Summer Reading Guide

Summer Reading Options!

Summer Library Hours Announced

We are thrilled to be hosting summer library hours almost every Thursday during our summer break! Join us, or check out some of the RRISD Pop Up Library events - they're sure to be spectacular. We also have some reading & social media challenges for you during our time apart- check out details below.

Library Summer Olympics Starts 6/28

Summer = Reading @ FNE!

Scholastic Reading Summit

Yesterday, the Forest North library team had an amazing time at the Scholastic Reading Summit.  We chose two sessions - one led by Mrs. Fournier's favorite library blogger, Mr. Schu.  She was so excited!  The other one was about book talk clubs, which we will be incorporating into Library Leaders this year, and another new club Mrs. Fournier will be starting with Mr. Hashbarger.  Stay tuned for more information and check out these photos for more cool stuff we learned yesterday!

This is Mr. Schu, Mrs. Fournier's favorite blogger! 

A photo of a slide from Mr. Schu's presentation

Library to Have 1:1 Electronic Devices This Year!

The Forest North Library is thrilled to announce that we are a Next Gen Trailblazer Library for RRISD next year. This means the library will have a set of iPads for students to use during library lessons to incorporate technology this upcoming year. This also means I'm attending trainings this summer to prepare! Today I attended an all-day training about various resources to use. Thanks Mrs. Rubin from Brushy Creek Elementary for teaching us! Next up is another Next Gen specific training on 8/6 with Mrs. Rhea & Mr. Brewton!

Popsicle Parties for all of Forest North

I'm proud to say we earned popsicle parties in every single class before the end of the last day of school!  Thanks so much to staff, students and their families for looking under beds and car seats for books, and for diligently paying for replacement copies for books that are permanently lost. Check out Ms. Johnson's class enjoying a treat for their responsibility!

Combating Summer Reading Slide!

Our "Combat The Summer Reading Slide" book giveaway to selected students resulted in 52 students receiving 177 appropriate reading-leveled books and 52 high-interest comic books. 

The new and gently used books were donated by Kristen Fournier (through her membership on the Texas Bluebonnet Voting Committee), Titan Moon Comics, and by the community.  Happy Summer Reading!

Library Summer Hours & 2nd Annual Lock In!

As we begin to think about summer and all the wonderful progress students have made with reading this year, this information from Keylene Beers is a good reminder about summer reading:

What happens when kids don’t–or do–read over the summer?

1)   Kids who don’t read during summer vacation lose two to three months of reading achievement. (“The Effects of Summer Vacation on Achievement Test Scores”)

2)   Elementary students who read 10-15 books at home over the summer gain as much in reading achievement as students who attend summer school. (“Addressing Summer Reading Setback Among Economically Disadvantaged Elementary Students“)

3)   Middle school students who read only five to six books over the summer don’t suffer from that summer reading loss. (“Summer Reading and the Ethnic Achievement Gap“)

More information about the guidelines and what to do can be found on her blog.

Summer Reading Rocks at Spicewood Springs Library!

Remember I talked last week about getting a card for our local public library (the Spicewood Springs Branch of the Austin Public Library) and getting to read all summer long?.


Well, Soleil & Heather, who are Spicewood Springs librarians, came to visit us at Forest North today and tell us about the fun stuff they have going on this summer at their library!  They mentioned clowns, Lucas Miller, storytellers, puppet shows, and Super Smash Brothers Tournaments!  Check out more details below, and thanks again to Soleil & Heather for coming to tell us about their fun events!  Feel free to click on the images for larger print.  Happy Reading, Eagles!

Summer Reading!

Summer is almost here!  What will you read this summer?  Here are some tips to make sure you beat the dreaded summer slide!  Keep your reading mountain going higher and higher so you start next year at the same spot you left!

1.  Visit the Austin Public Library!  The Spicewood Branch is only a few miles from Forest North.  Get unlimited free checkouts with a library card.  Check out the amazing programs they're having this summer, too!  

2. Come visit Forest North during Summer Library Hours.  Our library will be open during the summer on these Tuesdays from 4:30-6:00 pm.  Come check out some books, play games with teachers, and see your friends!

• Tuesday, June 16th
• Tuesday, June 30th
• Tuesday, July 14th
• Tuesday, August 11th

3.  We'll also have our 2nd annual LIBRARY LOCK IN on Wednesday, July 29th, so save the date now!  More information on that to come!

4. Ways for librarians, teachers and parents to prevent summer slide!  Just a few ways listed in this article include turning on closed captioning on TV, cooking with a recipe, looking things up on the internet, having quiet time during each day to unplug from devices, read on the go, and limiting screen time.  It's all about increasing the number of words read, in any way!

5. Read something fun!  Find something that's interesting for you.  Here are some ideas:

• Next year's Texas Bluebonnet Award books for kids in 3rd-6th grades.
• Next year's Lone Star Reading List for middle school readers
• Adults should read too!  Check out this year's Lariat Reading List!
• Next year's 2x2 Reading List for readers 2 years - 2nd grade.
• The New York Times Best Seller List for middle grade fiction
• Horn Book Magazine's recommendations for newly independent readers ( entering1st-2nd)
• Horn Book Magazine's recommendations for intermediate readers (entering 4th-6th)
• Horn Book Magazine's recommendations for picture books (fiction & nonfiction)
• Most of all, read what YOU like.  Anything and everything counts as reading!
• Think you're too busy to read?  You're not!  Read on your way to your grandma's, while you wait at the doctor, while you're at your sister's swim practice.  Read in the edges and you'll always be in the middle of a book!

6. Make a list!  Remember we talked about this during our Thanksgiving Bookathon?  Always keep a list ready of books you want to read next so you're never stuck between books.  Good readers are never done with their "to be read" list.  Keep track of your list on goodreads or write it down!

7. Take a photo!  Make your title match your setting and save that snapshot for our annual Special Reading Spot Photo Contest!

Summer is for Reading!

Summer Reading

Can you believe we only have one day of school left? I can't! I know just the thing to keep you entertained and your reading skills sharp during summer break - read some of the 2011-2012 Bluebonnet Books! You could buy them at a book store, or borrow them for free at your local library! The Spicewood Branch of the Austin Public Library just came to Forest North last Friday for a visit and told us all about the fun events they're having this summer. Stop by for their awesome summer programs like a dance party, dog police officers, tap-dance man, Dinosaurs Vs. Aliens, and the Chicken Big puppet show! Don't forget to check out some of these awesome new 2011-2012 Bluebonnet Book Award nominees while you're there. If they're all checked out, you can put books on hold there too just like at school!

Summer Library Nights

The Forest North Library is happy to announce Summer Library Nights! Please come spend every other Tuesday with us from 4:30-6:00. Teachers will be here to play games and hang out with former and future students! Mrs. Fournier will be checking out books, turning on the computers to play games, and reading a Bluebonnet Book Award nominee. 3rd-5th graders can read 5 Bluebonnet Books to attend the Voting Party in January!

For the list of this year Bluebonnet Book Award nominees, click here.

Summer Library Nights will be June 8, June 22, July 13, July 27 and August 10.

Have a great summer, Eagles, and keep reading!

Launch Into Summer surveys

Our teachers are planning a Parent Learning night to give tips on keeping kids' academic skills sharp during the summer. We'd love input from our parents to let us know what they'd like to learn about. Please take the following survey to give us your two cents!

http://www.surveymonkey.com/s/L3T3XC5

Thanks for helping us make Forest North a better place where learning goes on in the evenings, too!