BWS BiblioBlog | November 2023

Our BWS World Tour goes to Latin America. We started in Mexico which is technically in North America but shares more culture with South America. Just after Halloween, Dias de Los Muertos is celebrated. The Day of the Dead is a joyous time that allows families to remember  those who died. Parades, songs, dances, good food, flowers and an Ofrenda full of tokens from the past keep the memory alive every year. Even our youngest scholars wished to share memories of those who died in their family. We had our own fiesta by shaking maracas and eating pan dulce. Reading about traditions in other cultures also introduced a different language.

Next we packed our virtual bags with novels about South America as an introduction to this huge continent.  With 12 countries in all, we had to focus our travels on just a few . The topography first informed us. Bolivia has a capital that is miles high atop the Andes mountains. We studied the flora and fauna of these, the second highest mountain range in the world.

For the youngest, lilies and llamas were featured both in folktale and fact books.  Llama, Lama Red Pajama holds new meaning when you learn of how these animals work so hard carrying loads up mountains and by giving their wool for clothing.

Through the books in our BWS Library, older students learned more of the Spanish colonization and destruction of amazing civilizations such as the Mayans in Peru. We felt some of the culture by sampling Bolivian street food from a new shop in DC, wearing an alpaca poncho and trying to make music from Peruvian pipes while listening to indigenous tunes.

We came down from the mountains into the Amazon rainforest and the country of Brazil. Students entered the library to the tunes of Bossa Nova. They read about the deforestation of the trees from the rain forest in order to make grazing ground for the cattle that get sold to the US for hamburgers. They saw satellite photos of the vast Amazon river and forest that covers the width of a continent. And they sampled an unusual tropical treat called Dragonfruit shipped here from Ecuador.

The youngest scholars encountered stories and fact books about the unique animals such as the Sloth, Poison Dart Frog and Jaguar, not mention the millions of insects.

Mrs. Ochmanek continued her library skills instruction with 4th grade with a Starburst candy challenge to find and describe different subject areas in the Library nonfiction collection. This is an opportunity to fully understand the organizing structure of any library in the country- using the Dewey Decimal System. While she reads a challenging story at the start of library time, the scholars must prove their knowledge each week before moving to the next category. Then they get to choose up to 4 books to read for pleasure.

A study of water and oceans informs the 3rd grade social studies curriculum. Mrs. O adapted her stories to match that study. One example is the biographies of marine biologists and the deep sea diver Jacque Cousteau.  The class is continuing the Accelerated Reading Program by selecting one book at their exact reading level to read and take a comprehension quiz every week. We have seen readers maintaining and progressing in their reading abilities. This is a cooperative effort between Ms. Clark and Library staff.

We ended the month focusing on the origin of our Thanksgiving feast and how South America harvests fill our tables. Produce from roots and vines fill pies and casseroles and the Wild Turkey is very American-both South and North. In the end, we were very grateful.

BWS BiblioBlog: October 2023

In the BWS Library this month, the scholars packed their imaginary suitcases and began the BWS World Tour…we will travel 7 Continents over 8 months through books. Our senses will hear, feel and even taste different cultures as our minds satisfy curiosity and stimulate our imaginations.

The first stop is North America. BWS staff created a US map with marked hometowns that let scholars know that we have all moved all over the continent. Of course, Ms. Atmar won the distance prize for coming from Kabul, Afghanistan! 5th Graders dived into African American history by reading and reviewing nonfiction books and biographies that spanned 1619-2009. They compared maps, globes and atlases looking for key geographic factors of this continent.

While we can’t learn about every country and people, we will zoom in on several World cultures and read about the History, Geography, Faith-Traditions, Language-Stories and Art, Music, Food and Play. Our Library has fiction and nonfiction books that reveal the richness of how and where people live all over the world.

As we expanded beyond U.S. borders, we saw that country borders are only one boundary. Mountains and rivers define us. Looking out the windows show us an untouched slice of DC- The Oxon Run or stream surrounded by huge Poplar, Beech and Oak trees. Through reading, we can picture the life of Native Americans here.

Older students learned of how land was taken away from these people and they were moved far from their homes. More current history of taking away identity and language was seen in contemporary books that reveal the contemporary civil rights struggles of Native Americans.

Younger students heard various tribal origin stories and learned of native plants. They held the Hopi Kachina carved from a Cottonwood root. It depicts the Early Morning Singer, Talavai, ready for a Winter Bean Festival. They banged a drum covered in deer skin. Live deer families and native squash grow next to our school. We see them on our way to outdoor classrooms or the playground.

Third graders are honing their reading skills with a new program called Accelerated Reader. Thanks to the careful examination of our collection by Mrs. Ochmanek, one library book choice for each scholar will fit exactly to his current reading level and a set of comprehension questions will gage his understanding each week. This is a pilot program in which Library staff collaborate with the classroom teachers. More news on this program as it gets launched.

We transitioned to our American tradition of the scary season of Halloween. 3rd through 5th graders heard classic ghost stories, many of which came from Southern tales that enslaved people told long ago. Other American tales, such as The Headless Horseman, explain the tradition of Jack O Lanterns. In the spirit of Edgar Allen Poe and his Bells poem, boys rang an old brass school bell made in Pennsylvania-home of the Liberty Bell. How American!

First and Second graders focused on the Holiday of dress up. Super Hero books had great appeal. And boys enjoyed showing fearlessness by reading Halloween tales. Creepy Carrot, Creepy Crayon and Creepy Pair of Underwear-were hits! Also, The Little Old Lady Who Was Not Afraid of Anything.

Kindergartners used all 5 senses to explore a great big pumpkin. After hearing several Halloween tales, they designed Jack’s face. We then carved a pentagon shaped lid and pulled out the pulp and seeds. Ah, the rich smell!

We touched the smooth flesh and finally ate roasted seeds. Sometimes, a librarian has to bring props and artifacts to make the books gain new meaning. Pete the Cat and the 5 Little Pumpkins was sung with vigor!

BWS BiblioBlog | September 2023

The school year begins with the same teachers and students progressing at a steady pace to a new level.

We have a new Head of School! Dr. Angelina Arrington brings wisdom and laughter to planning meetings and community gatherings.

We also have a new crew of KinderKings. Each of these 5-year-olds is new to the school, giving us all a chance to see the world through young eyes.

And, of course, we have New Books!

Our BWS Library holds over 10,000 books that complement the school curriculum and stimulate the curiosity and imagination of our scholars. We regularly weed out outdated books and supplement the collection with new works by African-American authors and illustrators.

See our link to the BWSLibrary Wish List on Amazon.

We are a lending library so each scholar may borrow new books every week. The Lead teacher decides if books are to be read in class or taken home. Kindergarten and 1st grade check out one book per week, 2nd grade two books, 3rd grade three books, 4th grade four books, and 5th grade may check out up to 5 books. If books are returned, new books can be checked out. Simple!

Mrs. Barbara Ochmanek acted as Head Librarian at schools all over DC and in California. She really knows her books and authors. Mrs. O works with 3rd and 4th graders this year on Tuesdays. She also works behind the scenes keeping up our Online Catalogue. Anyone can access the list of books in our Library: bwslibrary.follettdestiny.com

Mrs. Marquardt taught classes ranging from kindergarten to first grade and 4th grade from New York City to Amsterdam to Chicago to Menlo Park, CA. She also led a mentoring program for Middle School ESL Latino students. Mrs. M came to BWS 10 years ago and has led the Library Program ever since. This year she introduced the BWS World Tour where scholars will travel the seven continents in 8 months by encountering the vast collection of books that offer up our multicultural world. First Graders started the year ready to Go. Bon Voyage!

Mrs. M works on Mondays, Tuesdays, and Thursdays. We have 4 other volunteers in the Library: Mrs. Hilton, Mrs. Florance, Ms. Ware, and Mrs. Crutchington.

The Library Program began the year by exploring the geography of the space, the Dewey system for nonfiction and the genres of fiction. Younger students use the phrases Make Believe and Fact Books to find that Just Right book.

We read Picture Books to older students to let them see that these books hold great stories and fun facts. Even if you can’t read the words, a young child can walk through a book and tell the story. It’s a great pre-reading skill. Graphic Novels may not have an advanced vocabulary, but they do tell complex tales that require focus for true comprehension. 5th graders explored all literary genres through both graphic and text-only novels.

We launched the school year and the multi-use of our Library with a Convocation run by the Leadership team, with help from the teachers and students. Brother Reggie and Dr. Arrington brought forth inspiring memories of those in our past who ushered our way toward an excellent Bishop Walker School experience. Onward!