Zilker Elementary School Library

NYC Metro Card, Fruit Strip, and $20 bill

2011-10-16T12:25:00.000-07:00

You might ask, "What do these three things have in common?" Well, I found all three of these items being used at bookmarks in library books on Friday. Yes, all in the same day. Fortunately, I was able to return the $20 bill and the fruit strip, but the metro card had expired. This is just one more reason why I LOVE my job. Oh, and I was particularly pleased that none of the students had turned the corners of the pages to mark their spots. That's a big NO-NO!

Llama Drama in Pre-Kindergarten

2011-10-16T12:05:00.000-07:00

Yes, there was plenty of llama drama in pre-k as students and teachers donned their pjs to listen to Llama Llama Red Pajama being read by Austin ISD Chief Academic Officer, Ramona Trevino. Ms. Trevino is no stranger to Zilker as she served as principal here for many fine years. The district is focusing on reading as one of its initiatives, certainly something the library can and does support each and every day. Thanks for visiting Ms. Trevino. You were a hoot!

Origami Yoda Mania

2011-10-16T11:42:00.000-07:00

Darth Paper Strikes Back: An Orgami Yoda Book was in high demand when classes were checking out. I had made a quick trip to Costco to purchase three copies and had them ready to go on Monday morning. These were the lucky students who snagged the first check out.

I also gave directions out to interested students on how to make their own Origami Yoda. Here's one 4th grader's finished Yoda. "Do or do not...there is no try."

Starting the year right!

2011-08-28T13:30:00.000-07:00

These fifth graders were basking in the morning August sun and reading. What a great way to begin the year.

2011 Friends of Zilker Library Reception

2011-08-28T12:59:00.000-07:00

Nine years of library advocacy. Wow, where does the time go? Members are thanked with a literary celebration and this year we were entertained by Lucas Miller. He sang his way through habitats, ecosystems, animals, and ecology and we all joined in on the fun. We had 74 memberships this year and a special thank you goes out to Capitol Rubber Stamp, who generously provides the plaques with names each year. Owners Sharon and Jack Pike were previous Zilker parents.

Phil Bildner Visits Again

2011-08-28T12:31:00.000-07:00

We just can't seem to get enough of author Phil Bildner. We invited him back again this last spring and, as always, he was a tremendous hit with the students. He is so relevant and spot on with the 4th and 5th graders, and they appreciate his hip and happenin' attitude and appreciation for the books, music, movies, and technology they are currently interested in. The teachers appreciate his focus on writing, revising, and editing. All in all, another homerun for Phil.

Here is a selection of his favorite books he read to his students when he was teaching. Do you recognize any of them? Why not give one a try?

Revisiting an old friend

2010-11-28T13:02:00.000-08:00

I don't often reread books. I always say, "Too many books, too little time." I did, however, just spend my Thanksgiving break reading Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows again. I want to see the movie, but knew I would have to review to remember everything that transpired in that last volume of 759 pages (not that I was counting.) And I was reminded of something important; that you can enjoy and savor a book more than once. I have vivid memories of reading this book the first time. I was at my mom and stepdad's house, spread on the couch, putting in hours and hours of reading. Did I mention I'm a slow reader? Yet, I wanted to see this series through to the end and just couldn't seem to put it down. When finished, I remembering sighing and thinking what an impact these Potter books had on an entire world. This time the reading was still as satisfying, yet I seemed to linger over the words. What's interesting is I finished it very quickly. Anyway, now I'm ready to see the movie and I don't think it will be very long before we need to introduce the next generation of readers to the magic of Harry Potter.

Giving Thanks

2010-11-28T12:28:00.000-08:00

During this holiday time I'd like to give thanks to the following students and their families who recently donated books to the library.

I wonder if Lily is as ticklish as orangutans. Orangutans Are Ticklish is full of beautiful photographs and interesting tidbits about animals. I found myself stroking the pictures, they were that lifelike.

Mmmm, do you think Grace interrupts her night time story like this little chicken does with her Papa? I don't think so, although I was reminded of many of a student when I read Interrupting Chicken. It is precious.

Alysa has a book about Mouse bringing his own bedtime rituals and routine to Bear. As one might expect, Bear is quite happy with the way he has done things all along. Or is he? Read A Bedtime for Bear to find out.

Author Visit from Phil Bildner

2010-09-06T07:41:00.000-07:00

Oh, what a treat third graders were served when author Phil Bildner visited Zilker. He is from New York and very interested in sports, particularly baseball. He is so contemporary and connected well with our students. He spoke about the writing process and had students practicing their writing. Plans are to have him make another visit to Zilker this year...he's THAT GOOD!

Friends of the Zilker Library Reception

2010-09-06T07:25:00.001-07:00

We are beginning our ninth year of our library advocacy program called Friends of the Zilker Library. Proceeds are used to purchase additional resources to support and enrich the curriculum and meet the individual needs of our students. One of the perks of contributing is the library hosts a literature event in the spring. This past year we were dazzled by Mr. Puppet and his shenanigans. Approximately 75 folks joined in for an evening of food, fun, and frolic. Makes you want to join, doesn't it?

Kindergarten Philanthropy

2010-09-06T07:12:00.000-07:00

Last spring kindergarten student Alysa sold lemonade one weekend and donated the proceeds to the Zilker Library. Here was the note:

Don't you love how she makes sure that I know that the money is for books? You mean I'm not supposed to use it for lunch? Hah! Not to worry, Alysa. Here are a couple of books I have in mind to purchase for the library because of your generous donation:

Many thanks for your support for the library. You're a gem!

What I've Been Reading

2009-10-06T18:54:00.000-07:00

These are some of my favorites from this summer and fall.

This is a wonderful story of the gifts we each receive in our lives. The Beaumont family receives their "savvy" on their 13th birthday. Mibs' birthday arrives with Poppa in the hospital, unconscious. She feels she is the one to save him and thus begins the adventure. Plenty of fun and insight. I have a 5th grade teacher reading it to her class and they love it. It's easy to see why. I now wonder what all of the tattoos around here might say if they could speak. Read the book to find out what I'm talking about.

I don't generally like horror or ghost stories. I personally like to be able to sleep at night and don't want to obsess over supernatural stuff. This book, however, has just the right blend of creepiness and character development to keep you turning the pages. I can certainly see why it won the Newbery Award and I know this is popular with the students as it is never on the shelves. I liked this so much that I read another one of Gaiman's books, Neverwhere. It has a bit more mature theme, but excellent.

O.K., this is the book that EVERYBODY is talking about. It is set in the grim future with a competition to the death held each year to provide food for the winner and his/her clan. It kind of reminded me of Rollerball. Do you remember that movie with James Caan? There is death, destruction, gore, monsters, romance, adventure, deception, and suspense. What's not to like? Matter of fact, I have 5th grader Ian who purchased the second book in the three part series, and he just brought it to me to read. Who would think it would be a student placing a book in the librarian's hand? I love it. Author Suzanne Collins has a fantastic hit. Be sure to read them.

Wow! Is it October already?

2009-10-06T18:34:00.000-07:00

O.K., not like I add to the library blog tons, but I usually have a beginning of the year entry. Here it is October and I've yet to welcome the 2009-2010 school year. We have over 500 students at Zilker this year and I've met them all! They are so smart and fun and come each day ready to learn. And they love to read and be read to frequently. I am in heaven. The teachers are as enthusiastic as their students and they have made many requests for me to pull units for them (i.e. communities, families, friends, weather, American symbols.) Tomorrow I'm giving a lesson to fourth graders on note taking for their research on Texas Indians. So, as you can see, plenty is happening in the library. Here are a few photos I took last week during check out for third and fourth grades. You'll get a glimpse at how much these kids love to read. And no, none of these kids posed. They were actually reading just like this!

Fourth Annual Zilker Shakespeare Festival

2009-06-08T13:13:00.000-07:00

We have had the wonderful privilege of working with the UT Winedale Program these last four years. Parent Clayton Stromberger is the Outreach Director and he has brought the theatre here to Zilker. Our 3rd and 4th grades partcipate and it is amazing and humbling to see how much they accomplish in such a short amount of time. Of course, it would absolutely NOT be possible without the support of the classroom teachers. So a huge shout out goes to 3rd grade teachers Jessica Montanez, Sara Pizzochero, David Suehs, and Carol Beth Wrigley and 4th grade teachers Colleen Brosko, Patricia Hardwick, Patricia Russell, and Leticia Saucedo.

This year we did scenes from The Tempest. The culminating events included a trip to UT to perform on stage and then doing a repeat performance at the Outdoor Learning Center. We were dazzled, we were awed, we were spellbound. Thank you, Thespians, for all your hard work.

Magic Happens in the Library

2009-06-08T13:01:00.000-07:00

Each year the library hosts an event for the folks who have joined The Friends of the Zilker Library. Through their donations we have been able to supplement the library with much needed equipment and materials. This is the 7th year for our Friends and we have been able to add such items as books, Spanish books, dvds, computers, interactive whiteboard, document camera, landscaping, and furniture. Whenever we have guests to the school they always comment on how inviting the library looks and I always tell them it just wouldn't happen without the support of our Friends!

This year we had magician Kent Cummins entertain the troops and a good time was had by all as we tried to figure out, as one 1st grader put it, "How DOES he do that?" We laughed and nibbled on fruit and brownies and enjoyed each other's company. Many thanks for your advocacy for the library and its programs.

The Last Olympian

2009-06-08T12:48:00.000-07:00

What a buzz there was here at school the day after Rick Riordan's book signing at Book People. Mr. Riordan was signing The Last Olympian, book 5 of Percy Jackson & The Olympians. So many of our students and their parents attended and all were thrilled to take in the whole scene. One parent commented that she took a group of second grade boys and she just listened to them go on and on and on (it was a long line!) about each of the books and all of the Greek characters. Two of our second grade teachers read The Lightning Thief each year to their students and they finish up the book with a Greek Project Runway and student produced powerpoints.

It is so heartwarming to see kids clamoring for the book. And, sure enough, the very next day 3rd grader Max (above) came in to donate a book to the library and within a week I had another signed copy. In addition, I had several students stop by to show me their signed copies or to tell me about it. Because of these generous donations we were able to circulate the books to a few kiddos before the summer break. Thank you, Mr. Riordan, for igniting the fire of reading in our students.

Happy New Year!

2009-01-06T17:31:00.000-08:00

Here is young Theo with the dreamcatcher he and his mom made after hearing me read Grandmother's Dreamcatcher during storytime. He came in the following week asking for the book because he was having bad dreams and wanted a dreamcatcher to hang in his room. He gives me weekly updates and he continues to report that all of his dreams are good ones. So, here's to a 2009 full of sweet dreams for all.

Why I LOVE my job!

2008-11-16T08:25:00.001-08:00

Book Characters Jump Out at Halloween

2008-11-09T16:44:00.000-08:00

Here are a few characters who visited the library during Halloween. They had lots of fun showing off their books that are on the shelves. They REALLY want kids to check them out!

Nacho the Party Puppy

2008-11-09T16:08:00.000-08:00

Boy, oh boy, did our little pre-k students have a special treat. Local author, Emma Virjan, made a visit to the library and read her new book Nacho the Party Puppy to the students. Then we moved to the tables and we each made our own party hat. We had a little bit of juice after all of our hard work and then EACH STUDENT received a copy of the book. This was made possible by the Sola Salon Book Group, of which one of our Zilker parents is a member. This was truly a celebration of reading. Many thanks to Ms. Virjan and Angela Luck and her book group for making it all possible.

Here is author Emma Virjan with 4th grader Stella, who helped out with the event.

We all got into the spirit and made hats. What fun!

Open House Extravaganza

2008-10-17T14:33:00.000-07:00

Oh, we had tons of folks stop by the library during Open House. It was such fun to meet parents and grandparents (some as far away as Wisconsin!) The kids had a great time showing off the library and some even took time out to have their parents read to them. All in all, a successful night. Thanks for your continued support!

5th Grade Citizens

2008-10-12T16:26:00.000-07:00

One of my favorite curriculums taught is fifth grade social studies. They focus on American history and I always learn something new each year. I strive hard to find materials, especially short picture books, that capture a time, event, or person, to assist teachers and students in exploring and going into greater depth about this subject.

The TEKS (Texas Essential Knowledge Skills) for fifth grade states: Citizenship. The student understands important customs, symbols, and celebrations that represent American beliefs and principles and contribute to our national identity.

Fifth grade teachers Katie Pena, Dianne Murray, and Carlene Ogren asked me to pull all available books on symbols and landmarks. With these resources, along with our online subscriptions to Brainpop (thanks PTA!), World Book and Nettrekker (thanks AISD!), our students made their own representations of symbols or landmarks. Most students put in a great deal of effort and they turned out fabulous. See if you don't agree.

Mount Rushmore

Bald Eagle, American Flag, Vietnam War Memorial, and the Pentagon

Korean War Memorial

Cookin' Up a Good Book!

2008-10-05T17:11:00.000-07:00

I have a "rule" in the library. If you check out a cookbook or a book with a recipe and you make something, well then I get a sample. I make sure to mention this when students check out and I had two take me up on it recently.

Kindergartender Ava and her mom enjoyed this book, Country Bear's Good Neighbor. When they returned it they mentioned they were going to make the apple cake recipe that was included in the book. I took this opportunity to tell them of my rule. The very next day I had some wonderful cake to go with my morning coffee. Ava was very careful to put the walnuts to the side just in case I didn't like them, but I assured her I was a nut person and it was delightful.

Fourth grader Sidda was already aware of my rule as she had checked the Green Eggs and Ham Cookbook out before, but never got around to making something. This time she did and brought me some wonderful s'mores for dessert along with fresh berries. I shared with Mrs. Wrigley, her 3rd grade teacher from last year, and our lunch that day was spectacular.

Now, if I plan it right I could have plenty of meals provided by students. Whadda ya think? How about a recipe with beef tenderloin or fresh sea scallops?

Storytime is such fun!

2008-09-14T11:11:00.001-07:00

This week was our first storytime with classes. As always, it's a delight to see the kids and teachers and get a chance to read a great story. In kindergarten we focus on learning names and I read a really special book called Laura Charlotte. It's about how the parents of a little girl selected her name. Then I share how I got my name (Dad just liked my first name and my middle name is after my Grammy) and we see if any of the students know about their names. Of course, this helps me remember names and with a total of close to 500 students at Zilker, well any little bit helps! Here are pictures of kiddos coming in this week to enjoy the library.

It's a Brand New School Year!

2008-09-08T15:31:00.000-07:00

It is so great to see the smiling faces of all of our Zilker students. This last week we had Library Orientation to remind students in grades 3-6 where books are, how we find them, and how to check them out. Now, the 4th-6th graders are pros when it comes to this so we focus a bit more on searching with the online catalog. However, the 3rd graders have a great deal more freedom this year and are expected to navigate the library independently. So we spend more time making sure they know the different sections of the library and how to locate a book. Before they start browsing for books I pair them up and give them a card with a cover of a book and the call number. They have to find the book on the shelves and show it to me before they get to check out. They LOVE it as these faces will show. These are third graders in Mr. Suehs' class.

It's All Greek to Me!

2008-05-17T19:56:00.001-07:00

For the past several years this has been a campus that has embraced all things Greek. As you might know, Rick Riordan's Percy Jackson & the Olympians is extremely popular. Second grade teachers read The Lightning Thief to their classes and then have a Project Greek Runway fashion show. Fourth grade teachers do a mythology unit and students produce an imovie of their research. Students come in to see if the library has any of Riordan's books in, including Sea of Monsters and The Titan's Curse. Of course, ALL of the mythology books, no matter how tattered or regardless of the copyright date, are checked out regularly. So, let's see what the demigods are up to at Zilker!

What a surprise I received from 4th grader Liam. He came in the very next day after the release of The Battle of the Labyrinth and presented the library with a copy! In addition, I had a mom bring in two autographed copies by Riordan, purchased from Book People, where Camp Half-Blood was in full swing.

Kai was one happy 3rd grader. He came running in one morning showing me a copy of an email he had received notifying him that he had been selected to have dinner with Mr. Riordan at Book People. He gave me full details of the event, although I forgot to ask what he had to eat! He said they asked tons and tons of questions and Mr. Riordan discussed his next book he is working on.

Second grader, Teo, wrote an incredible poem for their study of gods and goddesses. See if you don't agree.

Hades gets the ladies,
Hades gets the men,
If he doesn't catch you the first time,
He'll come back again.

He won't pick your pocket,
He won't take your purse,
He'll just take your body,
And leave you in a hearse.

Finally, we have Greek Project Runway photos here. I hesitate to name the gods and goddesses, fearing I might get them wrong, but what I was so impressed with is when I was taking the photos the students paired themselves up saying, "This is my son" or "We are siblings" or "We're the sun and the moon." It was fabulous and you could tell they were applying their learning. Is that a rigorous curriculum or what? Oh, by the way, in Chapter 10 of The Battle of the Labyrinth, entitled We Play the Game Show of Death, the game show hostess is wearing a blue ribbon badge pinned to her chest that reads: THIS MONSTER HAS BEEN RATED EXEMPLARY! Annabeth goes on to defy the monster by refusing to answer rote memory questions and insists on receiving riddles that make her think. Rest assured Mr. Riordan, at Zilker we do not teach to the test.

Soon to be Published Author!

2008-03-30T16:27:00.000-07:00

Fourth grader Hannah just received notice that her piece entitled "Daydreamer" will be published in the July/August issue of Stone Soup. The writing is a delightful description of swimming. Be sure to get a copy and read it. In addition to the great feeling of being published in a children's magazine Hannah also will receive a stipend (money!) for all of her hard work. The editor even encourages her to send them more of her work. Way to go, Hannah! It is students like you who make ZILKER A GREAT PLACE FOR KIDS!

5th Grade Reviews

2008-03-30T15:14:00.000-07:00

Fifth grade teacher Diane Murray teaches the language arts block to three classes. This year they have been exploring in depth the various genres of literature. They have written a screenplay for a horror book, participated in Poetry Survivor Island, and are currently preparing to create an alien or robot for their science fiction selections. Here are exerpts of historical fiction reviews from three fifth graders. It looks like it's "thumbs up" from these three reviewers.

Abenaki Captive
Written by Muriel L. Dubois
Reviewed by Alexander

This book is set right before the Seven Years War (French and Indian War.) It is told mainly through the seasons of 1752. The book is placed near the New French (Canada) American Colonies' border, where the Abenaki people have inhabited the land. These people were mad at the English for taking over their land were on the French side. This book could have happened in the 1700s and is really realistic.

The Abenaki were very mad right before the war because Pastoni (a Western Abenaki word for a Bostonian) were trapping furs in their land without asking. This book really had two main characters, because it switched the point of views many times. One of them, named Ogistin, suffered from the loss of a brother, killed by a Pastoni, and wanted to take revenge. I grasped the anger and other emotions in this way, and I really saw how they handled it. The other main character, a Pastoni named John Stark, is captured by the Abenaki. So you just got a bit of pretty small, but important information such as the naming of the title. They torment each other and almost kill each other, but mend their arguments and like each other by the end of the book.

Silver Dollar Girl
Written by Katherine Ayres
Reviewed by Sara

Silver Dollar Girl is set in Aspen, Colorado around 1885, a time when miners dug into the mountain in search of silver. The main character in this book is a girl named Valentine, who is desperate to find her father. No people in this book exist, but they act and talk like people back then would.

In this book, Valentine is basically on a wild goose chase for her father, who has been away for more than a year. She runs away from home, cuts her hair, dresses like a boy, and takes the trains to Aspen all alone! There, she gets a job at the Silver Dollar Cafe and looks for her dad in her free time. Finally, she finds her dad and they tell each other of their adventures.

I recommend this book, because I really liked reading it and it had an action-packed plot. If you like adventure, history, Wild West towns, and running away from home to find long-lost fathers, this book is just right for you!

The Curse of the Romanovs
Written by Station Rabin
Reviewed by Zia

This book is set during the Russian Revolution. The narrator is a soon-to-be Tsar. It's a historical fiction because some parts are factual. The main characters were real people, like Alexei Romanov and Rasputin. But other characters are fictional, such as Varda, a girl Alexei meets in the future (2010) in New York City. Because the author is describing actual people from this time, you get an idea about how the royalty lived.

Curse of the Romanovs is about a boy in the Russian royal family. He has the bleeding disease, hemophilia, which could kill him at any time. Alexei travels to the future by repeating some special words taught to him by Rasputin, the mad monk. There are many sides to Rasputin. He can help counter the effects of Alexei's hemophilia, but he also has a scary side. Rasputin follows Alexei to the future.

When he time travels, Alexei arrives in NYC in the year 2010. He meets a girl, Varda, who is related to him. She and Alexei go back to the past and try to save his family from being executed. I would highly recommend this book. It has a historical basis along with very clever science fiction plots. I think that Rabin did a very good job of combining these two narrative features.

"It's A Book Party!"

2008-03-16T13:06:00.000-07:00

That's what this little guy said when his class came in to preview the annual Zilker Library Book Fair. This year was another rousing success. Scholastic Book Fairs provides the cases and many children left with smiles on their faces...and books in their hands. Proceeds from the fair are used to enhance the library program. Many thanks for your continued support.
Here are some photos to enjoy of the event.

Classes come in to preview the book fair. Plenty of time is given to browse and share favorites.

Family Night on Thursday continues to be the highlight of the week. Kids bring in their parents, sign up for the drawing for free books, and then go on a shopping spree. It has really become a community event with past families coming by to visit with others...and spend a few dollars!

A broken leg couldn't keep this fellow from attending.

The Classroom Wish List provides parents and students the opportunity to purchase items for the classroom. Teachers select items they'd like to have in their rooms and purchased items have nameplates inserted and into the bags they go. On Friday the "bag of books" is delivered and a presentation is made. Over 200 books were purchased for the classrooms. Do we love our teachers or what?

Of course, this couldn't possibly happen without volunteers. Over twenty folks sign up to help out during the fair. This includes set up, break down, and scheduling. Here two helpers are demonstrating how the new scanners work. They were fabulous...no more figuring out tax and then adding it. The scanner took care of that.

Here's the crowd on Family Night.

Buying all these books is hard work. Time to take a break and have a rest in these comfy chairs.

I had a dad come to me see me asking what the schedule was for Family Night. He said he was a baseball coach and many of his players said they couldn't come to practice because they were going to the Book Fair. He was hoping to schedule his practice around the Family Night. Books winning out over sports? Now that's a "thumbs up!"

UT Winedale Shakespeare Program

2008-03-16T10:42:00.000-07:00

Was there ever any man thus beaten out of season,
When in the why and the wherefore is neither rhyme or reason?

Yes, we are so fortunate to once again have parent Clayton Stromberger leading our 3rd and 4th graders in performing a scene from Shakespeare. This is the third year the library has sponsored this fabulous program for our school community. Our two culminating events include a performance at UT and our own Zilker Shakespeare Festival. This year Clayton is guiding the students through a scene from The Comedy of Errors.

While students memorize lines Clayton also guides them in acting and performing on stage. These exercises are a great deal of fun and ease students into being in front of an audience.

I Get By With a Little Help From My Friends

2008-03-16T10:25:00.000-07:00

These three guys were helping each other out looking for books. I tell my students that oftentimes the best recommendations come from their friends. These are second graders and during the second semester I have them focus on browsing the shelves for that perfect "I Can Read" book and commit to a longer book that will take several sittings to read. This is a difficult skill, but these boys were up for it.

We Love Reading!

2007-11-04T13:57:00.000-08:00

Yes, we at Zilker celebrate reading each and every day. Here it is Halloween and take a look at our great literary characters.

Students are always checking out animal books. Here is our resident alligator finding out more about his relatives.

Pirates are a popular topic. Arrrgh, matey, let's take a look at these fine books with me one good eye.

Teacher Carlene Ogren teaches math to all of the fifth graders. She uses the book The Grapes of Math to teach concepts. Doesn't she look nifty?

And here we have our fair Rapunzel. Wow, is her hair ever long!

The princess books get checked out all the time. Wouldn't you want to check out a book with illustrations of princesses like these ladies?

And I'm sure Robin Hood would come to the rescue of these damsels, if they needed it.

What's a library without the biography section? We love learning about famous people. We have several biographies on the Beatles and this young John Lennon was a hit.

Here are the Special Area Teachers all decked out and enjoying themselves at the Monster Mash.

Open House Fun

2007-10-25T16:20:00.000-07:00

On Thursday, October 18, we had our annual Zilker Elementary Open House. We had a passel of parents and students stop by the library. We had lots of fun visiting and the kids enjoyed introducing me to their parents. Here are some pictures of folks having a great time in the library.

We had celebrity Hannah Montanta making a quick visit. Here she is with her fan and big sister.

Proud Papa of a second grader.

Everybody smile and wave at the camera!

A family of readers.

Daddy's in the kiva and ready for a story.

A fellow Oregonian.

This student is showing Mom how she gets her card from the binder to check out.

Taking a look at the E Everybody section.

Showing mom some of the books he likes to check out.

This is one of Jack's favorite sections of the library.

Library Orientation 2007-2008

2007-09-09T10:28:00.001-07:00

This last week began Orientation for grades 3-6. Classes came in and, after a brief introduction and reminder of different sections of the library, the students were off and running checking out books. It is always so encouraging to see so many kids excited about books and reading. The beginning of the year was such an easy transition. I wonder if it was because of the additional two weeks. Kids....and parents were ready to start school! Whatever the reason, students couldn't wait to get into the library and start checking out books.

Some students start off at the online catalog to assist them in finding books. For all of you "seasoned veterans" of the library, that is current speak for card catalog. You can actually see the old card catalog in the background of this picture. It is now just a very expensive piece of furniture. The online catalog is much easier to use, especially for cross referencing. The only challenge is you must spell correctly. It won't guess for you.

This young lady took to heart DEAR time (Drop Everything And Read.) Here she is on the floor trying to decide if this is the right book for her to select.

Once a student has selected books then it is off to the table to find your library card. There are grade level binders with teacher names and cards. Each student has a library card to use for check out.

Once you have your card then it's off to the computer to check out. Students do this on their own, with very little supervision. "First the computer needs to know who you are (scan your card), then it needs to know what you want to check out (scan the Zilker barcodes on the books), and then it needs to know you are done (click on the middle box to check out to the next user.)" It's a piece of cake!

Now that they have their books checked out it's time for a little silent reading. Well, as silent as these 5th graders can be when they're all together! Ms. Murray's 5th grade language arts classes are reading different types of genres so each of them had to check out a fantasy book this go around. In addition, Ms. Murray is reading Alice in Wonderland to the classes to illustrate the characteristics of fantasy.

Here are two fifth graders taking advantage of our beautiful reading lounge area. Both of these boys love fantasy so I'm sure they'll breeze right through their books.

Summer Library Program

2007-08-25T13:52:00.000-07:00

For over the last ten years the library has had summer hours so that the entire Zilker community may come in and check out books. Generally, we are open on Tuesdays from 4-8 p.m. for a period of 4-6 weeks (depends on my travel schedule.) This year was a rousing success and definitely needed since both the Twin Oaks and Manchaca public libraries were closed for renovation. I had the pleasure of visiting with students, parents, and people who live in the community. Of those community members many have young children who are not yet old enough to attend Zilker. What a wonderful opportunity to introduce these young Proud Panthers to the school they will be attending. It was a ton of fun and I fondly call these times Zilker Library Happy Hours.

These young ladies share both a book and the chair.

I think this is a new pirate book. Anything related to pirates is a big hit right now. Arrrrgggh, matey!

This family of readers decided to relax at the window seats before venturing out into the hot sun.

O.K., I admit it. It can sometimes get a little loud and crazy in the library. We had several tables of folks visiting. People were introducing themselves, exchanging travel stories, and talking about all of the mcmansions going up in the neighborhood.

It doesn't take long to get the hang of the automated checkout system. Even the youngest patrons say, "I don't need help. I can do it myself!"

I happened to notice this magazine at Central Market. That's our little miss Lina on the front cover and 4th grader Gus wrote an article for the magazine. The magazine is edited by Gus' mom. Anyway, both girls happened to come into the library and I managed to get my magazine autographed. Stop by and check it out in the library.

Landscape Project Complete

2007-06-21T09:07:00.000-07:00

Here we have master gardener and Zilker parent, Kay Galvin, and her husband, Darden Smith. Kay has been working on a landscape design project for the library. Due to bond construction this has turned into a two year project, but we are happy to report that we are finished. In Phase I Kay extended the beds, created a river rock bed, and placed new plants throughout, including a passionflower vine that attracts numerous butterflies. Phase II included creating a dry river bed for drainage and it was decided to further extend the beds and add boulders for sitting/reflecting and the planting of tall grasses to enhance the creek like setting.

Before Pictures

We had to create an area for drainage from heavy rains that pass under the library walkway. This area extends to the parking lot that adjoins the library and the end of the kindergarten wing. Grass had been planted here, but everything washes away from the water so Kay decided to make a creek bed so we wouldn't have to worry about reseeding or planting.

During Pictures

Kay and volunteers spent one full Sunday scraping the topsoil and moving all of the rock and boulders into place. Kirk Scanlon spent his birthday working a bobcat! He had assistance from his daughters, as you can see. Tad Smalley stopped by and helped as well.

After Pictures

Here is the finished project. Doesn't it look fabulous? A special thank you goes out to Custom Stone. They not only gave us a good deal on the rock, but they only charged us for one delivery and they guided us in ordering just the right amount of stone and gave ideas about the creek bed. These folks are extremely professional and they helped create this beautiful setting for the library. Stop by and see if you don't agree.

Literacy Parade

2007-06-15T08:21:00.000-07:00

The Student Council sponsors a Literacy Parade at the end of the year. Classes decorate a "float" (wagon of some sort), we dress up as book characters and with a police escort we parade around the neighborhood. Yet one more way that ZILKER ROCKS!

By far our most popular author this year has to be Rick Riordan. This is Ms. Dailey's 2nd grade dressed up as Greek gods and heroes from his Sea of Monsters. Ms. Dailey's and Ms. Wynn's classes also did a Project Runway fashion show, complete with costumes, commentary, and Greek food to finish it off!

Ms. Brosko's 4th grade's float depicted James and the Giant Peach .

This is Ms. Bailey's 1st grade class. They did a fine job of illustrating Don Freeman's A Rainbow of My Own.

Ms. Pena's 5th graders dressed up as David Letterman's Late Night Show. They read Top 10 Ways to Ruin the First Day of 5th Grade.

Sixth grade read The Westing Game as a class. They looked really cool in all black and white.

Of course, it has also been a popular year for all things "penguin." This is Mrs. Wrigley's and Ms. Pizzochero's 3rd grade students and parents all dressed up as Mr. Popper's Penguins. This book is an oldie goldie from the past. I remember reading it in 4th grade. Yes, it's THAT old!

Tea Time

2007-06-15T07:47:00.000-07:00

Third grader Willa was perusing past school yearbooks and came across a picture on the library pages that showed some girls having tea. She asked me what this was about and I told her that year I had a whole class of girls who were into the American Girl book series, so we celebrated with a tea party. She looked me directly in the eyes and said, "I LOVE the American Girls. Can we have a party, too?" I sort of hemmed and hawed and said there would have to be a bit more interest than just her and I left it at that. That same week I discovered a post it note on my desk that said, "Mrs. Kraal, I have four girls already." Needless to say, we had a tea party to celebrate our love of the American Girl series. Ah Willa, she is a girl after my own heart. She knows what she wants and she goes after it. She tells me she wants to be a librarian and I have no doubt that she will accomplish all she determines to do.

Here is 3rd grade teacher, Mrs. Wrigley, with some of her girls. We started out by making polite conversation in our very best British accents.

I brought all of my china cups and saucers and plates and silver teaspoons from home. We sipped our tea, ate our scones (sorry, no clotted cream), and talked about our dolls we brought.

Diane is a previous Zilker parent who is working on her librarian certification. She organized the event, including making invitations, playing a game, and serving the girls.

Here we are in our finery and proper smiles. A good time was had by all. Tah tah!

Civil War Days

2007-06-04T13:55:00.000-07:00

The 5th grade studies American History and for the last several years we have had a Civil War Day for the students to experience a bit of what happened during that time. The students are divided into battalions and rotate through various battle places, where they take part in different activities. This year they learned to march and drill, responded to Matthew Brady photographs, made quilt squares and wrote letters with berry ink and quilled pens, and experienced camp life for both the Union and the Confederacy. I love this history "alive" and ask to participate each year. I am in charge of the camp life and here are a few photos taken during the presentations.

I begin by talking about life at camp during the war. We borrow a chest from Camp Mabry that has examples of food and some authentic utensils and plates, plus some replica items. We pass these around and then make a "campfire" in front of the tent. Most of the food consisted of salt pork, milled corn, beans, hardtack, salt, brown sugar, dried fruit, and coffee beans.

Several years ago we purchased some items with a PTA mini-grant. This includes the tents and items to outfit a soldier from both of the armies. As I am dressing them we talk about what they would do and review what we know about the Civil War. I tell them the soldiers wrote many letters home and kept diaries and I quote one: "War is 99% boredom and 1% sheer terror."

Conditions for the Union were better than the Confederacy. They generally had more to eat, better clothing, and leather satchel for carrying items. And they received more in wages. The Union soldiers would sometimes trade coffee beans for tobacco with the Confederate soldiers.

We end up the session by passing out hardtack for the students to taste. This was made of flour, water, and salt and then baked so it wouldn't spoil. The soldiers would put it in their pockets and crumble pieces of it to drink with water from their canteens or crumble it up and mix it with dried apples and perhaps some syrup or molasses to make a sort of dessert. Times were hard. I asked each group to discuss the differences between the Civil War and our current War in Iraq and the most common thing mentioned was the use of technology.

Zilker Shakespeare Festival

2007-06-04T13:21:00.000-07:00

Our 3rd and 4th grade students have had the wonderful opportunity to work with Mr. Clayton Stromberger, Coordinator of the UT Winedale Outreach Program. This program brings Shakespeare to life for these young thespians. Beginning in January Mr. Stromberger has been meeting with classes in the library and introducing the language and times of Shakespeare. He selected the shipwreck scene from The Tempest for the students to practice and perform. The highlight of the program was traveling to UT and performing live on stage to a near capacity audience. All of the groups that Mr. Stromberger works with were there and it was a treat to see all of the performances. We were especially honored as we were the largest contingency and we were the youngest group. These students represented Zilker well. As a sponsor of the program I have had the pleasure of working with all of the classes and I am always amazed at how it all comes together. Even though they are performing the same scene each group interprets it uniquely and comes up with their own props and costumes. A special thank you goes out to the 3rd and 4th grade teachers who embrace this literature enrichment and work very hard to see that their students are ready to perform. All of these pictures were taken during our school performances. Due to rain we had to perform in the cafeteria, however, afterwards we were treated to UT actors performing scenes from Shakespeare and these Longhorns met with our young actors at the Outdoor Learning Center and talked about acting and answered questions.

Here we have our three actors who played Master in one of the 4th grade performances. They would change out parts during the scene. One would crouch below the one performing and then they'd turn and the "new" Master would appear. It looked really cool. They all wore the same hat (courtesy of Krispy Kreme) so you would know they were the same actor.

This member of the royalty is unhappy about the storm. Here she is trying to tell the master to "take care of things." The master is telling her "you do assist the storm" by bothering her and not allowing her to give her full attention to saving the ship.

Now this was a stroke of genius. This young lady had performed at the Coffee House and sang "I Will Go Down With the Ship." Well, at least I think that's the title. Anyway, her group thought it would be perfect for the scene. So, just when things are getting dicey aboard the ship, she comes forward, the music starts playing and she sings this song. The actors sway in slow motion. Even the audience got into it by extending hands and swaying back and forth. It was a hit.

Here we have the group of 3rd grade Ariels who come out to tell what they have done in initiating the storm. Most groups carried "fire" and swooped and turned and "flamed amazement."

Friends of the Zilker Library Reception

2007-04-29T15:50:00.000-07:00

This is the 5th year of our library advocacy program here at Zilker. There are several perks when joining this fine organization. Your name is mentioned in the library newsletter, in addition to being placed on a plaque in the library. Many thanks to Capitol Rubber Stamp who donates the plaques and imprinting each year. The library also hosts a reception to thank the members.

This year we had Jungle Jim's Bugs and we were "toadally" blown away with the breadth and depth of his living and non-living collection. Kids and adults ooohed and aaahed as he was setting up as we got a close up view of everything. Then Jungle Jim spent close to an hour showing us different animals.

We won't mention what three of them did on the NEW CARPET. I was assured it was 98% water, but of course it's the other 2% I'm worried about. After he finished speaking we were able to handle several animals, including some turtles, frogs, and snakes.

In keeping with the theme we had refreshments of bug juice (lemonade), ants on a log (celery with peanut butter and raisins), aphids on a log (celery with pimento cheese and sunflower seeds), creepy crawlies (graham crackers with frosting and Twizzler legs), and bundles of bug legs (leftover Twizzlers.) Another successful event to close out another successful year in the library.

Haiku in Two Voices

2007-04-14T09:03:00.000-07:00

At the annual Zilker Coffee House we had the pleasure of listening to the mother/daughter team of Bernadette and Lucy take turns reciting poems. It was so touching and I asked if I could share their poems on the blog. These are a wonderful tribute to family. See if you don't agree. If you want to read other books on poetry, check out the 800's in the library. Perhaps in the future we'll see a collection of poems by Bernadette and Lucy.

I am the oldest
That means I was my mom's first
She practiced on me

There are four of them
There is only one of me
How lucky am I?

We fill up a room
Six of us altogether
We're our own party

All the family home
It can get really crazy
We're the loud family

Sometimes we're best friends
Other times we fight so much
Mother daughter love

I am calling you
My voice gets caught in the noise
Or do you ignore?

But when we're alone
We linger in the quiet
Happy together

We love to hang out
But don't always get the time
How about a date?

Some say we're alike
My mom sees herself in me
I see me in her

Maybe we're the same
And we reflect each other
A mirror for life

How lucky I am
To have my crazy family
And sweet baby too

My little nanny
She is only nine years old
She loves her baby

Baby is hungry
Baby is asleep so long
Baby is awake

Each day passes by
Much too quickly for my taste
I breathe in the youth

Time doesn't seem fast
It creeps like a snail sometimes
But I'm in no rush

What a Difference a Chair Makes

2007-04-08T16:51:00.000-07:00

These past three years I have allocated funds to enhance the library setting. Monies from the annual Book Fair and the advocacy program of Friends of the Zilker Library have been used to create a warm and inviting environment that welcomes students and adults alike. This year we began with new carpet and rest room from the bond project and added contemporary art stickers and pillows. Parent Sallie B. was in the library helping out during the Book Fair and commented on how nice everything looked and how we had created a place where everyone felt welcomed. I was sharing with her my latest scheme about wanting to add a reading area, ala Barnes and Noble, Borders, and Book People, that I was all about gathering information, but couldn't make a decision because I was "design challenged." She just happened to mention she had a degree in interior design and we sealed the deal right there. The VERY NEXT DAY she came in with digital photos of chairs and tables she had found at Four Hands and within the next three weeks we had a grouping that she said, "compels people to sit and read." And boy is she right. I cannot begin to tell you how much difference it has made.

Within hours of putting in the chairs the word had spread to faculty members (a pre-k teacher came in to use the rest room and couldn't believe her eyes.) I probably had ten faculty members stop in that day to test out the chairs. Now teachers actually come in during their planning period and sit and read. One kindergarten student asked me if kids could sit in the chairs and when I said "Of course!" she said, "I bet they feel like grown ups when they do." I think you can see by this photo that students, do in fact, feel very grown up when sitting in the chairs.

I now have 5th grade students who are requesting to come into the library during free reading so they can relax in the chairs. When classes come in several students often cluster around the chairs and tables (which double as nice little sitting stools) and share books they are reading.

Be sure to stop by and see what all the talk is about. I'll bet you can't resist sitting in a chair and reading. Many thanks to all who support the library in its mission to support lifelong learning in a rich and nurturing environment. I would also like to recognize Four Hands, who worked with Sallie and helped us to stay within our budget. At their website Four Hands states their passion includes "exploring ways to give back to the communities that have supported the company from the beginning" and we appreciate all they have done to help our students thrive in a welcoming setting.

Student Art Adorns Library

2007-03-09T17:01:00.000-08:00

Last year the Arts in Education Committee (comprised of faculty and parents) hosted a silent auction of fine art to bid on. This included local artists and our very own students. You can purchase the student art for a flat fee of $10 so the library bought five pieces of student art last year and did the same this year. Be looking for these fine pieces displayed throughout the library. Many thanks to the students who took the time to create something for the auction.

Pre-k student Cade is in his "red" period. He used glitter paint to enhance the picture.

Third grader Nicole donated this beautiful picture of a bird. I had actually bid on another piece of hers, but her dad outbid me. I also have a piece of her art from last year. She is definitely talented.

This piece is in honor of the 100th day of school. Second grader Cameron used 100 beads to depict an underwater wonderland.

First grader Amber made an incredible heart that is now on my office window. You actually peel this off of the paper and hang it on a window so you see through it.

This is 4th grader Alex. His mom was taken a back when she found out her son's art had sold. She had hoped to purchase it for herself, but once she found out it was going to the library, she was quite happy. Phew, thank heavens!

Fifth grader Harry James used pencil and pen to create this beautiful picture of a panda. Pandas are very popular in the library and all students have remarked on this fine piece of art. We'll be hearing more from this young man, I know.

It's a Hootenanny!

2007-03-09T16:08:00.000-08:00

hoo te nan ny: a social gathering or informal concert featuring folk singing and, sometimes, dancing.

O.K., so has your child come home and said, "Mom! Dad! Tomorrow we're having a hootenanny in the library and I need to wear my pjs, bring a flashlight, and have lots of books to read!"? Well, here's the story on Hootenannies. It doesn't always make sense, but it just seems to fit here at Zilker. It's my story...and I'm sticking to it!

Several years ago (no, I don't remember the exact year) I was trying to think of a way to encourage teachers to read to their students in the classroom. I came up with the idea of having a celebration in the library when the teacher had read five chapter books to the class. I was trying to think of a catchy theme or name to publicize the event. Now I have always used the expression, "What a hoot!" or "That's a hoot!" to signify something was funny or a blast. However, when I look up the word in the dictionary it has this definition:

hoot: to utter a loud shout usually in contempt.

No matter. I bet if we looked it up in the Dictionary of Slang it would give a more lighthearted definition.

And then, I got to thinking about watching Hootenanny on t.v. when I was young (yes, we're talking The Kingston Trio) and how much fun it was and I decided we'd call these events Library Hootenannies. Now, as you've seen by the definition, this should involve folk singing and perhaps a bit of dancing. We, however, put our own Zilker spin on it and make forts, turn out the lights, and read.

Generally, I receive an email, letter, or poster telling me the class is ready for a hootenanny. The class comes in and we talk about the books they had read to them and sometimes they vote on their favorite. Then we spend time building forts. Kids love this because they get to be on top of the tables, underneath the tables, in the window seats, wherever they feel comfortable. Once the lights go out we all hunker down and read for about 45 minutes. The kids and teacher love it and so do I. The second semester is usually packed with Hootenannies so don't be surprised to see "lights out" at the library.
It's a HOOT!

Here are some pictures from the last couple of Hootenannies.

Here is a poster from second graders in Mrs. Wynn's class telling me they're ready for a Hootenanny.

A group of 3rd grade girls get settled in the corner of the library in the 700's section.

The window seat makes for a perfect place to read.

These two were taking turns reading jokes to each other.

Caught in the act of reading!

Two 1st grade girls taking time out for a picture before the lights go out.

Catching the Book Fair Wave

2007-02-22T19:15:00.000-08:00

We just finished our annual Zilker Library Book Fair and once again it was a rousing success. We begin the week with two days of preview for the classes and then begin selling the Scholastic Book Fair products on Wednesday. The highlight of the week is Family Night on Thursday. The library is packed with folks purchasing books and visiting with one another. The profit from the Fair is used to support the library program, including collection development, hardware and software, setting, and professional development. Many thanks to PTA volunteer coordinator, Bruce Evans, who arranged for approximately 25 folks to help out with the sales, set up, and break down. This year he found quite a few "newbies" to assist and I am sure they will be making my list of "usual suspects" when I need volunteers in the future. Here are a few photos to enjoy from the week.

Boys 2 Young Men

2007-01-17T19:49:00.000-08:00

After many years of our successful Brown Bag Lunch series for Zilker girls, it was decided this year to offer the same type of program for our 5th and 6th grade boys. This speaker series is designed to counter the very limited definitions of boyhood offered by our culture. Men in very different fields share their lives with our Zilker boys. They talk about the kind of work they do, but also how they chose it, what they've learned and what's important to them. Zilker parent Lindsey Lane arranges the speakers and the series take place in the library. This past fall we hosted social workers Mark White and Robert Rowland, artist and illustrator Don Tate, inventor and computer scientist Robert Read (also a Zilker dad), and psychologist John Breeding. Each of these men have had unique experiences that have brought them to where they are today. Our boys have enjoyed hearing their stories and now have other career opportunities to explore and contemplate. Below are a couple of our speakers addressing our boys.

Girls+Math+Science=Smart Women in Cool Careers

2007-01-17T19:15:00.000-08:00

Some ten years or so ago the Campus Advisory Council at Zilker Elementary identified a need to expose our girls to the variety of career opportunities available to them. It was decided that the library would host a Brown Bag Lunch series to 5th and 6th grade girls, where women would share fascinating careers that emphasize talent and excellence in math and science. Through the years we have had a variety of women sharing their incredible lives with our girls. This year parent Lindsey Lane has scheduled the speakers and she has found so many talented women to speak to our girls. We have had anthropologist Liza Shapiro (also a Zilker mom), acupuncturist Marlene Merritt who shared her bicycle riding achievements, veterinarian Mary Miesch, and Renee Lockey, obstetrician/gynecologist (another Zilker mom.) Without exception these women enlightened, challenged, and encouraged our girls to be the best they can be and believe in their dreams. Here are a few photos of our featured guests sharing with our girls.

Say Good Night to Illiteracy

2006-11-30T18:28:00.000-08:00

Half Price Books made a visit to our school and met with the Second Grade classes of Katy Dailey, Lin Flores, Mary Ann Sides, and Jody Wynn. They read a story to the kiddos and then all students pledged to read 15 minutes every night and signed their names on a pledge banner. All students received a bag full of nighttime goodies, including a rubber ducky, toothbrush, and bookmark. In addition, each student received the Say Good Night to Illiteracy hardbound book with cd. I heard one student remark as he was looking at his book, "I'm already starting my 15 minutes." Finally, Half Price Books gave gift cards to each of the participating teachers and librarian. Many thanks to Half Price Books for bringing this enjoyable program to our school.

Book Characters Sited at Monster Mash

2006-11-19T18:29:00.000-08:00

My, oh my, there were quite a few book characters hanging around Zilker on Halloween. Here we have The Grouchy Ladybug (who really is quite sweet!), Officer Buckle and Laura Ingalls Wilder.

Next we had Clifford, the Big Red Dog stop by along with a princess and a fairy right out of a fairy tale book, I'm sure.

Pinocchio did a great job doing all of the motions to the Monster Mash. We feel quite confident that he will become a real boy soon.

See how these three blind mice run? We are happy to report that the farmer's wife never found them so their tails remain intact!

Now, I have not heard of this new graphic novel character but I am sure Duct Tape Man will be a tremendous hit with the kiddos!

Finally, here are your special area teachers decked out and having a good time at the zany Zilker Monster Mash.

New and Improved Setting

2006-11-19T18:14:00.000-08:00

Along with the new carpeting came the opportunity to rearrange furniture and bookshelves. We also felt the library needed to be a bit more contemporary so parent Quinn G. added some "dotalicious" stickers to the wall.

Then I made a trip to Fanny's Fabrics with Ms. Ponzoha to find some fabric for pillows. I needed the extra help since I break out in a cold sweat when entering into a fabric store as it is way beyond my comfort level. Anyway, we selected some fabulous retro fabric and Quinn made beautiful pillows for the window seats. Here she is with her 4th grade son, Beck, showing off her fine work. Thanks so much for creating such a beautiful library setting.

Book Additions

2006-10-07T10:56:00.000-07:00

I was having a conversation with fourth grader, Dylan. We were discussing the awesome book The Lightning Thief, written by San Antonio author Rick Riordan. It is an adventure quest about a boy, Percy Jackson, who finds out that his father is Poseidon. It weaves mythology and present day contemporary life together into a very believable story. Anyway, I was saying I couldn't wait for the next installment and had just looked for it at the book store, but didn't see it. The following Monday Dylan came running to the library after school, with his mother in tow. He had been to the book store over the weekend and discovered they had Book Two of Percy Jackson and the Olympians and purchased a copy for himself AND for the library. So now we have a copy of The Sea of Monsters. Thank you Dylan (and mom) for allowing many Zilker students to get their hands on the most current books available. Here Dylan is displaying both books. Come on in and check them out.

Principal Bren McCullar's father recently passed away. She and her family asked that books be donated to the school library in his memory. Here she is with the memorial books purchased in honor of her father, James E. McCullar. The family has a special interest in music so an effort was made to include these titles, as well as adding much needed new titles to the collection.

Happy Birthday Books

2006-09-23T08:57:00.000-07:00

Second grader, Stella, had a birthday recently. Instead of receiving gifts she asked her guests to bring money to be donated to the Zilker Library for new books. She collected $190 and we went on a shopping spree at Book People. We spent 2 hours perusing titles and selecting ones that we needed in the library.

After our hard work we decided to stop by Amy's Icecream for a treat. When we told the server what we had been doing he was so impressed with Stella's generosity that he said the ice cream was "on the house." I am currently getting the books ready to be checked out, but students in Stella's class have already been asking for the books that she bought. What a wonderful way for someone to give back to the community. Thank you, Stella!

@your library

2006-09-16T12:34:00.000-07:00

One of my treasured times is sharing stories with classes. Here are a couple of classes that came in this week. We listened to The Runaway Tortilla in kindergarten and three stories on imagination and play in first grade. These books were Drac and the Gremlin, Action Man is Here, and Superdog. They loved them.

Wow, look at all the books we turned in. Now it's time to get new ones.

After they find new selections these fourth graders make themselves comfortable in the window seats.

Check It Out!

2006-09-08T12:49:00.000-07:00

This has been a busy week for first and second graders. They have all visited the library and checked out two books. They each selected one book that helps them to learn to read and one free choice book. Be sure to spend some time looking at and reading the books they have selected. They are very excited about their treasures.

The New and Improved Library

2006-09-04T10:17:00.000-07:00

As you can see, we have smiling faces on students and faculty alike. An openness and more inviting climate has been achieved with some furniture rearrangement. Displays above the shelves invite the patrons to browse and enjoy. Fourth grade parent Quinn G. has been doing some decorating, such as the contemporary dot designs that have been placed on the storytime kiva wall. These have been a popular addition, as evidenced by the many positive comments from students and faculty. She will also be making pillows to match that will be in the window seats and chairs. Stop in and see our new "digs." I know you will feel just as we do when we open the doors...Invited, welcomed, and ready to learn in a beautiful setting.

Putting It All Back Together Again

2006-09-04T10:03:00.000-07:00

Thank heavens we have parents and community members who have an eye for design, are problem solvers, and have strong arms and backs. With their help we had the library ready for use in record time. We only lost seven working days to our faculty and students, but let me tell you we were working hard each of those days. Everyone was so willing to help and I want to especially thank Kay G., Liz S., Chris H., and Grandma Jan, who put in extra hours. Also, we couldn't have done it without the help of our wonderful custodians, Miss Margie and Mr. Terrence.

Library Bond Project "Before" Pictures

2006-09-04T09:23:00.000-07:00

In the most recent bond project the library was slated to receive new carpet and a restroom addition. This necessitated boxing up most of the book collection to allow for the carpet installation. Many thanks to the parents and faculty who helped out last May. It was certainly a labor of love, especially since the construction workers cut into our electrical line and we had to box up with no lights and NO AC. Over the summer (and a bit into the beginning of the 2006-07 school year) these renovations took place. The boxes, shelves, and furniture were stored in the gym while awaiting carpet installation.

2006-09-04T08:25:00.000-07:00

In order to share all of the wonderful events and happenings in the library I've decided to incorporate this blog into my communication efforts. While the Zilker Library Book Talk newsletter is published every nine weeks, it is hoped this site will fill in the weeks between with all of the fabulous and rigorous learning that truly makes Zilker A GREAT PLACE FOR KIDS! This will be a fluid, ongoing, work in progress project, but it is hoped this site will find itself on the bookmark favorites of all students, faculty, parents, and community members interested in all things Zilker. So, welcome to the world of the Zilker Library and let's get started. Jackie Kraal, Librarian, Zilker Elementary School