Battle of the Books 2017!

Our middle schoolers had so much fun at their first Battle of the Books last year (kindly hosted by Overlake School) that we're inviting students from Overlake as well as St. Thomas School to come to our campus in early March this year to engage in (friendly) battle!

 

The goal of Battle of the Books, a popular activity nationwide, is to encourage students to branch out and read adventurously. The questions aren't nitpicky ones that take the joy out of reading by expecting you to remember minute details about each title; instead they aim to pique your interest by highlighting what is fun, interesting and unusual about each book.

 

  

 

The thirteen books shown here were chosen by students and librarians at all three schools. They represent a range of genres and exemplify high-quality writing and strong appeal for readers in grades 5 and up. 

 

 

You don't have to plan to participate to enjoy reading these titles. We have multiple copies of each in the Library Learning Commons - stop by sometime and take one home! But if you do want to join Team Bobcat, come to the LLC during lunch on Monday, February 13th for our last meeting before the Battle commences!

Bobcat Book Bingo!

Last year I challenged students to read their way around the world by reading one book set in or authored by someone from every continent. This school year there's a new challenge: Bobcat Book Bingo!

Even with thousands of new books published each year, it's possible to fall into a rut. This is a fun and easy way to expand your reading horizons.These 5th graders can't wait to get started:

Here's our bulletin board with a few suggested titles:

 

Want to participate? Just stop by the Library Learning Commons to fill out an entry form and pick up a book (or two or three...). There are 25 different categories to choose from.* Record your books as you go!

The challenge is open to K-8, and parents and staff are welcome to join in. The first person at each grade level to get a BINGO will win a $15 University Book Store gift card!

Happy reading!

*A list of categories in case you're wondering...

• Graphic novel
• Translated from another language
• Published this year
• Novel in verse
• Biography or memoir
• Published before 1990
• Narrative nonfiction
• Fantasy or science fiction
• Mystery or suspense
• National award winner
• Wilderness adventure
• Book that's been made into a movie
• Scary book
• Short story collection
• Set in another country
• Sports fiction
• Humorous fiction
• Book with animal protagonists
• Realistic fiction
• On a topic you don't know much about
• Story set during wartime
• In a format you don't usually read
• Realistic book about someone who doesn't look like or live like you
• Set in the Pacific Northwest
• Free choice (in the middle)

Our middle school diversity leaders

Last weekend I had the pleasure of escorting two 7th graders and two 8th graders to the biannual NWAIS Student Diversity Leadership Retreat held at Catlin Gabel School in Portland, OR. Our student representatives applied for this honor by describing ways they felt our school could become a more inclusive and welcoming environment, and explaining their vision for making this happen.

The retreat, which is the only one of its kind in the country for students of this age, included schools from as far away as Utah and British Columbia. They came together to go on a team-building ropes course...

...participate in diversity workshops run by upper schoolers from NWAIS schools who are trained facilitators...

...and film PSAs to bring back to share with their school communities. They also got to make new friends and learn about lives and viewpoints vastly different from their own. 

The purpose of the retreat was to cultivate in them an awareness of important diversity issues that will enable them to be a force for positive change among their peers. Based on what I observed this weekend, they are off to an excellent start!

Rwanda

Yesterday's middle school author visit connected to the 20th anniversary this month of the tragic genocide that tore apart the country of Rwanda. After teaching his students about the Holocaust and wanting to cultivate an awareness that genocide has happened in more recent times as well, Seattle Country Day School teacher Brian Crawford searched in vain for a middle school-appropriate book about Rwanda. Finally he decided to write one himself. That's how The Weaver's Scar came to be.

After immersing himself in research about events in Rwanda, Brian finally got to visit the country last year. You can view photos from his trip on his website, using the link above. In addition, he donates part of the proceeds from book sales to Richard's Rwanda, an organization founded by a 6th grader to promote educational opportunities for girls. Also check out this interview with Brian!

We were very fortunate to have him come to campus yesterday to speak with 6th and 8th graders! Many students read the book in advance and generated questions about the book, being an author and the Rwandan genocide. This was an experience that left them enriched and enlightened. 

Brian also shared a couple of writing tips that have worked well for him:

• Don't re-read your work as you write. You can go back and edit later on!
• Set yourself a daily word limit and be disciplined! Make yourself sit there and write until you attain your limit!

I hope you enjoy his book as much as our students and I did!

Video contest for teens - spark your own reaction!

Think you can "Spark a Reaction" and encourage other teens to read? If you're 13-18, you're eligible to enter this year's Teen Video Challenge sponsored by the Collaborative Summer Library Program.

You need to enter through your state of residence; the link to the Washington State Library's contest page is here. Your video encouraging teens to read over the summer should be 30-90 seconds long and should pertain to this year's theme, "Spark a Reaction!" Each state winner/winning group receives $275 - and, of course, the honor of publicity for their work.

Get out those video cameras - and take a look at this clever past winner from New York state - Alice in the Maximum Potter Games:

 

If you search YouTube or Vimeo for "CLSP" or "Teen Video Challenge" you can find many other entries for guidance and inspiration.

Growing the next generation of leaders: the Student Diversity Leadership Retreat

In February, two 7th graders and two 8th graders (one boy and one girl from each grade) will represent our school at the third biannual middle school Student Diversity Leadership Retreat sponsored by the Northwest Association of Independent Schools.

Featuring around 100 attendees from schools in Washington, Oregon Utah and Nevada, the conference brings together caring young people and challenges them to become more aware of issues surrounding inclusivity and diversity in their school communities - and beyond. The hope is that they will use their new awareness to improve their middle schools and also hit the ground running as leaders in diversity when they enter high school. (Scroll down for more information on how to apply!)

Here are our 2012 OWS representatives at Northwest School!

The theme of the last middle school SDLR was "Is There a 'Me' in Media?" On Friday evening, students watched the young people's version of the powerful documentary, Miss Representation, which was created by an independent school parent. Afterwards they discussed the points raised by the film about bias in media portrayals of women.

Saturday was devoted to sessions led by high school students on a wide variety of topics relating to media literacy, including social networking (how we perceive others and how they perceive us), being advocates for equality through social media, reality TV and the value of privacy, and humor and stereotypes. Students concluded the retreat by creating public service announcements in their school groups to share the messages they found most important with their peers.

If you are a 7th or 8th grader at OWS and would like to apply to represent us at the 2014 middle school SDLR at Catlin Gabel School in Portland, OR, just fill out, print and sign the brief application form available on My Open Window on the Information Literacy Resource board and in the Downloads section of the 7th and 8th grade Advisory pages. It was also sent to your parents in email on November 8th. ***The deadline is November 22nd! Decisions will be announced by winter break!***