more on the library [part 3]

The library is coming together, sloooooooowly, in part because [brutal honesty here]
1. I have lost my volunteers to summer vacation
2. [I have other summer duties]
3. I'm using my own power tools, which got shuffled around when we cleaned the basement to move in a jointer, band saw and a radial arm saw [these would have been so handy when I was building the library in the first place!!! - I digress]
4. I realized I misspelled a book title, which needs to be fixed before I put a clear gloss on the library to protect it - how awkward would that be to save for posterity.
5. And then it decided to rain...?
6. And I lost the acrylics...? Seriously...?
7. Clear gloss is frowned upon in certain circles.

Where in I found myself saying, buy some more red paint if you have to and get this puppy done before the next schedule school summer library day. Today, the sun is shining, I have volunteer hours in 2 hours, and I'm squeezing in some work on the library.

The kids helped paint the spines and  after they dried I put book titles different students, staff and faculty suggested on them in sharpie. Can you find my whoops? Hint, it's the red one.

Why a clear coat gloss? First, it offers some UV protection so that the paint job won't fade [and hopefully won't weather] as badly over time. Secondly, it makes it look, well, glossy! The paint job is already eye catching, hopefully that will also draw some extra attention to it. [As in, please don't hit it with your car or plow, please pay attention and come visit!] Third, and most important, the students were very thoughtful about what they wanted put on the library. It deserves to be protected.

I also attached the door knob today... with limited success the first time around. I remain ever undaunted by this project.

Field Day

It is the last full student day of school, and what better way to kick off the start of summer than to have a field day with some fun games.

 

Little free library, two

This weekend I began building the box for the library. .It looked nothing like the original plan. I'm okay with that. The original one was a little more complicated than I could handle.

I enlisted the help of some friends to help me paint a base coat of exterior white paint and then begin painting decorations on the outside.

Since the library is going to be sitting on school grounds, and the school mascot is a cat, the students suggested quotes about reading, things to do with cats, and characters from children's books. The caterpillar will say something about 'Library' or 'Free Library' on him. The students haven't quite decided what is best.

It's starting to look pretty good, and most importantly, the students are very pleased with it.

Keep PA Beautiful

A beautiful sunny day is a great day to take some students out to clean up the school grounds. It was a bit like a treasure hunt, looking along the grass line for litter.

 And then, when students started finding paper money, it really was a treasure hunt.

Kindergarten graduation

Its not done yet... don't freak out :)

SeaWolves Game

 

For the beginning of May, our game day was preeeeeeety chilly.  

My school takes a day to take in a game in celebration of successfully completing the PSSA's [and doing a good job. The results for this year won't be in until the following school year, but the students did work hard preparing and, for example, using skill strategies for good writing communication in their responses, which in turn we hope means better results.]

We were sitting in the upper deck of the foul section, and with the wind coming off the lake, many of our students took home foul balls.

The Lion King

The fourth graders at school put on a production of The Lion King, Jr. Mostly by themselves. It was incredible. They received instruction from their teachers and the music teacher, but they did most of the work on the sets, props and lights by them selves.

One kid announced he wanted to be a giraffe, and could I help him make a costume? please? Please...?

Yeah, sure.  Awesome.

So we made a giraffe.

That internship at Kent State really paid off. Best looking giraffe on the stage.

Writing about clouds, the day the crayons quit, and appreciating being a voluntold

 Go have lunch, kids.

little free library

https://littlefreelibrary.org/

We have a clean up day coming up and one of the project's we'd like to work on if there isn't enough to do [haha] is a little free library, since our community is a bit of a book desert.

To buy one of these out right would cost anywhere between $150-$250, and I am uncertain that it would fit the unique needs of this community [Read: extremely windy and contentious winters]. One of the teacher's husbands is in construction and has agreed to speak to the needs of winterizing this project, but before it can even get off the ground, we need the materials.

In order to happen and make the school district grounds and maintenance people happy, it has to be on a moveable base.

With this, and the weather constraints in mind, we have come up with a possible drawing and supply list for our Little Free Library. This library is intended to be about the size of a residential microwave.

materials we have in hand:

• a dead tire to pour concrete into to secure the library

materials we can potentially secure:

• corrugated metal for a roof

materials we still need:

1. mail box post to hold library at convenient height for browsing
2. smallish [13x20ish?] piece of Plexiglas for door window, or a premade cabinet door with a fitting for a glass insert that could be fitted for outdoor use
3. dry concrete to mix and fill the tire to stabilize the base
4. screen door spring
5. weather proofing materials, such as left over ice guard
6. cabinet door hinges
7. knob

If you know how to contact me, then we are in great shape.

*UPDATE* 3/25/16

Confirmed materials we have had donated:

• cabinet for the actual library structure
• tar paper
• asphalt shingles
• cabinet knob 

We even have some books coming to us! More books are welcome as the purpose of the Little Free Library is free access to books for children, tweens, teens AND adults. 

happy birthday, Dr. Seuss!

 Read Across America lasted an entire week[!!!] at our school, because literacy is VERY important and not something to be brushed aside. The students had fun with wacky hair day, cool sunglasses day, dress like a teacher day and PJ day, while some on the faculty had fun dressing up through the week as different Dr. Seuss characters. While not anything terribly demanding, it was certainly fun to show up to school in a costume off the rack. The tutus were an adventure; I've never made one before. They need a little assistance.

I tried dying my hair blue... It didn't work so well...

We rather lost steam on Friday, Fox in Sock day...
Most teachers opted to join the students in their pjs, or go casual.  

I spent a year as costume master of the closet at my undergraduate university, and then interned for a summer at Kent State in Ohio, so any time there is a costume anything, I get pretty excited.

 

Me at the end of the week.

science fair

The science fair was on the 22nd. I had a fearless assistant come in to show students and parents fluorescent minerals. There were many different specimens that responded to short and long wave black light; we had them all labeled as to what they were and where they came from, as well as a world map showing where the locality came from as relating to our location.

The students were very enthusiastic in response to the minerals! Of course, seeing something light up like molten lava isn't something you see every day!

And I got a shout out on the district page!!
http://www.nwsd.org/news-events/northwesternspringfieldelementariesholdsciencefairs