Adopt-a-Bookcase Project

We are piloting a new project in our Media Center, this year. Last year, there were so many students wanting to help, that we thought we would act on their requests. We asked, and we received. Students are rushing in to help out in the Media Center. They are adopting bookcases in an effort to keep them organized and tidy. All of the bookcases have been claimed except for the Nonfiction. We are so thankful for their help!

SURVIVOR CHALLENGE AR

Sandy Springs Reads...with SSCMS

SSCMS will be taking part in a community-wide book reading theme in lieu of Sandy Springs Reads. The students will be enjoying the "Great Outdoors" by reading the many books written by Gary Paulsen. Students are encouraged to take Accelerated Reader quizzes on the collection. What a wonderful way to celebrate nature!

Week 1....GAVS CTAE courses are underway!

We are so excited to have this opportunity! There are 19 SSCMS students currently enrolled in the GAVS CTAE Virtual Learning Pilot Program. The courses of interest are Introduction classes to Business Technology, Digital Technology, and Healthcare Science. The students have completed the registration and application process, and are participating in tutorials and modules designed to prepare them for the upcoming coursework. Week 1 has been a success! We look forward to Week 2!

BrainPOP Webinar

BrainPOP Webinar...
This was a fun webinar! I didn't realize they had professional development available.

http://www.brainpop.com/educators/community/webinarregistration/

SLJ SummerTeen 2014 Virtual Conference

Summer Conference...July 24, 2014

Attending the SummerTeen 2014 Virtual Conference was an amazing experience. I was able to listen to authors and chat with them. Yes! They even answered our questions. Although, I enjoyed them all, I did have a favorite. Gayle Forman, who is the author of the book, If I Stay, was the most exciting part of the conference.You probably recognize the title because it has also been adapted for a movie starring Chloe Moretz, that will be coming out in theatres soon. She even discussed her collaboration with making the movie!
http://www.slj.com/summerteen/speakers/

Honorable Mention

 SSCMS received an Honorable Mention for the 2013-2014 school year! This honor was given because we had three (3) or less infractions. Infractions include but are not limited to: missing or stolen equipment, improper procedures, missing barcodes and equipment not properly labeled. What a great way to end the school year!

Edible Book Festival...Our very first!

What a great turn out we had for our first Edible Book Festival! Students and teachers were eager to show their creative side for this event. Our judging panel consisted of six judges. Marlan Brinkley from the Sandy Springs Public Library was gracious enough to come out to join in on the fun. Also, our very own, Mrs. Khan and Mrs. Russell teamed up with our volunteer of the year, Mr. Shea. Finally, we had two student judges, Christian Ferguson and Alexis Payne. Our judges determined that the most collaborative, most relative, most creative and most attention grabbing 1st place entry was that of Samantha Warren. Her edible creation of Charlotte’s Web was truly amazing! Dr. Williams, one of our ESOL teachers, took 2nd place with the most adorable sheep to accompany her book, Amanda Bean’s Amazing Dream , and Kevin Gonzales placed 3rd with his funny representation of the book, Chocolate Fever. We are so thankful to all of our participants and to our judges for making this a success! What a fun way to end the year! 

We are on Facebook! :)

The Atlanta Humane Society put our picture on their Facebook page and said such nice things about us!!! Check it out...
https://www.facebook.com/atlantahumane

SO EXCITED! :) ..Atlanta Humane Society Came to Visit!

 

The Atlanta Humane Society visited SSCMS to thank us for our support, and pick up our donations. They were happy to see the boxes and bags full of treats, toys, towels, plastic bags, and many other items greatly needed that students and teachers donated. They especially liked the colorful blankets that many of the students made in the the No-Sew Blanket Workshops. We were told that the cats especially love this kind of blanket. We were also able to give a monetary donation because we sold a ton of PAWS POPS! The students responsible for the PAWS PROJECT PRODUCTION came by to present our offereings and pose for a photo-op. It feels so great to know we made a difference in the animals lives. Way to go students and staff at SSCMS! :)

A Year in Review...a Bulletin Board of Memories

 

The end is near, so we say farewell with a bulletin board of memories. And the countdown begins... 9 more days for students!!! :)

When One Year Ends...Another Year Begins...

SSCMS welcomes the upcoming fifth grade students! There was music, cheerleaders, tours, snacks,and even T-shirts with the SSCMS logo. What a way to make the newcomers feel welcome!

Media Festival Project...

 

PAWS PROJECT PRODUCTION

  

 

Our involvement with the Atlanta Humane Society was a great experience. It was very rewarding to be a part of such a great cause. Thank you all for making it a success!

May 14th...The Edible Book Festival...Nom, nom, nom...

Be creative! Illustrate a book with something edible!

April Showers...bring CRCT hours...

It's that time of year! It's CRCT time! There's drill and practice going on in the classrooms throughout the school as the students refresh and review to get ready for the testing window. In an effort to support our students, I decided to set up our Spotlight Computer Station in a fun way of practicing for the test. I posted test readiness reminders for the students, and set up the computer for a little bit of fun at http://www.coolmath.com/. Good luck SSCMS on the CRCT next week! Perhaps you can partake in come CoolMath over the weekend!

March...Telling our story

PAWS PROJECT PRODUCTION

 Students entered the Media Festival with a Live Action News Show to tell our story, and inform others about how we reached out to the Atlanta Humane Society. It was portrayed in a fun and entertaining way with guest appearances from Gidget Reiman (a cat) and Gabby Howell (a dog), both answering questions about the activites the students have been involved in at SSCMS. They received certificates of appreciation (and treat bags from me) for entering the Media Festival. What an extraordinary job! I had so much fun working with these 5 students!

 

Kudos to these kiddos...

Taytum Blake, Ben Miller, Jessica Deyo, Ray Ferreira, & Paige Lowe!!! :)

March....Happy Birthday Dr. Seuss!

What better way to celebrate Read Across America Day/Happy Birthday Dr. Seuss Day than to incorporate Dr. Seuss books into the day! I chose a class that I thought would enjoy a little fun with Seuss activities and invited them to the Media Center for a day filled with Seuss-related activities! I also wanted to involve the entire school, and not just the "lucky" target group, so I gathered some of the famous quotes from the loved Dr. Seuss books and conducted a "Quote Vote" for ANYONE that visited the Media Center. One of my favorite parts of the day was the visit from our Guest Reader. She came with her "furry" companion, Freckles, to read a Dr. Seuss book. Of course, I loved meeting Freckles! I made a new friend! What a fun day!

February....The AR Ice Cream Celebration...Finally

The AR Ice Cream Celebration for the top 50 students with the highest AR points was scheduled for January 28th. We had to reschedule becasue we got word that school would dismiss early due to inclement weather. We had no idea that some of us would wind up staying the night. Ha! We were finally able to have the long awaited celebration in February. Finally! Thank you to Mrs. Hopper, our volunteer, for making this happen!

February...The Fun Begins

I reached out to the Atlanta Humane Society back in December. I am, and always have been, an animal lover. My GOAL is to use my role in the Media Center to contribute to the needs of animals, and involve students in helping animals since they aren't old enough to volunteer at most shelters. I think this is a wonderful way to teach students about compassion and responsibility. The students love participating in the activities that we have planned to help out "furry" friends!

February...I think

I can't recall if I started the upkeep of our website in January or February, but it was exciting to see my name on the webpage!

February...Celebrating One of Our Own

Perfect Timing for Black HistoryMonth!

February...It's Black History Month!

More action on the Spotlight Computer...
I set up a collage of youtube videos hyperlinked to a Power Point available on the computer. Fact Monster was also ready to be toured to learn about many famous contributions Black African-Americans have made in our lives. This was great access for the many teachers that were working on related projects this month.

January 28th...Have You Ever Spent the Night in a Media Center?

WOW! I haven't even been here at SSCMS for 2 months and..... Snow-Mageddon hit!
I never imagined spending the night at school. I stepped-up to wear many hats thanks to being snowed-in. I helped serve snacks and meals to our hungry middle-schoolers. I even boxed chicken nuggets with Dr. Massey and other members of the admin team. The 6th and 7th grade girls were housed in the media Center for the night, and they were an awesome group. I got to know many of the faculty and staff at SSCMS. Although, I would rather have been home with my family, I now have an additional story to tell.... That's not even counting the story about driving on the hills of Pride Place. What an experience!

January... Spelling Bee...Something to Buzz About

Look at these CUTIES!
Congrats Isha Perry (Spelling Bee Champion) and Tyler Quillen (Runner-UP) on their awesome spelling!

I was called upon to assist with my first Spelling Bee at SSCMS! I helped set up the Media Center for the event, and I was asked to take on the role as a judge. It was fun. The students were all such spectacular spellers. They were well-prepared for the Spelling Bee. It was tough watching them miss the word that ended their participation, but the students were quick to applaud their peers when their time came to an end. I was awed by the compassion in the students. In the end, there was a winner and a runner-up cheered on by all!

January...eBook QR Code Challenge...Technology Combo

QR Code Challenge
Well, eBooks are an interesting topic. Students love their technology, and they are better at using it than most adults. They are 21st century learners, after all. However, the reluctant reader is probably not much more inclined to read an eBook. With that in mind, I decided to make it fun. I used a QR Code Challenge to pique their interest, and I added a treat as a reward for the correct answer. I also had a question that could be answered without a QR Scanner in the event that the student didn't have the app on their phone. In conjunction, I also decided to use a live cam of the pandas at the Atlanta Zoo. This is my way to promote eBooks. It's a slow process, but it's the direction we are headed. I feel that it's up to us to get them to read the books of the future.

January...Fine Project

We Want Everyone to Check Out Books...
Upon returning from Winter Break, I was beginning to hear about a problem from teachers and students alike. Students that owed fines couldn't check out books. I decided to revamp some old book reports (one page book report) I had created a while back to meet the academic level of the students and begin a Fine Project. I created 3 versions, and assigned them to the varied fine amounts. Students that are not able to pay their fines can now pay their fine off with book report(s). This helped them pay off their fine, but still held them accountable for the books they check out of the Media Center. Students are growing familiar with the Fine Project, and often choose to do the book reports! Regardless, more students are checking out books!

December....First Project...Rewind to the Reindeer

My role as a Media Specialist at SSCMS began in December.
First Project in SSCMS Media Center~ I like to call it the "hook" of the Media Center.
I decided that my first project would be to set up a "Spotlight Computer" near the entrance to the Media Center. The idea was to use it like a "hook" as patrons entered. Since it was December, I immediately thought of the 'Live Reindeer Cam' that I had visited for years. I figured EVERYONE loves animals, ESPECIALLY ME! What better way to get their attention! Students, girls and boys, were curious about the reindeer walking around on the screen. Even the faculty and staff that entered were fascinated by the reindeer. Soon, everyone would gather around at 11:00 when Santa came out to feed the reindeer. It worked! Now everyone that enters looks to the "Spotlight Computer" as they enter the Media Center. :)