The American Museum of Natural History: a world-class treasure around the corner

Photo by Chris Gibson of AMNH Beyond Planet Earth Exhibit

Last week on December 9 I attended my very first Educator Evening at the AMNH. It was on a Friday night, and it was free. How could I resist?  The American Museum of Natural History is conveniently located on 81st Street at Central Park West. From our school MS80x, you take a D train and then the C train. It stops right at the museum's door.
This particular Educator Evening event celebrated AMNH's newest exhibition Beyond Planet Earth: The Future of Space Exploration. 
After working all day, I was greatly surprised to find an elegant reception complete with cool live music, chilled wine and hot hors d'oeuvres.  I ran into some old friends, and gathered some resources and flyers for the science teachers in my school. I really hope my teachers and students will take advantage of this amazing resource.

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Jade Green

Phyllis Reynolds Naylor's Jade Green is a classic ghost story set in the late 1800s, complete with an old house, intrigue, and creeping body parts. 

After her parents die, fifteen-year-old Judith Sparrow is forced to live with her elderly Uncle Geoffrey. Judith soon discovers Uncle Geoffrey's house is haunted by a ghost.  Judith also discovers Geoffrey's 40-year-old son is a leering cousin who is jealous of her.  


Judith's adventures become more complicated as she meets young handsome Zeke.


I highly recommend this fun yet spooky ghost story!

March is Manga Madness Month in Room 401!

The library now has some really cool and new books, including Kinds Draw Manga by Christoper Hart. To commemorate these new titles, I'm organizing a Manga poster contest for the month of March.  Students can draw and submit their poster to the library. The art must be original, and the Manga poster must promote reading. See Ms. Gibson for more details!

Read read read on facebook

When I read a book, I need complete peace and quiet. I always end up reading alone in my room. Television, music, and conversation distract me. Reading is a solitary activity. 


But on Facebook I've joined a group that is anything but solitary. I've joined Paul Hankins' group The Centurions of 2011: 111 Books by January 2012! 

People in this group talk about books they are currently reading, the books they've read, and make recommendations. And because there is a social element here, I'm determined to read my 111 books by the end of this year. 

MS 80x Library 2010 2011 program goals

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Good Teaching

Septembers bring the promise of new work, new experiences, and new insights for students and staff.  This year is no exception, especially with at least 17 teachers who are new to the  MS 80x community.  They are new to the building, and not necessarily new to teaching.

So when I came across this article

Good Teaching: The Top 10 Requirements, I had to share this with everyone.

I hope you will find this as helpful as I have.

Back to School PowerPoint Template for Teachers

Here is a very handy tool for my very busy teachers!
When our students' parents come to our Back To School Night, you can use this PowerPoint. All you have to do is to modify the slides and add your own info. 
Boom! It's all done!
I also want to tip my hat to http://www.thedaringlibrarian.com/ for your inspiration!

Back 2 School PowerPoint template for teachers

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