Library News

APRIL 2025

Spring Break Reading Challenge Winners:

Congratulations to our winners: First Grade and Fourth Grade! Each winning grade received an extra recess and popsicles. Grades K-5 read a combined 75,941 minutes during Spring Break! Great job, everyone!

Literacy Month (May):

MCS is excited to welcome author Jim Weller on May 2nd to help kick off Literacy Month! His book, "Orv and Willa Find A Home," is the true story of two American bald eagles who arrived in Dayton, Ohio in 2018. They eventually nest in a tree on the grounds of Carillon Historical Park on the south edge of the city. He will share his book with K-5th students along with many eagle facts. If you want to purchase his book, you can purchase "Orv and Willa Find a Home" on Amazon.

We will be doing lots of fun literacy activities during May. Students will participate in DEAR (Drop Everything And Read), Guest Reader Visits, Teacher Swap (another grade level teacher will come to share a book and activity), an outdoor story walk, buddy reading, and dress like your favorite classic book character parade. (Please wait for directions from your classroom teacher before purchasing any costume items.)

The Classic Book Character Parade will take place on Friday, May 16th at 8:45 am in the “playground” blacktop area. Parents are invited to attend. Please park in the gravel front “holding” parking lot and then walk down to the blacktop “playground” at 8:45 am. Teachers will be sharing through email which classic books their class has read this year. Your student can choose to dress like one of those characters. This dress-up day is optional.

The costume should be worn over the school uniform, or the school uniform should be in the backpack in case your child needs to put it on. Students may wear wigs, make-up, hats, glasses, and clothing for the costume. Please make sure that any clothing fits in length and fits like the uniform. (Ex. no mini-skirts, short tops, tight-fitting pants/tops, low-cut tops, etc.) If you have any questions, please feel free to email Michelle Johnson.

Past News

FEBRUARY 2025

EAGLE READER BOOK CLUBS

Middle School Book Club:

The Middle School Book Club meets monthly to discuss a novel. Participation is voluntary and students can sign up based on their interests.

This year students have read and discussed Somebody On This Bus Is Going To Be Famous, Stealing Freedom, and 100 Cupboards. Our book club book for February is The Mysterious Benedict Society.

4th/5th Grade Book Club:

The 4th/5th Grade Book Club is held once a month during lunch/recess. One month is for 4th-grade readers and the next is for 5th-grade readers.

This year we have read and discussed Shiloh, Because of Winn Dixie, and Anne of Green Gables. Our book club book for February is Number the Stars.

If you are looking for great book recommendations for your student check out Redeemedreader.com

DECEMBER 2024

Kindergarten-2nd Grade Families:

We encourage you to read with your child over Christmas break. A bookmark will be sent home on December 16th. Please track what your child is reading on the bookmark. After they complete the bookmark, they will be rewarded with a special treat at a favorite restaurant. Simply take the bookmark with you.

If you are looking for good book recommendations check out redeemedreader.com for book lists and recent reviews.

Merry Christmas,

Mrs. Johnson

3rd-5th Grade Families:

We encourage you to have your child read at least one chapter book over Christmas break. After your child reads the book, complete the bottom half of the paper that will be sent home on December 16th and return it on January 6th when we return to school. Your child will receive a certificate for a free kid's meal at Raising Canes.

If you are looking for good book recommendations check out redeemedreader.com for book lists and recent reviews.

Merry Christmas,

Mrs. Johnson

SEPTEMBER 2024

Kindergarten-1st Grade Library News:

MCS Families,

I am thrilled to serve your family as the MCS librarian. Most students LOVE library visits as we read aloud together and learn about our MCS library resources. The best thing, however, is getting to choose a library book to check out!

Some things to keep in mind:

Talk to your child about where they should keep their library books at home. A safe consistent place where pets or younger siblings can’t get them is ideal. Some families find it beneficial to keep the library book in their child’s backpack, read it, and then put it back.
Your child’s library day: Kindergarten visits on Tuesday and Friday | 1st grade visits on Thursday
Please help your child remember to return library books to school on their library day. If your child does not have their library book, they will not be able to check out a new one.
K-1st students should have a library bag that should be used all year to keep their library books from being damaged. A string backpack works well.
Please note that if your child loses or damages a library book you will be charged to replace the book.
Thank you for helping your child become a great reader!
The upcoming School Book Fair will be held from 9/30-10/3. Learn more.

Sincerely,

Mrs. Johnson

2nd-5th Grade Library News:

MCS Families,

I am thrilled to serve your family as the MCS librarian. Most students LOVE library visits. The main objective of the library is to instill a love of reading and to get your child reading! We spend some time reviewing how the library is organized and how to locate books of interest. However, the majority of our time together is reading books, discussing them, and finding books that interest us.

There is a lot of news about books in public libraries and school libraries being inappropriate. I thought it might be helpful for you to know how I choose books for our library. I have a process for selecting books which includes recommendations from "Honey for a Child’s Heart" by Gladys Hunt, Redeemedreader.com, and Common Sense Media. These are great resources to use to help your family choose books wisely as well.

Some things to remember:

Encourage your child to read! Help him/her find a comfortable place to read, set aside time for reading, and talk about what your child is reading.
Library day - Help your child remember to return his/her books on library day. Your child may renew library books without bringing the book to the library if they need more time to finish reading the book.
Book Care - Please encourage your child to find a safe place to keep his/her books. Somewhere that the family pet or younger sibling cannot access is ideal. Help your child understand how to keep books safe in his/her backpack. Maybe a separate pocket or a large ziplock bag. A lot of our books are paperbacks and we need to be careful so that they are not damaged. (Water bottles are books enemies.)
Please note that if your child loses or damages a library book you will be charged to replace the book.
Thank you for helping your child become a great reader!
The upcoming School Book Fair will be held from 9/30-10/3. Learn more.

Sincerely,

Mrs. Johnson

MAY 2024

May is when we celebrate literacy! We will have "Drop Everything And Read", buddy reading, guest readers, a teacher swap, a story walk, a bookmark designing contest, a book character parade, and an author visit.

May 10th - Author Visit

We are excited to have Nancy N. Gates visit our school! We will hear about her experiences as an author and she will share her picture book, "Sweet Denali Train Song." If you purchased a book, they will be delivered to students on May 10th when Nancy visits. If you ordered one copy for your family, the book will be delivered to your oldest child.

About the Author: The daughter of a Tennessee railroad man, author Nancy N. Gates fondly recalls family train adventures as a young child. She and her husband, Chris, raised their six children in Alaska and passed along the joy of train travel aboard the Alaska Railroad. Nancy has written and edited works for newspapers, magazines, anthologies, and Alaska travel guides. She co-authored "The Alaska Homesteader’s Handbook."

May 17th - Book Character Parade

Parents may attend and celebrate with us! Parents should park in the upper gravel lot and walk over to see their child participate in the parade. We will parade around the parking lot outside the primary and middle school buildings. Please line the edge of the parking lot by 8:45 a.m.

Students should dress as a “classic” book character. Please choose a book character from one of the books read this year with your class. Please email your child’s teacher if you need a list of books read in class. All character costumes should meet the same standards as our uniforms in length. If you believe your child will be uncomfortable wearing their costume all day, please send a school uniform to change into. Students may wear hats, wigs, etc. If you are unsure about your child’s costume please email Mrs. Johnson at [email protected].

APRIL 2024

Spring Reading Challenge

Students will participate in the Spring Reading Challenge during the Easter break. Look in your elementary child’s folder for all the information and reading logs. The winning grades will receive an extra recess and popsicles. All students who read and turn in reading logs will receive a coupon for a free kid’s meal from Canes.

Author Visit

Nancy N. Gates will be visiting us on May 10th! Don’t miss out on an opportunity to get an autographed copy of her picture book, "Sweet Denali Train Song." All aboard for a train trip to Denali National Park! Join in the adventure with epic dome cars, friendly conductors, and downright crazy bridge crossings. When at last you disembark, you’ll stand in the magic of Denali, the tallest mountain in North America. Sweet Denali Train Song is a clickety-clack journey you’ll want to take over and over.

Reserve your copy by 9am on Friday, April 12. If you'd like to purchase autographed books, please follow the link (https://payit.nelnet.net/form/i04hEuAD) to make payment. The cost of each book is $17.99. If you would like to purchase a book for multiple children, please order separately using the same link. If you would like to purchase one book for your family, please include your family’s last name. The books will be delivered to students on May 10th when Nancy visits. If you order one copy for your family, the book will be delivered to your oldest child.

Celebrating Literacy