As a new school year begins, one thing that isn’t new is the excitement that can be found as students return to the school media center again where adventures await them in the form of books!
Blue Sage Elementary students recently participated in their return to the media center to review the rules in place, learn about the new things that can be found, and most importantly, pick out their first take-home read for the 2022-2023 school year. In their first visit, media specialist, Mrs. Farrell, kicks it off by reminding students of the importance of valuing books, both by protecting their pages and by exploring their words. Students go through a game of questions, reviewing the do’s and don’t’s for handling books: do treat them carefully, don’t forget to check them out, definitely don’t let your pet chew them up, and most importantly, do explore their pages and enjoy the adventures that await within!
Once they’ve had a chance to remind themselves of the rules, students take off to explore every corner of the media center. In doing so, they can find their perfect read, help work on a school-wide puzzle project, or even partner up with a buddy and share stories. Once a book is secured, a self-checkout computer awaits, and then finally, they have a chance to grab a comfy spot, sit back, and READ!
According to Mrs. Farrell, “media centers are more than just a great selection of books for students. While they do give students access to thousands of books, media centers also provide additional skills like typing, research, critical thinking and problem solving, digital citizenship, and fostering a love of learning and reading. Media Centers are active classrooms that students love visiting for access to books, learning, and technology while having fun!”. And in the end, that’s the most important thing about the media center, it provides a continued opportunity to foster the love of learning that is started in the classroom.
