Welcome Back Lyman Elementary!
Welcome to a new school year!
With a new school year inevitably comes change and this year I just so happen to be one of those changes. My name is Shannon Sibya, also known as Mrs. Sibya (pronounced SIB-EE-YAH) or “Mrs. S”. I am the new Library Technician at Alfred and Lyman Elementary Schools. I know many of the students at both schools from substituting in the district last school year and I am overjoyed to be returning this year in the library. I look forward to getting to know all of the students, reading with them, and bestowing on them a love for the library as great as mine!
My personal goals for our libraries are simple:
- To encourage and promote a love of reading by getting to know students and their individual tastes in order to help them learn to choose “just right” reading level books that they will enjoy. Also to purchase new books based on that knowledge of student interest.
- To increase each student’s comfort level with the library, so that they can easily find books from both fiction and non-fiction collections and use the library resources to do research.
- To increase technology use within the library in order to seamlessly integrate tangible and virtual resources and increase student knowledge and success with both.
- To make the library a place that students get excited about and are proud of; to create an inviting, inspiring comfortable space for students and staff alike.
My greatest hope is that our library becomes not only a place where all imaginations can seek encouragement through books, poems and articles, but also a place where imagination and creativity can emerge and demonstrate themselves.
Important library information…
Our Specials run on a 4 day rotation, as I’m sure you know, that allow for the Specials teachers to visit 2 schools and see all classes within a week’s time. It does mean, however, that one group of classes every full 5-day week sees me twice in one week (once on Monday and once on Friday). I am not trying to be confusing (although I’m afraid I may be at first) but on those weeks that your child has library on Monday AND Friday we will only be returning and checking out books on Monday. Friday will be a day to do library skills activities and collaborations with their classroom teachers. I made this decision because I felt that 4 days was not very long to have a book and that since all the other classes I see that week will take their books home for the weekend, I would prefer to have all classes do the same. So if your child has library class on a Monday, that is one less thing you have to remember on Friday!
In order to help make things easier for you to remember I have included on this website, both on the main page (in the sidebar) and on the Resources page, the Specials Rotation Calendar, as well as a list of which classes I have on which day. I also recommend that you follow me on Facebook to get up to date information about which classes I see which days and any special events or happenings in the library!
As always, please remember to help your children keep track of their library books. Students must return all of their checked out book(s) before they can check out another book. Any books that are lost indefinitely or irreparably damaged must be paid for.
It is no fun for students to be refused a new book week after week, and while I believe it is extremely important for children to learn to be responsible for their own things, I think it is also helpful to have a strategy already in place to help them succeed. Library skills are important life skills and will be ever-important the higher they get in their education; this includes keeping track of their borrowed books. I am the first to understand, with children of my own and a very busy schedule, that we are all busy and adding even just one more thing to keep track of can be overwhelming. Returning library books to their back packs when not being read is the single best strategy to keep track of them and I will be reviewing this strategy with students over and over again throughout the year. That being said, I want to be sure students DO actually take out their books and read them, so I would never wish for the fear of losing a book to stop them from ever taking it out of their bag.
When a book become two weeks overdue, I will send home a reminder note to help them track it down. After that, I will send out a notice with the price of the book in case it is lost forever and needs to be paid for and replaced.
The library always needs volunteers! If you would like to help out at your student’s school re-shelving and weeding books, decorating or changing displays, please contact myself or the office. I have to remind everyone that all volunteers must fill out paperwork to be approved. This is for the safety of our students.
I would love nothing more than to see each and every one of you in our library and to meet you face-to-face. I wish you all a happy and successful school year!
Happy Reading!
Mrs. Sibya
shannonsibya@rsu57.org