Book Character Pumpkins

For the first time ever, our families were invited to paint and decorate a pumpkin to look like a book character.  This was a voluntary project, and we had a great turnout of some very creative pumpkins.  Thank you to everyone who submitted a pumpkin to display in the library!  We may have to make this an annual tradition.

Scary Stories, anyone?!

The younger kids might get some thrills out of books like Creepy Carrots and Creepy Pair of Underwear, but our big kids get to really have some fun with scary stories around Halloween time.  The third, fourth, and fifth graders get to take part in an annual tradition of going into the library closet and sitting in the dark to read scary stories.  They love it and look forward to it every year!  Here is a picture of our fourth graders getting ready to read some of the short stories that could cause goosebumps to break out on their skin and the hair on the back of their necks to stand up.  Spooky!

Creepy Carrots!

As Halloween approaches, we like to really get into the spirit of things and listen to spooky stories, even if we're some of the younger kids at Sunshine Cottage!  Our Kindergarten classes heard a story about a rabbit named Jasper and some of the weird carrots he encounters in a book called Creepy Carrots by Aaron Reynolds and Peter Brown.  After listening to the book, the students were able to create some creepy carrots of their own.  Here they are showing off their finished products.

Book Fair Time!

Each year, the Sunshine Cottage library hosts our annual Scholastic Book Fair.  Students get to preview the book fair using videos and the online book fair website as well as taking home flyers that include some of the most anticipated books.  Here are our third graders showing their surprise to one of the books that really caught their eye.

Ms. Holly and Ms. Alicia's Preschool class had a blast visiting the book fair for the first time ever!

Our book fair was a huge success!  We earned a good amount of Scholastic dollars which will be used to support the library program and to buy some books for the kids to build their own libraries at home.  Thank you to all of our families for the great support!

Library Orientation

The first few weeks of school are the perfect time for the kids to take part in library orientation, and using the interactive trivia game called Kahoot! is a favorite way to review all the information about our Sunshine Cottage library.  Cheers abound when the kids bring their iPads to the library and excitedly ask the question, "Are we playing Kahoot! today?"  It's a great way to get all the kids involved and to have them practice their technology skills while reviewing some information and learning new things.

All About Me

At the beginning of the year, Preschool and Pre-K students learn all about themselves in their "All About Me" unit.  During library time, the students listen to a story, sing some songs, and use the iPads and a mirror to draw themselves.  We display the iPad onto the board using our AppleTV so that the whole class can enjoy the artwork.