Thanks Mules… I wonder who brought in the winners…

Posted on February 1, 2015 by Lana

Over Winter break, 9 different SAS teachers and parents brought back picture and chapter books for me from America as I was trying to make sure I had the Newbery and Caldecott contenders. I am losing sleep wondering if I have THE books here… the Medal and Honor winners… fingers crossed; everything crossed!

We will find out soon enough as the announcements are February 2nd, 8 am USA central time, (so 14 hours later for us in Shanghai). I will be up late streaming and hoping for some of our SAS fav’s to win.

So I wonder which ‘mule’ may have brought back the winners…

Winners are Grinners

Posted on September 8, 2014 by Lana

A big, huge, wonderful, enormous, gigantic CONGRATULATIONS to 3ED for bringing in 89 toilet rolls last week to contribute to our Cardboard Challenge mini-challenge! Runners up were KEV and 2KH and the most exciting thing for me was just how many different classes we had in the top three each day… it really was a whole ES effort and the total of over 600 toilet rolls will surely add to our fun on September 26th when we imagine, create and build with all of our cardboard goodies.

This weeks mini-challenge is for students to bring in as many empty granola boxes and empty toothpaste boxes as they can. Students should also be thinking about our final challenge next week, September 15th-19th, which is to bring in shoe boxes and cereal boxes, but for now, keep those, and any other cool cardboard items you’re collecting, AT HOME please. Details of these challenges were written about here, complete with more images.

Toothpaste box

Granola Bar box

Remember you can read more about the Global Cardboard Challenge here, and be sure to check out the boy who started it all, Caine, as you watch one of the Caine’s Arcade videos on youtube… (you’ll need a vpn)

18 more sleeps…

And so it begins…

Posted on August 1, 2014 by Lana

School year 2014-2015 is upon us…

As an Aussie, we only really had one start to the year… January 1st was New Years Day, and at the end of that month, we started school, a year, was a year, was a year. For the last ten years working in American International Schools, it’s been a learning curve hearing people discussing last year; in October, and realising they are referring to March. I feel like I get to have a fresh start twice a year now.

So, with a new year on the doorstep, what are my plans, hopes and dreams for this third year as a teacher librarian at Shanghai American School?

I plan to: Blog more regularly, improving my blog to be a trusted, current resource for students, teachers and parents by providing reviews of new and old books, and links to great book-lists.

I hope to: Be more decisive about how I run the library so that people have a consistent model to rely on. I tend to vacillate between wanting structured lessons and providing a flexible schedule; I need to be clear on what I want, so that others know what to expect from me, and what I expect from them.

I dream of: The library being the favourite place in the school for all types of students, of it being a creative, maker space, fluid and energetic, with nooks for silence, and nooks for play, sharing, and solitude. I want students to remember my library long after they leave; I dream of it being a highlight of their childhood.

What are your plans, hopes and dreams for the coming school year?

*photo taken by my husband Simon Power. Nanpu Bridge at sunset, Shanghai, China.

What is a Children’s Poet Lolly-Pop anyway?

Posted on February 21, 2014 by Lana

Is what a second grader asked me yesterday… moments after her classmate asked if Kenn Nesbitt is bothered by the paparazzi… (how do 7 year olds know about Paparazzi? Lady Gaga is educating the world)

I met Kenn last night, and even for a lolly pop, he’s pretty sweet.

http://www.poetryfoundation.org/children/poet-laureate is the place to succinctly explain to your students what a poet laureate actually is.

What is a Children’s Poet Laureate?
Awarded by the Poetry Foundation for a two-year tenure, the children’s poet laureate aims to raise awareness that children have a natural receptivity to poetry and are its most appreciative audience, especially when poems are written specifically for them.

We’re really excited about the week to come, with not one, but four great poets on our campus. Welcome to not only Kenn, but Sara Holbrook and Michael Salinger and Anis Mojgani as our poet for High School.

Stay tuned for World Read Aloud Day (March 5th) and our Annual Books to Eat Competition coming up right after our poets leave.

http://videonew.saschina.org/player/pak_player/pakplayer.swf?config=http%3A%2F%2Fvideonew.saschina.org%2Fplayer%2Fpak_player%2Fembed_player.php%3Fvid%3D6879%26json%3Dtrue%26autoplay%3Dno

Kenn Nesbitt is coming!

Posted on January 22, 2014 by Lana

You heard it first… We are excited to be hosting our first Visiting Author of 2014 from February 24th to February 28th here in Pudong Elementary.

We are still working on the schedule, however it is certain that Kenn will have time with each grade level as well as a full school assembly on Monday February 24th (details to follow). If you’d like to read more about Kenn, and comment on some of his funny poems, check out his fantastic blog here. We have 100 copies of Kenn’s books here for sale immediately after the Chinese New Year Holiday, and I’m sure they will sell fast. Check out these titles and see if you’d like to buy any of them, they will be signed of course, and would make a great gift.

: 15 copies @100 rmb each

: 15 copies @ 40 rmb each

: 40 copies @ 60 rmb each

: 30 copies @ 40 rmb each

7 days to go, 7 days ’til we know…

Posted on January 22, 2014 by Lana

In a way, I can’t wait ’til this time next week, when I can start sharing with the students who won the 2014 Newbery and Caldecott Medals, but another part of me really enjoys the energy and enthusiasm the countdown produces.
Right now, the classes are buzzing, arguing, debating and defending their choices with vigour… once the decision is made, I suppose there will be a new kind of buzz; again, more arguments as to why they think the decision made was right or wrong… But as for now, they OWN their choices, and they are shouting them loud and proud.

As for me, I am reading through those books like crazy… but none have jumped out at me the same way Applegate’s Ivan did this time last year. I am however, loving MANY of the picture books I’m reading (so much faster!) and can’t wait to see who takes that. Some of my favourites are:

The Dark by Lemony Snickett
I’m a sucker for Klassen’s illustrations, and I think the story is really well done, so suspenseful.

Journey by Aaron Becker
Wordless books are aplenty this year with Flora the Flamingo, Mr. Wuffles (practically wordless) and the heart-wrenching Bluebird by Bob Staake, however it is Journey that gets my vote; what an amazing creation. The early pages took me back to one of last year’s favorites, Hello Hello by Matthew Cordell.

Doug Unplugged by Dan Yaccarino
Again,I’m reminded of Hello Hello; “Dan Yaccarino’s funny story of robot rebellion is a great reminder that sometimes the best way to learn about the world is to go out and be in it.”

Now, check out Ms Lau’s students reading the Caldecott’s this morning, and see what they voted for this morning…

Ethan H: Blue Bird
Maddie: Blue Bird
Lizzie: Nelson Mandela
Daniel: Blue Bird
Han Rei: Blue Bird
William: Blue Bird
Jerry: Journey
Charlotte: Blue Bird
Oliver: Night Light
Malu: Blue Bird
Yolanda: Blue Bird

Here is a great list from the Horn Book blog with many of the books listed that we are lucky enough to have been reading this week.

Who will Win Newbery and Caldecott Gold?

Posted on January 15, 2014 by Lana

Only 11 sleeps to go until the Newbery and Caldecott Medals are awarded on January 27th.
We are running a competition in the ES Library to see if anyone can correctly guess both of them, see the end of this post for details. In the meantime, take a look at just a FEW of the possible winners here…

http://videonew.saschina.org/player/pak_player/pakplayer.swf?config=http%3A%2F%2Fvideonew.saschina.org%2Fplayer%2Fpak_player%2Fembed_player.php%3Fvid%3D6485%26json%3Dtrue%26autoplay%3Dno

http://videonew.saschina.org/player/pak_player/pakplayer.swf?config=http%3A%2F%2Fvideonew.saschina.org%2Fplayer%2Fpak_player%2Fembed_player.php%3Fvid%3D6492%26json%3Dtrue%26autoplay%3Dno

Win a KISS from Mrs. Power if you can correctly guess the winners of the 2014 Caldecott AND Newbery Awards…

To enter…
*You must have read part or MOST of both books you pick…

*Fill out the entry form and put it in the box

*BOTH books must be the winner of the Newbery Medal and the Caldecott Medal… not just Honor Awards.

*You can pick any books published in 2013, they don’t have to be books you see in our library.

*Entries open 8 am Mon 20th and close 3 pm Fri Jan 24th *Votes Tallied Mon Jan 27th
*Winners announced Tuesday Jan 28th

Example of Completed Entry Form

Your name: Kimbra Power
Your class: 1CN or PK4 or KPH or 4KK

Name of picture book you think will win the Caldecott gold medal:
This is not my Hat by Jon Klassen

Name of book you think will win the Newbery gold medal:
The One and Only Ivan by Katherine Applegate

—————————————————————————————–

Answers to your questions

1. Can more than one person win?
Yes, that is possible, if so, I will give kisses to other winners too.

2. Can I enter more than once?
Yes, you can enter up to three times.

3. Are there prizes for the runners up?
Yes, there will be smaller prizes for students who choose correctly either the Newbery OR the Caldecott Winner.

4. Do the books I choose have to be in the ES Library?
No, the books and book posters inside and outside the ES Library are just SOME of the books that might win. The winning books could also be in the MS Library, or not in our school at all yet. Read my blog post http://sites.saschina.org/kpower/2014/01/07/and-the-winner-is/ or more recent posts to see many other lists of books that are also being considered.

5. Do I need to put the author’s name?
No, you don’t NEED to, but it will help us to be clear, so put it if you know it.

6. Will I really kiss you?
What do you think?

Many of you ask me how the Newbery is chosen, here is where you can read about it…

Essentially…

1. The Medal shall be awarded annually to the author of the most distinguished contribution to American literature for children published by an American publisher in the United States in English during the preceding year. There are no limitations as to the character of the book considered except that it be original work. Honor books may be named. These shall be books that are also truly distinguished.

2. The Award is restricted to authors who are citizens or residents of the United States.

Here is how the Caldecott is chosen, the main difference being that this is for a picture book…

1. The Medal shall be awarded annually to the artist of the most distinguished American picture book for children published by an American publisher in the United States in English during the preceding year. There are no limitations as to the character of the picture book except that the illustrations be original work. Honor books may be named. These shall be books that are also truly distinguished.

2. The award is restricted to artists who are citizens or residents of the United States. Books published in a U.S. territory or U.S. commonwealth are eligible.

…and now, the moment you’ve all been waiting for…

Posted on May 9, 2012 by Lana

I’ve finally got around to collecting a few photos from recent (and not so recent) events. Apologies for my pace on this, April was a bit of a whirlwind; we’ve just had news, as I’m sure some of your children have told you, that our little boy, Jeremiah, has been matched with the family that will adopt him and be his parents forever.

Jeremiah has lived with us for most of the school year and looking after a baby has been a big part of our lives since knowing your child, we’ve obviously become very attached to him. We set out to foster a baby who needed help, not knowing how long it would be for, but knowing that we would not adopt the child, no matter what; there was a lot of soul searching along the way, and sticking to our original plan certainly proved difficult as we grew to love Jeremiah more each day. Watching Hannah and Mimi interact with a 3,6,9 and now 12 month old has been amazing, there is so much beauty in watching your little ones become the big ones, and we know they are a little confused about why we can’t ‘keep him’.

We so appreciated the care Mimi received from her foster family until the age of 13 ½ months, and wondered if we would ever have the resolve to do such a thing. Watching them hand her over to us over four years ago, was heart breaking, we felt like the bad guys, taking her from people who obviously loved her, people who had shared their life, their home, and even their bed with her since she was one month old, we couldn’t help but think there was something wrong with this picture. Then as days turned into weeks, and weeks to months, she became our daughter, and completed our family. I expect something similar will happen with Jeremiah and there are many factors that should make the transition easier for him, and for us:
1. He has been with Caucasians for most of his life, so his new family’s physical appearance won’t be as shocking for him as it might have been for Mimi, living in one of the poorest provinces of China, Guizhou.
2. He has spent time with his new family over the last two weeks, been in his new home, and visited with them.
3. Jeremiah knows English and Chinese, he knows some speak one language, and some the other.

Right now, knowing he is with us for 15 more hours… is very very difficult and I’ve told the kids to expect me in sunglasses the next couple of days…

So anyway, back to the photos, enjoy!

http://www.flickr.com/apps/slideshow/show.swf?v=109615

News of the Moment

Posted on May 8, 2012 by Lana

Mark your calendars!

Mark your calendars!

The much anticipated dance showcase is just around the corner! Please join us for an afternoon of amazing performances featuring ES, MS and HS students. Be prepared to be wowed with broadway, jazz, lyrical, hip hop, reggae, k-pop, ballet, contemporary and more! Two of our 5KP students and my own daughter Hannah are involved in this performance, I am looking forward to encouraging our students to live their dreams.

Yearbooks are selling like hotcakes!
To avoid disappointment, we would like to stress that we only are selling 300 Yearbooks. Once this figure is reached, Yearbook sales will close.
If you did not receive a yearbook form, you are able to pay directly to the cashier so just give the cash to me, and I will make sure you get your yearbook.

Important Dates and Events
• Band and Orchestra concert – Friday, May 11th at 1:15 p.m.
• All Day Field trip to Jinshan Peasant Painting Village – Friday, May 18th
• Memoir publishing party – Tuesday, May 22nd at 8:15 a.m.
• Grade 5 Soccer Day – Tuesday, May 22nd
• China Alive all-day field trip – Thursday, May 31st
• Fifth Grade United Nations Day – Friday, June 1st at 10:30 a.m. (parents are welcome)
• Step Up Day – Friday, June 1st
• The Wonder Years: Puberty Week – June 4 to June 8
• Summer Sizzler – Thursday, June 7th
• Moving Up Day – Friday, June 8th
• Last Day of School – Tuesday, June 12th – School closes at 11:30 a.m.

We’ve started looking at Unit 12 in Math which focuses on rations and factorization. We will complete this unit and work on selected skills that the Middle School Math Department have said would benefit our students before they transition to sixth grade.

In Social Studies we are loving our Cultural Studies Unit. If you have a vpn, try and watch this video at home.

Our Memoirs Unit is going well in Writer’s Workshop, the kids are trying out many different ideas to stimulate their thinking for writing their own Memoir, which we will present to you on May 22nd, I hope to see you here.

the barefoot librarian

Kimbra Power

Category Archives: News