Library News – September

Our New-Look Library

Many changes have been made to the library this year, namely the addition of a new room, the Library Lounge, which serves as an area for our Grade 11 and 12 students to study in and also for class meetings.  We have also purchased new shelving to house books for the EY and Elementary Programs. A larger, more comfortable rug has been donated by Ms. Vassiliadou and this allows our younger children to get really comfortable when stories are being read to them.

New Reading Sections

We are constantly updating our materials to make them accessible and relevant to our students. Most recently, the addition of an ESL/Starter Reader reading section helps students to choose material which is more suitable for their reading level. An ESL Section for Middle School students has also been added so please encourage your students to check out our abridged readers. These simplified versions of popular books will aid them to a great degree in developing their reading skills . We are always at hand to help them find the right book.

We also have a range of magazines for children to borrow. (Spider, Ladybug and Highlights). We have renewed our subscription to The Guardian Weekly newspaper and back-dated issues are being kept in the library for students and teachers to borrow. Faculty may read the digital copy online and avail of the wonderful teachers’ resources for classroom use.

What else is new this year?

Ms Dundon, our Library Administrator, is developing reading programs for each level. Our students will be taught to not only navigate their way around the physical space of the library but also how to use our very up-to-date online data base – Follett’s Destiny system. It is her aim to get students interested in reading from an early age and to aid those who need help with their reading skills through the new C.A.R.E Project and through the development of a variety of activities designed to stimulate students’ interest in reading. For a start, children from Grades 1-5 have all been issued with a library notebook where they have started noting titles borrowed, genres and writing book reviews. Each child is also encouraged to talk about the books read. Library grades are being re- introduced and the children are aware that work done in their library hour as well as behaving appropriately in the library will help them achieve a higher library grade.

More activities will be developed as the academic year progresses.

Donations

We are always grateful to accept donated books in a good condition so if you want to clear out your bookshelves, we would be happy to add them to our shelves for all to take advantage of. In the same vein, we are also clearing out some older books and you will find boxes outside the library with books for you to keep.

Textbooks

Textbooks have been issued to all students. These will be returned at the end of the academic year Please ensure that these books are taken care of as any torn or lost copies will have to be replaced.

Volunteers at Work

Our library volunteers consist of parents, guests and I.B. students gaining C.A.S hours. Many thanks go to Teresa Ruiz Nieves, our Spanish visitor, has been helping with library work and to Angela Lunigiani, mother of two of our students, who also comes in at least once a week to help out with labeling, shelving and covering books.  Ms Doreen Kalamboukas, a retired Pinewood teacher, continues to help out on Fridays reading and doing activities with our Pre- K children.

We are also joined this year by Mrs. Evangelia Crabbe and Mrs Eleftheria Harrington, who will be reading on a one-to-one basis with our ESL students and helping out with general library duties.

We appreciate all of your help and devotion to the library.

Our I.B. Students are either participating in our new CARE Project. (see attached document) helping students with their reading or they are shelving, labeling and tidying up books.

All of the work in progress will help in creating a more efficient, user-friendly space for our students, faculty and guests.

Ms Marianne Dundon