Apologies to Mr. Poe. This posting should have been on January 19th. To help us build the display, several senior art students drew ravens which we posted around the library with quotes from his poem. When we started pulling everything together, we found wonderful Vincent Price movies, Poe biographies, poetry collections, short stories. ... Our newest Poe book is In the Shadow of the Master (SC POE) edited by Michael Connelly which contains 16 of Poe's stories and tales paired with essays by current authors who discuss his influence upon them. The book is presented by the Mystery Writers of America.
I was fortunate to have a remarkable adventure with Poe which gave another dimension to the late nights I spent in junior high reading him by flashlight under the covers. Back in 1998, a friend discovered a copy of Tamerlane (Poe's Black Tulip of 1827) in a box of farming pamphlets in a small New Hampshire antique shop. He took a chance that it was an original and not a facsimile and bought it for $15.00. On June 7 of that year it went for auction in New York at Sotheby's for $198,000. I flew to New York with him and attended the rare books auction, a heady experience for a librarian! (June 7th was and is my birthday and the trip was a glorious present from my husband.)
Friday, January 30, 2009
Thursday, January 29, 2009
What's your Story?
Writing can be a useful craft for communicating learning in the classroom. Writing can also be a creative way to discover more about oneself. We have grouped books together to help those looking for inspiration to discover themselves through writing. Your creativity may be expressed through the words of your story, the art of the leaves or book jacket, or even through creative handwriting.
In our selection we’ve included Write Where You Are: How to Use Writing to Make Sense of Your Life by Caryn Mirriam-Goldberg, Spilling Open: The Art of Becoming Yourself by Sabrina Ward Harrison, and Spiritual Journaling: Writing Your Way to Independence by Julie Tallard Johnson. For those who wish to embellish their words with art, we’ve included 500 Handmade Books: Inspiring Interpretations of a Timeless Form, The Art & Craft of Hand Lettering by Annie Cicale, and The Art of Personal Imagery: Expressing Your Life through Collage by Cory Moortgat.
A few gems from these books to get creative writers started on their life stories: write from your dreams, peel away the layers, meditate, keep a travel journal, go with the flow- don’t overthink it.
For a complete list of titles in this display go to Flickr.
In our selection we’ve included Write Where You Are: How to Use Writing to Make Sense of Your Life by Caryn Mirriam-Goldberg, Spilling Open: The Art of Becoming Yourself by Sabrina Ward Harrison, and Spiritual Journaling: Writing Your Way to Independence by Julie Tallard Johnson. For those who wish to embellish their words with art, we’ve included 500 Handmade Books: Inspiring Interpretations of a Timeless Form, The Art & Craft of Hand Lettering by Annie Cicale, and The Art of Personal Imagery: Expressing Your Life through Collage by Cory Moortgat.
A few gems from these books to get creative writers started on their life stories: write from your dreams, peel away the layers, meditate, keep a travel journal, go with the flow- don’t overthink it.
For a complete list of titles in this display go to Flickr.
Wednesday, January 28, 2009
John Updike
We are so sad at the news of his passing. His writing has given us all so much pleasure over the years.
Friday, January 23, 2009
Web 2.0 tools in the library
Web 2.0, the user-created, interactive Internet, has found its way into the electronic classroom. A recent Modern Chinese History class was presenting their comparisons of two books they’d read, Wild Swans by Jung Chang and To Live by Yu Hua. When one student’s presentation hardware was incompatible with the projector, we uploaded it to Google Docs’ online presentation software, allowing him to show his presentation directly from the Internet.
Tuesday, January 20, 2009
Inauguration Speeches Display
Today, the Governor's Academy community gathered in the performing arts center to watch the inauguration of our 44th president. In the library we have a display of past presidential inaugural speeches. For those who want to read the words spoken today by president Obama, Project Gutenberg is posting the transcript and CNN has also posted it.
Monday, January 19, 2009
Holocaust survivor Stephen Ross
After speaking to the entire student body today, Stephen Ross had lunch in the library with students who wanted to hear more of his message. Mr. Ross lived in Nazi death camps from the age of nine until he was fourteen years old. His experiences were horrifying, yet he had messages of hope for all who listened. While he lost his parents at the age of nine, he asked us all to remain close to our parents. After surviving unspeakable atrocities, his faith in humanity was restored by an American soldier who showed him care and compassion after his release from Dachau. He asked us all to write to the governor of Massachusetts to ask for help for homeless veterans, saying that this should not be happening in America. Those who wish to write online can go to http://www.mass.gov/?pageID=gov3utilities&sid=Agov3&U=Agov3_contact_us.
The Governor's mailing address is
Governor Deval Patrick
Massachusetts State House
Office of the Governor
Room 360
Boston, MA 02133
The Governor's mailing address is
Governor Deval Patrick
Massachusetts State House
Office of the Governor
Room 360
Boston, MA 02133
Sunday, January 18, 2009
Documentaries in the library
Students often use the Pescosolido Library DVD collection for their entertainment. However, they also supplement their research in books with audiovisual materials, in particular with DVDs and videos from the nonfiction collection. Students working on their Junior History Thesis project often find inspiration in the historical documentaries that spark their interest in a certain time period, event, or historical personality.
Friday, January 16, 2009
1763
A recent book order contained the four-volume Milestone Documents in American History. The first document is the Proclamation of 1763, a decree which closed the Ohio Valley to colonial settlers by declaring that the land west of the Appalachian Mountains belonged to the Indians who were under the protection of the king. Our school started in March of 1763. We enjoyed the moment of putting our history into the greater American historical perspective!
Thursday, January 15, 2009
Moodling
Mrs. Allen, study skills coordinator, and Ms. Linville, evening reference librarian, were spotted working on a study skills course for the library’s Moodle page. Students can access helpful documents to improve their study habits there. A calendar of upcoming workshops will be added to students’ individual Moodle calendars when they use the study skills page.
Wednesday, January 14, 2009
Science project
Dr. Oleszko’s Environmental and Marine Science classes have been working in the electronic classroom this week. They’re bringing together their experimental results and research in preparation for their final presentations. Evidence of their comfort with lab procedures, data manipulation software and presentation software were evident throughout the classroom. 
Tuesday, January 13, 2009
Reading the Boston Globe
ESL students read the Boston Globe online today, using an article about the pressures Chinese students face to get into Ivy League schools.
Monday, January 12, 2009
Nifty at Fifty
While working in the library during the mandatory evening study hours students often discover that the Etch-a-Sketch is a great way to relax. They gather in small groups to erase any previous drawings and add their own creation to the small screen. Still fun, even at 50!
Friday, January 09, 2009
Thursday, January 08, 2009
The 2009 Calendar
Our new calendar is a magnetic puzzle-a-day inviting students to complete a tangram puzzle. Thus far, no one's been stumped!
Tuesday, January 06, 2009
ESL class in the electronic classroom
Mrs. Gold’s ESL class was in the electronic classroom after their return from Christmas break. In addition to renewing old friendships and working on their English, they taught me to write Happy New Year in Chinese, Korean, and Japanese.
ESL class in the electronic classroom
Originally uploaded by Pesky Library
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