Midway students and parents;

I hope your e-learning went well and you successfully completed your school work.  Remember to keep reading this summer.  If you do not have access to actual books and you do have an e-reader, smart phone or other device, make sure to use Sora (Overdrive) to check-out ebooks.  Not only are Midway books available, but also books from other Kershaw County schools and the Public Library.  You can get to Sora through Clever.  The book resources are near the bottom of the page.  Enjoy your summer.  I am looking forward to seeing you in the fall.

The library is gearing up for a new year.  During the summer, reading camp was held in the library for incoming 3rd graders.  Ms. Johnson our reading coach, reported on a successful camp.

There are new signs all over the non-fiction area this year.  Many student struggle finding books in the non-fiction area but now there are shelf signs and section signs that will hopefully allow students to more easily find what they are looking for.  Some examples of new signs are; elephants, big cats, football, baseball, drawing, and dinosaurs.  Students will still be expected to use their shelf markers but hopefully the news signs will students find information quickly.  

The graphic novels are going to be found in a new place this year.  Students, look for the signs.

The school district has a new policy about books that have been lost and paid for.  If you have paid for a lost book and then find it, you may either donate the book back to the school or keep the book.  There will be no more refunding for lost and paid for books.  If you have questions about this policy, please ask me.

There will be more changes coming as the year progresses.  Keep watching this page for updates and events.  Our fall Book Fair is scheduled for Sept. 8-15.  We are always looking for volunteers.

The Spring Scholastic Book Fair is going on through noon on March 3.  The doors open at 7:00 and close at 3:00.  Click on the link so see some picture of Midway students at the fair.

Book Fair Link

To help our emergent readers, the library budget allowed for the purchase of a new set of books by Margaret Hillart including all of the Dear Dragon titles.  Written many years ago, the pictures in these books have been recently updated for this century to reflect current styles.  Included with the books were Dear Dragon stuffed animals.  A Dear Dragon doll was presented to each of the Kindergarten classes and the Pre-K class.  Because so many of the Hillart books are written for the beginner reader, we are making them easily accessible by storing them in the plastic tubs on the bottom shelf so our little ones can quickly and easily reach these books.  The new Hillart books are flying off the shelf and we hope a new generation of children will learn to read using the Hillart books and Dear Dragon.

Just before Christmas break the library received new furniture thanks to the Kershaw County School District.  Large, oversise wooden tables were replace with adjustable tables that are now better suited to smaller students.  In addition, there are now enough seats to accomodate an entire class without having to place too many students at a table designed for fewer people.  Along with the new tables are two styles of new chairs.  The larger, blue chairs have a box under the seat that allows for movement while remaining seated.  The second seating option is a stool that also moves.  The stools are a real hit with the students.  Thanks to KCSD for helping Midway students be more comfortable in their library.

The library has been very busy the last few weeks.  A new morning news crew began at the beginning of the 2nd 9 weeks.  This means new students reading the news and also producing the news.  After a few technical glitches, we seem to be running smoothly.  

The library hosts our new counselor, Ms. Luedke, teaching her classes the 3rd week of every month.  This month the focus was on Integrity as well as promoting Red Ribbon Week which emphasizes the need to say NO to drugs and alcohol.   

Our Midway 3^rd Graders created wonderful book characters using pumpkins.  The pumpkin characters have been on display since Tuesday.  Many classes visited the library to see the creative pumpkins.  Congratulations to all of our 3^rd graders who worked very hard on beautiful creations. 

The library also hosted the quarterly Reader’s Tea which was held in the cafeteria.  Students from grades 1-5 read original stories they had written about themselves, their families or a recent field trip.  The library also hosted the quarterly Accelerated Reader celebration.  Students who had read and accumulated AR points were invited to the library to choose a book and a bag of treats which they got to take home.

New furniture for the library has been ordered.  We are excitedly waiting for its arrival.  The first order of chairs has already arrived but we are waiting for the tables before using the new seating. 

Starting this school year, all of the easy, beginning reader books and series have been collected into tubs so students can more easily find books to read.  Pulling books from both the Easy reading shelves and the Fiction shelves, this section makes finding books so much easier.  Books are organized by either reading level or series.  Some of the new series include; A-Z Mysteries, Geronimo Stilton, Time Warp Trio, Calendar Mysteries, My Wierd School and Here's Hank.  

Kershaw County has adopted a new leveled reading program called Fountas and Pinnelle.  We are still using the AR reading program as well, so students can take tests after reading a book toward the AR Celebration.  Signs for both reading programs are displayed above the new reading shelves so students can make sure they are reading at their correct levels.