Sunday, November 22, 2009


At first, I thought Stick Man was about a wooden super hero. Pretty soon I realized that this story wasn't about a super hero but a regular guy with a mistaken identity. The illustrations by Axel Sheffler are equally entertaining to Julia Donaldson's imaginative tale of a stick. Cross an oak branch with Planes, Trains and Automobiles and you get the idea. A surprise visit by a jolly old man at the end of the story is the perfect ending to this hilarious tale.

Have you every had a bad day? If you have, then A Good Day by Kevin Henkes is for you. I had the opportunity to share this book this week with our Kindergarten friends. We follow 4 animal friends who are all having bad days. This story shows us that good things are bound to happen after bad things. The optimistic view of this book reminds the reader that every day is a new day.

Friday, November 13, 2009

EWARENESS: ONLINE RESOURCES AT FM

Google is great. I use it all the time. During the month of October we went beyond Google and explored some really cool websites. Do you know that all students with the Halton District School Board have access to a multitude of amazing online resources to help them with their school work? October was Ewareness month at Florence Meares. The grade 4 to 8 students had to opportunity to enter a contest by answering a few questions that required them to visit some of our online resources including World Book Online. Grolier Online is another super resource that students also have access to. The username and password are posted in the computer lab.

For a complete list of online database resources have a look at the Elementary Internet Tools website. Click on Information Databases on the left. If you are accessing these websites from home it may ask you for your library barcode number. Send me a quick email and I'll send you your barcode number so that you can access the sites from home. I have also compiled some Florence Meares Library Links that I know you will find useful.

I hope now students will think beyond Google when then are completing their homework and assignments. I know I will.

Canadian Mountainbiking!!

Now for something completely random. Mountain Equipment Co-op recently announced the winner of their "MEC Sweet Spots Video Contest". The winner was "MTB Through BC!". I felt like I was on vacation for 10 minutes as watched this video. What a beautiful country we have. Enjoy!!!

What an amazing country we live in. Every Remembrance day I reflect on how lucky we are to live in Canada. On Wednesday the Florence Meares school community gathered in the large gym to remember the soldiers who sacrificed so much for us. In the Library the Grade 2 and 3 students listened to The Enemy by David Cali and Serge Bloch. It's a story about 2 soldiers who fight each other over a number of years and who long for peace. Simple drawings are combined with realistic photography to create a unique visual effect.