Blind Date With A Book

I love promoting ideas that increase student's love for reading.  Tonight's blog highlights a great idea from Scott County 9th Grade and Scott County High School librarians that combines reading with Valentines Day.

 

In order to encourage students to read outside their favorite genres, we are promoting “Blind Date with a Book” for the month of February.  We wrapped books from various genres in paper so that students couldn't see the titles or descriptions.  Then we added stickers such as “If you were words on a page, you’d be fine print.”  Our hope is that students will take the books home and read them – and fall in love with a book they may have never read in the first place.

Blind Date
with a
Book

There are no awkward questions, no forced conversation, no judgmental looks.  Just have a blind date with a book!  Sure, it might turn out to be a dud, or it could be the diamond in the rough you wouldn't have given the chance otherwise.  There’s no knowing until you check it out.

(Don’t worry!  If you don’t like it, you can just bring it back, and nobody’s feelings will be hurt.)

2014 Super Bowl Lines

Super Bowl XLVIII will be played in the tropical weather of New Jersey.  MetLife Stadium will host and hopefully the George Washington Bridge will be open.  It isn't a good sign when there is a snowflake on the  Super Bowl logo. 

Below are my "lines" for the 2014 Super Bowl.  When setting the sheet, create some lines that don't deal with the actual game.  Questions such as "what will be the first advertisement after kickoff? and what will Bruno Mars first song be? will enable more to participate.

Feel free to copy and paste to create your own competition.  Also, if you have unique lines for your competition, send me an email.  

2014 Super Bowl

2 Points for each correct                    answer

1.   Who will win the game?

2.   Who will win the coin toss?

3. Which product will have the               first  advertisement after                    kickoff?

4. (Circle One) Who will score the first touchdown?   Wes Welker, Knowshon Moreno, Russell Wilson, Marshawn Lynch, other

5. Over/Under/Push Total                  Points Scored = 53

6. (Circle One) Super Bowl MVP? Peyton Manning, Richard Sherman, Marshawn Lynch, Julius Thomas, other

7.    Which team will score                  first?

8.Over/Under/Push Manning              touchdown passes = 3

9. Over/Under/Push   Russell            Wilson interceptions = 1

10. Over/Under/Push  Longest           field goal = 45 yards

11.   Over/Under/Push  Total              points at halftime = 26

12.  Over/Under/Push  Number           of Wes Welker receptions = 4

13.  Game time Temperature at kickoff - 25 degrees Fahrenheit  over/under/push  

14.   Final score of game.  Closest team to correct score will receive 5 extra points.

15. What will Bruno Mars first            song at halftime?  

Eastern Elementary Backpack Program

Snow days are celebrated by most students.  Students are able to sleep late, play video games, visit social media and watch TV.   What may be forgotten is that many students get his or her only warm meals while in school.  Students on free and/or reduced meals are often dependent on the school system to not only feed them but to also provide a warm place during extreme cold weather.  

Click on picture to enlarge

Eastern Elementary parents, students and educators have not forgotten these students during this long period off.  

Through generous donations from parents, teachers and Grace Baptist Church, Eastern Elementary send home easy to fix meals to 47 students in a backpack on Fridays.  We have now been out of school for more than a week and have missed two Fridays in a row. The backpacks were delivered by the parents, students, counselors, teachers and principals  anyway.  Students that might have not been fed have received food because Eastern Elementary made this happen.  

I am often asked why I am such a big fan of public education and stories like these are my answer. Stories that rarely get mentioned in the paper.  Stories that show when there is a need, someone steps up and fills the need without expecting credit.  Stories like these show that state test scores aren't the priority with educators and parents, children are.  

Pictured above  are some of the volunteers that made sure students received his or her backpack:  John McDonald, Katie McDonald, Becky McDonald, Ann Shrewsberry, Sadie Kemper, Alexis Campbell, Corrie Kemper, Allie Kemper, P.T. Kemper and Ed Denney

Little Free Library

Today, as we were driving to visit Red Oak Elementary in Jessamine County, a very small library caught my eye.  I read recently about the Little Free Library boxes and had heard of the concept before.  On Kentucky Highway 169, just east of North Central Ave. in Nicholasville, I found my first one.

Richmond Ave. and North Central Ave. 

The concept is a simple one: Bring a Book, Leave a Book.  I believe the message is a powerful one.  What a great project for a school to promote reading not only with students but to promote reading for the whole community.  For a small price and a little work, a school could sponsor a Little Free Library and the whole community could profit.

I want to thank the individual(s) that created the one pictured and encourage others to do the same.

Please visit/click on  this link for more ideas Little Free Library Site .

Also, click link to locate a Little Free Library near you.   Map of Little Free Library