload? These are the most important DLL things you need to know to stay on track!
Sign up to participate in a WakeForward PLC! Choose the PLC that best aligns to your focus area work. Register in WakeLearns: Course #14893 WakeForward PLC for School Librarians. There are 3 final PLC dates in May. Sub forms will be provided.
Updated information about the Student Device program can be found on WakeConnect: studentdevices.wcpss.net.
Be aware of upcoming spending deadlines noted in the Focus on Finance newsletter. Be sure to follow the best practices for purchasing listed on the Library Media Services site.
Congratulations!
Congratulations to Julie Stivers, Mt. Vernon MS! Julie was named School Library Journal’s 2023 School Librarian of the Year. “An annual award presented by School Library Journal and sponsored by Scholastic, the School Librarian of the Year Award honors a K-12 library professional for exemplary service to students, creativity, outreach, and use of technology tools; along with outstanding teacher collaboration and student engagement.” We are thrilled to share in the excitement of this national recognition for Julie and the students with whom she’s worked over the years.
Congratulations to Angel Smith, North Wake CCA! Angel was awarded the 2023 WCPSS School Library Media Coordinator of the Year honor at the Celebration of Teaching Excellence on March 23. Since moving into the school librarian role in 2017, Angel has brought her creativity and passion into library programs, challenging teachers and students to innovate, being a leader in the high school maker realm. We tip our hats to the person who can envision dressing up a Sphero as a food particle and teaching students to code how it would move through the human digestive system.
NCTIES Shout-outs
The annual North Carolina Technology in Education Society (NCTIES) conference was held in Raleigh March 8-10. The following WCPSS school librarians presented sessions:
Melandie Matthews, Vandora Springs ES and Chris Tuttell, South Garner HS - “The Garner Chronicles” (student showcase)
Kristel Behrend, Knightdale HS - “Transforming Professional Learning the TGIF Way” (concurrent session)
Julie Stivers, Mt. Vernon MS - “Equity and Identity Driven Maker Projects” (concurrent session)
Marli Boyd, Barton Pond ES and Lindsay Santiago, Parkside ES - “Littles Can Code (on a budget!)” (concurrent session)
Congratulations for being selected to share your expertise with peers across the state. We’re proud to have you represent WCPSS school libraries!
April is School Library Month!
WCPSS will be celebrating the work of school librarians throughout the month of April. Watch WakeConnect for shout-outs and stories, and follow the hashtag #WCPSSLovesOurLibraries on district social media.
Professional Learning Days
April 21st is the final Professional Learning Day for the 2022-2023 school year. If your principal has indicated that you should attend professional learning on this date, you can find course options on the Professional Learning Days page on WakeConnect.
Please note that sessions offered by Library Media Services may be canceled in the event of too few registrants. Please register if you plan to attend.
Video Guidelines
Library Media Services needs your help to remind your staff about the Guidelines for Showing Films in the Classroom. You may want to have a conversation with your administration to discuss the guidelines and to ensure there is a plan to follow them.
As we approach the end of the year, it’s important to remember a few key points:
Staff members should preview the video clip or film in its entirety prior to showing it to students. This also applies to all videos marked as “Watchable by wcpss.net;” notations on YouTube do not indicate formal review or approval by WCPSS.
Films require prior approval by the principal or principal’s designee. These are site-based decisions; there is not a WCPSS list of approved videos.
It is best practice to communicate with caregivers prior to showing a film to students. Advance notice gives a family the chance to indicate any issues with their student viewing the film in question.
Destiny Tip of the Month
Did you know? Destiny Job manager automatically removes jobs that are older than 90 days; the exceptions are listed below. If you would like to save any jobs for future use, save them to your computer. If you have any Destiny questions please contact Stacy Symes ssymes@wcpss.net.
