Teacher's Name:Mrs. Leaper
Grade/Subject: Gr. 8 Lit./Library
LIBRARY NEWS 
The children have been very busy learning new research and library skills,
as well as enjoying many other literature activities.
Pre- K- The children "designed" their own SJS T-shirts after being read,
Ella Sarah Gets Dressed. You'll see the shirts hanging on a
clothesline outside our library!
Kdg.- We read The Little Engine That Could and watched the video version.
Each child had their own "car" to decorate.
Gr. 1- After reading the classic book, The Snowy Day, the children wrote
and illustrated their own version of the same story.
Gr. 4- The students now know how to easily find biographical books
on the shelf in our library, and the public library as well.
Gr. 5- We are currently "in" the unit study of "Library Resources and
How to Use Them." Each student was given their own booklet
to read along, as well as notes and worksheets on the material.
They will be tested on vocabulary and the material covered in
the booklet. In the spring, they will learn how to use the
encyclopedia as a resource.
Gr. 6- Our sixth graders have completed the unit on "Using the Almanac"
as a reference tool. We will then begin the study of the Dewey
Decimal System of Classification.
...OUR LIBRARY IS A VERY BUSY PLACE TO BE!!!
May you find a book that's close to your heart!!!
HAPPY VALENTINES DAY!!!
Mrs. Leaper
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EIGHTH GRADE LITERATURE
"Good literature never dies; it just gets better with age." We are now "midway"
in reading the book, To Kill a Mockingbird, by Harper Lee. This book has
everything a reader could want in a book.: wonderful characters, an engaging plot,
and inspirational and transforming ideas. It is a rare book that truly captures the
essence of a time and place in American life. It was a time of love and hate,
prosperity and dire poverty, and freedom and great injustice.
I have provided the students with a great deal of background material in
addition to activities which encourage them to think, read, and write. Please
have your child "share" some of the work that we have completed thus far---
they each have their own folders containing all the materials I have given them,
including time lines, vocabulary, study questions, maps, an opinionnaire, notes,
worksheets, quizzes, and tests. We have also had some interesting and lively
discussions about The Great Depression, Presidents Hoover and Roosevelt,
racism, and the Civil Rights Movement.
After completing the novel, we will compare the book to the extremely successful 1962
movie version of To Kill a Mockingbird, starring the Academy Award winner, Gregory Peck.
This past month's "Culture Corner" featured the artist Pablo Picasso. The children were
fascinated by his work..."strange", "cool", "amazing shapes and colors"...were some of their
remarls! Our February featured artist is one of my favorites, Pierre Auguste Renoir.
I hope you are enjoying some great books this winter...a good book always seems to
"warm the heart", especially at this time of year!
HAPPY VALENTINES DAY!!!
Mrs. Leaper