Read with me!

Caring in the library

2011-09-30T14:09:00.005+02:00

A core part of the Primary Years Programme is the Learner Profile. The Learner Profile contains ten attributes our students should strive for and everyone in the school community should model. Each month in the library, we focus on one attribute. For September, it was the attribute of Caring.

Depending on the attribute, I may select a different text for each year level, or, as in the case of Caring, I use the same text for each class. This month, I used Susan Winget's "Tucker's Best School Day". Using the story of a little rabbit's first day of school, the students discussed how we can demonstrate that we are caring in two ways; by the words we say and what we do. We talked about the examples in the book of how Tucker, his classmates and the adults in his world all showed that by saying kind words and lending a helping hand, we can make the people around us feel better and be more successful. We also discussed how Caring can look different depending on what it is we are caring for. How we care for an animal is very different from how we take care of a library book which is again different from how we take care of a baby brother or sister.

Ask your student how they were caring this week.

Scholastic Book Clubs

2011-09-15T12:49:00.002+02:00

This is the text of the letter attached to the leaflets that will be sent home on Friday, September 16th.

Dear Pregny Families,

Throughout the year, the Pregny library offers families the opportunity to purchase English language books through the Scholastic book clubs program. This program has undergone a massive overhaul during the summer and I would like to share some of the changes with you. This information can also be found on the library blog (pregnylibrary.blogspot.com) with hyperlinks directly to the relevant pages.

Families now order directly from the website. The address for ordering is:

http://eu.clubs-school.scholastic.co.uk/int-sch-of-geneva. Orders will be delivered to the school and distributed to the students.

Fewer catalogs per year. Instead of receiving a monthly catalog, there will only be five Scholastic catalogs per year. Thus, the ordering deadline is extended so that you have a month in which to place your order. Each catalog contains both British and American books covering a much wider age range than previously.

Postage and handling are now included in the book price. The cost of shipping the orders should be covered in the price of each item. Should we find that it is not covered and there are additional charges such as VAT, an administration charge will be added to future orders. This charge will be clearly marked and explained on your order.

Pregny library still receives free books. One thing that hasn’t changed is that Pregny library will still benefit from each order placed.

Because there are so many changes, please do not hesitate to contact me at kate.concannon@ecolint.ch with any questions or feedback. Scholastic is very interested in making this new programme a success, so please let me know your thoughts so I can pass them on. I am hopeful that with the deadline of October 14^th the books will be delivered before the October half-term holiday.

In summary, please select from the leaflet and place your order on the website: http://eu.clubs-school.scholastic.co.uk/int-sch-of-geneva by October 14^th. The orders will be delivered to Pregny and I will distribute them to send home.

I will use your feedback and our experience with this first order to determine if Pregny will continue with Scholastic book clubs.

Welcome back to the library!

2011-09-15T12:41:00.002+02:00

I am so excited to welcome all the students and their families back to another exciting year in the library at Pregny! I hope everyone enjoyed a restful and relaxing break. I am sure that autumn will bring many wonderful changes and opportunities to our school, not just in the colors of the leaves.
Below is the text of the letters that I sent home with the students the first week of school. Please remember that email is the best way to contact me. Feel free to stop by to check out books during the posted times (every morning from 8:15-8:30 and Monday, Thursday and Friday afternoons from 3:15 to 3:30). I look forward to welcoming you in the library as a borrower or volunteer!

Dear Parents,

It’s another wonderful year in the Pregny library! I am very excited to have the students visit the library. Students in Reception visit the library every day to choose a book. Twice a week, the students will come to the library for a story or to learn more about using the library. Children in Reception class may check out one book at a time. It’s important to remember to return books as soon as you are finished sharing them so that your child may select a new book. This book is the child’s choice. It is important that the child learn to make good choices on his/her own. Students in class 1 and 2 visit each week for a scheduled library lesson. Each class visit, the students listen to a story or have a skills lesson and have time to select a book. Children may check out one book at a time through class 1 and children in class 2 may take two books at a time, starting after the Fall break.

Children and families are responsible for taking care of the books that are checked out in their name. If a book is lost or damaged beyond repair, it must be paid for promptly so that the library may replace the book. English language books must be imported, so we ask that you please take care of the books that we have in the library. Families may register with the library for a user account so that parents may also check out books. Parents are limited to two books at a time. The library is open to parents after school until 15h30 on Monday, Thursday and Friday and before school each day from 8:15 to 8:30. If you need to contact me, the best way is by e-mail: kate.concannon@ecolint.ch

How you can help your child at home:

At school, we practice turning pages from the corner and treating books gently. You can help your child with this, by having them turn pages during story time and showing them how you treat your books.

It is also important for your child to see you reading your own books.

You can help your child take care of his/her library book by keeping it in a special place, so it doesn’t get misplaced or damaged.

Reading with your child has been proven as one of the best ways to help your child connect words with text and become a strong reader.

How you can help your child at school:

Parents are welcome as volunteers in the library. Tasks with which we always need assistance are reshelving returned items, covering books and displays. Covering books may also be done as a take home project. Ideas and volunteers are most welcome!

I hope you enjoy a wonderful year of reading!

Miss Kate

kate.concannon@ecolint.ch

pregnylibrary.blogspot.com

End of Year

2011-06-06T13:20:00.003+02:00

Just a reminder about a few end of year procedures.

The last Scholastic book orders for the school year were due today. The order should arrive by next week at the latest.

The last day for checkout is June 10th. All books must be returned by June 17th. Expect to see bills and notices starting to arrived the 20th. Please take care of these as soon as possible. If you are moving to a different school in the Foundation, lost and overdue books will follow your child. They can be returned to any Foundation library.

Book donations for the Kermesse can be brought to the library this week. Thank you for thinking of us as you clean out.

June Reading Promotion

2011-06-06T13:15:00.002+02:00

Today, your child should have in his/her school bag the reading promotion for June. It's called Story Lover's Bingo. There are two 25 square Bingo cards attached to a letter explaining how it works.
The text of the letter is as follows:

Rules for Story Lovers’ Bingo
For the month of June, the library has sent home two bingo cards per family. As you complete a task on the list below, put a sticker or draw an X through the spot on the card with the same number. Can you get a BINGO (a vertical, horizontal or diagonal line of five in a row) on the card?

Return your card for a bookmark from Pregny Library. All cards must be returned by June 27th.

Story Lovers’ Bingo Tasks:

1. Read a story to your pet or stuffed animal
2. Share a story over Skype or (similar communication method like Facetime) with a family member far away
3. Enjoy a story from Africa
4. Send a postcard to the library about a book you love
5. Write a story
6. Illustrate your own story or create different illustrations for a family favorite
7. Enjoy a story from Europe
8. Tell a joke from a book
9. Use a book to try a craft
10. Read poem to an audience
11. Use a recipe from a book
12. Enjoy a story from Asia
13. Write a book review
14. Read a magazine article
15. Use a dictionary
16. Listen to a story on cd or tape
17. Enjoy a story from South America
18. Watch a story that has been created from a book into a film
19. Read a story by an author who has the same initial as your family name
20. Enjoy a story from North America
21. Retell a folktale
22. Act out a story
23. Enjoy a story from Oceania
24. Memorize a poem
25. Family choice

I do have a few extra bingo cards that can be picked up in the library. Bookmarks will be available from Wednesday, June 8th.

I hope this is a fun activity for the whole family and a great way to broaden story sharing.

Looking towards the end of the year...

2011-05-24T14:19:00.002+02:00

With a scant six weeks left in our school year, I would just like to give some tips, dates to remember and other reminders for a great end to the school year.

All checkout of library materials will end on June 10th.
All materials are due back by June 17th.
After June 17th, reminders will be sent home with the replacement cost of the items. Either the item should be returned in good condition or paid for as soon as possible. Libraries within the Foundation do share information, so even if you are transferring, please leave Pregny with a clean record.
The last Scholastic order will be sent out on the 31st of May. These will be due back on the 6th of June.
The Reading promotion for June will be sent out next week.
Donations of used books for the Kermesse may be brought to the library starting the 6th of June.

New books for adoption

2011-04-04T08:51:00.003+02:00

Some beautiful new books arrived in the library and are available for the commemorative bookplate program. If you have a special event in your family such as a birthday or an accomplishment like riding a bike without training wheels (stabilizers), consider purchasing a bookplate to place in a brand-new library book. Once purchased for chf25, the family can fill in the bookplate and be the first to borrow the book from Pregny library. The book will remain on a special shelf in the library for the duration of the term in which it was adopted.
The new books are:

What Does It Mean to Be Global? by Rana DiOrio (we also have a French language edition of this book arriving soon)

Spaghetti in a Hot Dog Bun by Maria Dismondy

Being Bella by Cheryl Zugo

My Name is Not Isabella by Jennifer Fosberry

Come take a look at one today!

The Pregny Library catalog at home

2011-03-28T08:02:00.000+02:00

This week, I would like to highlight that families can access the Pregny library catalog from home. The website for this is Library Catalogues. You can search our catalog to see if we have the next book in the Magic Treehouse series, discover if there is possibly one more Froggy story or how to take care of the snail your child found on the way home.

Tomie DePaola author study

2011-03-17T18:23:00.003+01:00

In year one, the students' unit of inquiry is Everyone's a Storyteller. In the library, as part of this unit, we are looking at the work of Tomie DePaola, an American author/illustrator. DePaola's Strega Nona character is many students' favorite at Pregny. DePaola doesn't just retell fairytales from Italy and Ireland, he also takes episodes from his own childhood and recreates these stories to encourage children's empathy and prompt them with their own stories. Visit his website. You can share the Strega Nona story with your child on Bookflix. If you no longer had the username and password, please e-mail me for it.

Scholastic orders

2011-03-17T18:16:00.002+01:00

The deadline for the March Scholastic orders was Wednesday the 16th of March. Because I received a number of orders after the deadline, I will be placing another order Friday after school. The exchange rate is chf1.50 to $1.-. This covers our expedited shipping and customs charges. Please check your math and make sure your child's name and class are on each order form.
I expect the orders to arrive at the end of next week, the start of the following week.

New Library Hours

2011-03-17T18:13:00.002+01:00

The library will now be open to parents in the morning as well as three afternoons a week. Parents may visit the library with their child from 8:15 to 8:30 in the morning to borrow books and share stories. Please be respectful of the library as an academic space that serves the students and teachers at Pregny and mind the time.
Thank you!

Parents may borrow up to two books at a time for a maximum of two weeks. Books may be exchanged as frequently as the family wishes.

I look forward to welcoming you in the library in the morning as well as Monday, Thursday and Friday afternoons!

Donavan Christopher's visit

2011-02-17T16:51:00.001+01:00

On February 16th, poet and author Donavan Christopher performed with the Pregny students. We had two Assemblies, one for the pre-Reception and Reception classes and another for years 1 & 2.

In the first Assembly, Donavan had the students up dancing and moving to Three Jamaican Mice. After watching the teachers perform a retelling of Humpty Dumpty, the children took over the musical instruments to create their own rendition.

At the Assembly for the older students, Donavan had groups of students perform and tell jokes. I think at one point half the students were up performing while the other half, still seated, joined in the chorus.

Have your child teach you Georgie Porgie today!

Georgie Porgie ain't got no puddin'
Out in the schoolyard too busy playin'
Then the bell rang ting a ling a ling
Then the bell rang ting a ling a ling
Then the bell rang ting a ling a ling
Georgie Porgie LAST ONE IN!

Autumn Poetry Day

2010-11-06T11:38:00.000+01:00

On Friday, we celebrated autumn and poetry at Pregny. Each student had the opportunity to reflect on the season, brainstorm words to create a poem and make a colorful autumn leaf.

Many thanks to Ms. Mills and Ms. Kwon for leading our Poetry sessions, Mrs. Davis for sharing an autumn story and all the parents who graciously gave their time to help the students move from one learning are to another. I know the students enjoyed the snacks the parents provided as well!

A special thank you to Sallianne Schagrin for all her help in co-ordinating the parent volunteers and craft activity.

Poetry in the Library

2009-12-02T20:51:00.002+01:00

Not quite each month, the children in classes 1 & 2 are being introduced to a poem or poet. Over the course of several weeks, the children study, discuss and memorize a poem or poems.
Through September and October, the children learned Keep a Poem in Your Pocket by Beatrice Schenk de Regniers.
In November, the children learned two poems by Douglas Florian. One about a hibernating bear, the other about a frozen woodfrog. The children took great pleasure in reciting them at Assembly today. Ask your child to perform one of them for you!

BookFlix

2009-12-02T20:34:00.004+01:00

Pregny Library and Saconnex Primary Library now have a subscription to BookFlix. BookFlix is a website featuring popular picture books paired with non-fiction texts. The books can either be listened to as they are narrated, or the student and family can read the books to each other. There are currently a number of books that fit right in with Class 2's current unit on Rhythm, Rhyme and Pattern. Each pair of books has activities associated with it as well to ensure an enjoyable educational experience.
The website is:
BookFlix
All students and teachers have automatic access at school. If families would like to access the website and stories from home, please e-mail me for the username and password.

The flyer that I sent home read as follows:

BookFlix information

The Libraries of Saconnex Primary and Pregny have taken out a subscription to BookFlix for our school community. BookFlix is a great way for students to connect with text both visually and aurally. The website pairs a well-known picture book with a non-fiction text, each which may be read on-line or listened to. There are additional activities for families to enjoy with the stories as well as pre-approved websites to visit that relate to the books.
Website address: bkflix.grolier.com

There will be an information session after the Winter Holiday for parents at Pregny. Look for a flyer after the break. Questions between now and then? E-mail me.

Usborne Book Sale

2009-11-30T09:22:00.000+01:00

Many thanks to all the families who supported the Pregny Library by visiting the Usborne book sale in the Central Space last week. The Pregny Library was able to choose more than three hundred francs in free books!
If your family ordered books at either the book sale or by sending the order to me in the library, Ann Lloyd, our Usborne representative, will place the order this week. She anticipates that the order will arrive from England next week and will be distributed at that time or early in the week after. Please get in touch with me for Mrs. Lloyd's contact details, if you have any questions about your order.

Get Caught Reading!

2009-09-24T10:32:00.000+02:00

Many thanks to all those who participated! It was wonderful to see the exotic and creative places Pregny students and staff were caught reading this summer. Stop by the library to see the photos posted.

Class Library Days

2009-09-13T20:41:00.000+02:00

Here is the schedule for when each class visits the library at Pregny.
Monday
93i Mme Morand
94b Mrs Mehrotra
2i Mrs Downing/Mr Van Geffen/Mrs

Tuesday
94i Ms. Leitner
1i Ms. Kwon
1b Mrs Kennedy
1o Mrs Tanimura

Thursday
93i Mme Morand
94b Mrs Mehrotra

Friday
94i Ms. Leitner
2b Ms. Mills
2o Ms. Oakley/Mrs Horsford

Please help your child take responsibility for his/her library materials. A special shelf or place in the home, out of the reach of younger siblings and pets, is a great way to make sure library items don't get lost and are kept safe.

End of year

2009-06-04T14:19:00.002+02:00

We have three weeks of school left in this academic year. There are student led conferences coming up, and Celebrations of Learning. In the library, we have end of year procedures as well. All books must be returned by the 19th of June. I will start sending (more) notices home with students if they have items outstanding. If a student ends his/her school year with a book still checked out in his/her name, this item will be on his/her record if s/he continues at the Foundation of the International School of Geneva. Please make sure your student has cleared his/her record with the library, so this doesn't follow her/him on to the next school.

Summer Reading

2009-06-04T14:11:00.002+02:00

Each summer, the Pregny Library promotes reading and literacy with a campaign of some sort. In the past, we have used postcards to keep track of what we read. This summer, we will use photographs to show that we can read anywhere! If you travel with your family to a recognizable monument, take a photo of a family member reading near/on/at it. If you catch someone in your family enjoying a moment with a book, take a photo.
Send your photos to pregnylibrary@gmail.com or bring them in at the beginning of the school year in September!

this week in the library

2009-03-04T20:39:00.003+01:00

In classes 1 and 2, we have begun an author study of Cynthia Rylant. Rylant is one of my favorite authors. She has written across a tremendous range from animals (Bookstore Dog, Cookie Store Cat) to aging (the Old Woman Who Named Things) to road trips (When the Relatives Came, Tulip Sees America) and sometimes even illustrates her own picture books. Rylant writes for all ages, from pre-school through adult, in picture book form through novels and poetry.

We started by looking at my favorite picture book by Cynthia Rylant, The Great Gracie Chase, illustrated by Mark Teague.

You may know Rylant from her Henry and Mudge series, or the Mr. Putter and Tabby books. She has written many chapter books for early readers. I look forward to seeing her work through the thoughtfulness of our students!

Volunteering

2009-03-04T20:33:00.003+01:00

I welcome parents as volunteers in the Library. At the start of the school year, I put out a sign-up sheet and parents can choose their most convenient time after a discussion with me.
Parents can volunteer on a schedule, or after a conversation and training, some parents prefer to drop in at the end of the school day to shelve or help with other tasks around the library.
Most of the volunteer work revolves around processing library books which includes creating the spine labels and putting the covers on, and re-shelving books. Depending on a volunteer's skills and comfort level, there may be some computer work.
Because families move during the school year and schedules change, I do have some times open for volunteers. Please e-mail me or stop by after school if you are interested.

Scholastic Book Orders

2009-02-25T10:44:00.005+01:00

The Pregny library uses Scholastic book orders to encourage reading and make inexpensive English language reading material accessible to our school community. Once a month, the participating classes receive a packet of catalogs. These catalogs are targeted at specific age groups. The library sends home the catalogs with material for infants through 10 years old.

On the front of each packet is the due date by which orders must be returned to the library, the current exchange rate (which includes shipping) and the information that must be included with each order. At Pregny, the library opts for the expedited shipping. The added cost for expedited shipping over the regular shipping is marginal (less than 10%), but the shipping time of the items is considerably less (usually a week to ten days as opposed to three weeks)

The library benefits from the Scholastic book orders in the following way. Each item ordered earns points. The library can redeem the points for books, audiovisual material and school supplies.

If you choose to place an order, please pay attention to the exchange rate. While it has been relatively stable this year, some months it will be different. I will highlight this on the front of the forms, but please keep an eye out.

The downside to being overseas is that we cannot participate in everything that Scholastic offers. Scholastic catalogs sometimes offer dvds and software. Please feel free to order these, but bear in mind that the dvds will be coded for Region 1, and sometimes the software will also have compatibility issues as well. Items may not be returned, so caveat emptor. Many times, there will be a monthly club that a child could subscribe to, but unfortunately, this is not available to international customers. Ordering on-line for parents is also not yet available to international customers, orders must still come through the library.

Contacting the Library

2009-02-25T10:39:00.002+01:00

The best way to contact me is e-mail: kate.concannon at ecolint.ch Also, putting a note in your student's bag and letting the teacher or class assistant know that the note is there is an excellent way to communicate with me as well.

Borrowing items from the Pregny library

2009-02-25T10:25:00.004+01:00

The Pregny library has books and audio materials available for borrowing. The loan period is two weeks after which an item becomes overdue and borrowing privileges are suspended.

Students in Pre-Reception, Reception, and Class 1 may borrow one item at a time. Students in class 2, as of the Winter holiday, may borrow up to 2 items at a time. Parents may borrow up to 2 items at a time.

If a student forgets their book and s/he is in Pre-Reception, Reception, or Class 1, s/he may not borrow another item until the forgotten one is returned. In Class 2, s/he may borrow another item as long as the first item is not overdue.

If an item is returned in unuseable condition, the family will be billed for its replacement cost. If an item is lost, the family will be billed for its replacement cost. If the item is found before June 1st of that school year, the money paid will be refunded. All items are billed in Swiss Francs. Borrowing privileges are suspended until accounts are settled, so timely payment is encouraged.

In the Library, we discuss appropriate ways to care for books. It is an excellent idea to have a specific place in the home for library books. This place should be away from food, drink, pets and younger siblings. This way, the student always knows where to find his/her library book. In some classes, durable plastic bags are used specifically for library books. If this is not the case for your child's class, feel free to provide your own. Students sometimes learn the hard way that it is important to protect their library book from snack and lunch items in their schoolbags.

Library Hours for students

2009-02-25T10:17:00.003+01:00

The students of Pregny have many opportunities to visit the library. Each class visits the library as part of their weekly schedule.
Pre-Reception visits on Tuesday afternoon and Friday mornings after morning break.
Reception 94i visits on Monday and Friday before lunch.
Reception 94b visits on Monday after lunch and Thursday after morning break.
Class 1s visit the library on Tuesdays.
Class 2i visits at the end of the day on Monday.
Classes 2b and 2o visit Friday morning.
When the classes visit the library as part of their programme, we do a lesson and the children have time to browse (look) for a book and check out. Please help your child be responsible for their library book and bring it back in a timely manner.

Reception classes visit the library every day to change their books. Children in classes 1 and 2 are welcome in the library to change their books at anytime I do not have a class scheduled. This type of book change visit is at the classroom teacher's discretion. I find that if the student lets the teacher know that s/he would like to change his/her library book that time will be found that day for the student to do so.

Library Hours for families

2009-02-25T10:09:00.004+01:00

The Pregny library is open to parents after school for thirty minutes after dismissal time. I realize that Pre-Reception dismisses at noon three days a week, but I would kindly ask those parents to reserve their family visits to the library to Tuesday , Wednesday and Thursday. On Mondays and Fridays, I have classes scheduled in the library and those students are my first priority.

Monday, Thursday and Friday, the library is open to parents from 15:15 until 15:30.
The Library is not open on Tuesdays after school because of meetings.

If you come to the library with your children, you must remain with them at all times. I expect all children, enrolled at Pregny or not, to behave appropriately.

Let me introduce myself

2009-02-25T10:00:00.000+01:00

My name is Miss Kate and I am the librarian for Pregny. I have been the librarian for Pregny (and formerly Rigot) since the Fall of 2003.

I am from the United States, but grew up moving between the United States and Europe because of my father's work. I attended international schools in Helsinki, Finland; Moscow, Russia (the USSR at the time) and Salzburg, Austria. I love seeing new places and meeting new people!

I knew from the time I was fourteen that I wanted to be a school librarian. It seemed to be the best way to combine my love of all media with my love of helping others. Some of my main goals at Pregny are to inspire children to love stories and help my colleagues provide a rich environment for their students.

Blogging from the library

2009-02-25T09:40:00.003+01:00

Welcome! After our great success with storyteller, Margaret Read MacDonald, I decided it was time to start sharing with the wider world all the wonderful happenings of the library at Pregny. I will write posts detailing the various policies of the library; hours, lost books, Scholastic book orders, etc... and they will be perma-linked in the sidebar.

Please feel free to leave comments or questions.