Overview:

Jeffco PTA is sponsoring a photo contest and has a few GREAT prizes to give away. To learn more and view entries, visit the Jeffco PTA Facebook Page.

URL:

http://www.facebook.com/JeffcoPTA/app_95936962634

Grand Prize:

Your choice of either the iPad2 or new iPad from Apple up to $600.

2nd Prize:

Kindle Fire

Contest Instructions:

Upload and vote on photos about what Jeffco means to you! – http://www.facebook.com/JeffcoPTA/app_95936962634

Photos will be accepted from Tuesday May 8, 2012 at 8am until Sunday May 20, 2012 at 11:59pm. Entrants may upload up to 5 photos each.

Voting will run from Monday May 21, 2012 at 8am until Sunday May 27, 2012 at 11:59pm. Voters may vote on up to 5 photos per day. Invite your friends!

Winners will be selected Monday May 28, 2012 and announced at noon Tuesday May 29, 2012 on the Jeffco PTA’s Facebook Page.

Need help? Please send us a message on Facebook or Email us at moderator@mediamarketexperts.com and leave the Timeline for events and such.

Prize Eligibility:

Only persons residing in Colorado who are at least 13 years of age can enter.

Contest Starts:

May 08, 2012 @ 07:00 am (MDT)

Contest Ends:

May 20, 2012 @ 11:59 pm (MDT)

Need more Details?

Read the Official Rules

An Elementary Student’s Plea

I go to West Woods Elementary and love my library! Mrs. Bader (our teacher librarian) has taught me and everyone else at our school so much! And I have checked out at least 100 books from my school library! Please keep our librarians full time!

–Cort

Two Middle School Teachers Speak Out

I am aware that one of the proposed cuts for the budget is the elimination of Middle School Librarians.  This is a ridiculous idea- the librarians are essential at the middle Schools- they are in charge of not just the books, but a ton of technical and computer related assistance to kids and teachers alike.  To cut that position would be a major step backwards and would hamstring the entire technical support structure of the middle schools.  Please pass this along to whoever might be in a position to consider making this cut.

Thanks,

–Dave Kreider

Our librarian is an invaluble resource at our school. It is not a good idea to eliminate librarians from our middle school. Put kids first, please.

Keep the librarians.

Peace,

I would like to advocate to keep Rebecca Warner as a full-time teacher/librarian at Shaffer Elementary School. Besides being a 1st grade teacher, I have a K-12 Reading Specialist endorsement and am familiar with current research on what it schools need to do to produce students who are successful readers for life.

Still Fulfills Traditional Role

Rebecca fulfills the traditional role of teacher/librarian by keeping our library a full of current literature that students will find interesting and making sure it gets into their hands. She meets with the younger age classes each week introducing literature connected to what they are studying in the classroom.

She also shares her vast knowledge of books with students as they come to her with help on finding book selections geared towards their interests. They literally beg to go to the library to check out books each week.

Integrates Tech

Beyond the traditional role, Rebecca helps teachers and students integrate the latest technological advances into their learning in an appropriate, safe, manner. Classes come to her to do internet-based research on topics they are studying in the classroom. She aids teachers and students in locating information from web as well as book-based sources.

Helps Students Grow as Readers

She holds discussions on suitable Internet usage and the validity of information found on the Internet. In addition to her role as teacher/librarian Rebecca helps our school in other critical ways. This year kindergarten and first grade students are all involved in what we call, “Target Club”.  She has a large group of 24 students allowing other teachers to work in smaller groups with more at risk readers. The activities she undertakes with these readers keep them challenged and growing as readers, such as guiding them in creating their own websites so they can post questions about the books they are reading for their parents to read and answer at home.

Administers Assessments

She also takes time to help with interventions with the afternoon kindergarten class that is not involved in the morning Target Club. Rebecca also is part of the flooding group that is coming into kindergarten and first grade classrooms this week to complete mid-year screening assessments. This group of teachers will assess classrooms of students in one day, instead of the usual two or three weeks it takes to do them, allowing teachers to get back to regular classroom reading instruction quicker to address instructional needs.

Her expertise as a teacher/librarian allows us to turn over students to her without having to train her in what to do, so important in this time-crunched world with larger classes and less resources.

Offers Expertise

On a larger scale, it is her expertise as a teacher/librarian that makes her valuable in our school performing tasks that a paraprofessional simply would not have the training to perform such as: matching student interests in reading to appropriate book choices, training students in proper Internet usage, guiding students to independence in locating research sources in print sources as well as on the Internet, taking part in teaching students during our intervention block without guidance, assisting in assessing students allowing teachers more classroom instructional time.

Full-Time Teacher-Librarians Contribute to Distinguished Education

To replace teacher/librarians with paraprofessionals would suffice at a minimal level, but it would like making a choice between buying a book at Walmart compared to The Tattered Cover.

This district can drop down and be with the Walmarts of Colorado, or we can find a way to keep teacher/librarians full-time in our schools to add their part to offering a distinguished education to our students.

At Evergreen Middle School we will be GREATLY affected by losing our teacher librarian.

Makes Technology Accessible for Everyone

Our teacher librarian makes technology accessible for EVERYONE (including the most fearful).

Support our Investment

With all of the money we have invested into technology over the past five years we cannont afford to lose our largest support for this technology. There are many people in this building who will forego using these great tools without Debbie around.

Impacts Every Teacher

This is the one position in our building that has an impact on every teacher, PLEASE do not take it away!!!!

Would Take a Pay Cut

I would gladly take a pay cut to keep our TL!

We Are Required to Teach Tech – We Need TL’s

I am writing in regards to the possible budget cuts to decrease teacher librarians in Jeffco.  I have taught in Jeffco for almost three decades and have seen many changes in our librarian positions.  Most importantly, the past few years have focused more on the technology standards. As a classroom teacher with a full curriculum responsibility, I do not feel like I have the knowledge to teach technology. I can not imagine moving my students forward and assisting them to be prepared for the twenty- first century without the support and assistance from our teacher librarian.

TL’s Work Closely to Help Teachers Meet Standards

Becky Cox has worked closely with our team to ensure the third graders are meeting the technology standards. She has taught many of the grade levels keyboarding skills, using a creative lesson where they all have success. To enrich and culminate our Life Cycle Unit she taught third graders how to create a Pixie Project.  Most recently, each child has a Photo Story with six illustrated slides and narrated the piece to demonstrate their knowledge of the Native American region they studied. Besides presenting these project in class the students had the opportunity to share them with parents. They were amazed at the level of learning that took place. They know how critical it is to continue to instruct their child in the fast paced technology world.

Our District Should Prioritize the Things We Value

I realize with the budget cuts approaching, our district needs prioritize the things we value, and I strongly recommend we look at other areas and leave the money in the hands of the teacher librarians that make a difference in Jeffco Schools.

I am writing to you to express my concern about the proposed budget cut of reducing our teacher librarians to half-time positions in the elementary schools.

Impact of a Half-Time Teacher-Librarian

I am a first grade teacher at Campbell Elementary and this is our first year with a half-time teacher librarian at our school.  Our current teacher librarian is doing a great job, but our students are not able to benefit from her expertise because she is only here one week at a time and then gone the following week.

Impacts Student Achievement

I can already see that this change will directly impact our student achievement in our schools.

Prior to this year, our library was a busy learning place with students actively engaged in meaningful projects in which teachers and our teacher librarian were teaching together.

Collaboration and Integrating Technology

Our teacher librarian was all about collaboration and integrating technology into our students’ learning.  We would plan together, using the CAP document, in many content areas.

She was always able to help us see the possibilities with technology, her area of expertise.

Fun Projects

Projects were fun and our students gained amazing skills with technology.

By the end of first grade, my students were able to research an animal, using books and Internet sites, to create e-books.  They learned valuable research skills and did their writing using our laptops.

Power of Technology

The students experienced the power of technology by:

1. locating and reading information on websites and then citing their sources
2. synthesizing information
3. toggling between the Internet and their e-book
4. creating their writing by typing on laptops
5. inserting clip art into their e-books
6. learning how to save their work and finding it the next day
7. creating an e-book (Power Point document)
8. presenting their e-book to students and family on the Smart Board
9. teaching their family how to view their presentations on our school website

1st Graders Master Tech Skills

These are all of the same skills that you or I do with technology every day and my first graders had mastered all of this with explicit teaching from my teacher librarian and myself.

I Needed My Teacher-Librarian

All of this important learning would not have been accomplished by myself – I needed the collaboration expertise, and co-teaching with my teacher librarian.

A Mistake

The impact of the decision to cut our teacher librarians to half-time positions is a mistake.  By doing this, the impact on student achievement will be directly affected.

How are we going to prepare students for the 21st century, if we don’t have the skill and expertise of our teacher librarians?

Concerned About Cuts in the Library

My name is Barb Everett and I have a daughter who attends Shaffer Elementary.  I am concerned about the most recent proposed budget cuts towards the Libraries in the school district.  I understand these cuts may or may not happen.  My hope is to express concern and bring to light just how valuable our Library education is for our children.

Without TL’s at all Levels, Our Kids Fall Behind

My understanding is some schools were able to keep their Librarians this year (2011/2012) because of student numbers.  We were very lucky at Shaffer because we had more than 400 students at our school.  Therefore we maintained our library curriculum this year.  I am very thankful for that!  I understand that (2012/2013) school year may be very different.  I am concerned about the library curriculum for the (2012/2013) school year and the years to follow.  My daughter will be in 5th grade next year.  Just about the right age for really learning what the library has to offer.  If we lose our librarians to two days a week, that education moves from a trained certified librarian to a para or volunteer.  That person will not be as experienced in teaching the curriculum of the library.   My child then loses out on a very valuable skill of research just in one year.  Now lets move to grades 6 through 8 where there will be no librarian.  How is my child going to learn the valuable skills of web searching, or research in general and how to use a library to its fullest extent?  We move into high school now and my child has not had that experienced trained professional in critical years of her education.  The expectation to do the research in high school is still there.  She is now at a disadvantage because she did not have that training.  She is now in high school with a part-time librarian again.  How is someone who is at the high school two days a week going to help 600 or more students?  How are they going to be able to maintain the library?

Please Rethink the Cuts

I request that you please rethink the budget cuts for Jefferson County Libraries.  Research is an important skill our students need for higher levels of education.  By taking certified trained librarians out of our libraries we restrict our children’s learning and put them at a disadvantage for college. Look at the private school and the charter schools who have trained certified librarians.  These students will far surpass our students who have not had this training in research.

A Typical Day

7:30am-8:30am   Set-up, rehearse, broadcast daily TV news show with student News team

8:45am – 9:00am Read aloud to Kindergarten class about Martin Luther King Jr.

9:00am-9:45am Give lesson on researching with Jefferson County Public Library data bases to 4^th grade class; assist class with research and taking notes in Google Docs.

9:45am-10:00am Read aloud with other Kindergarten class; discuss main characters, setting, summary

10:30am-11:30 Review the Super 3 research model with 2^nd grade class; continue research with Jefferson County Public Library data bases

11:30am-12:30pm Fix computer, printer, and projector problems; answer emails, lunch

12:30 – 2:45pm Work with three consecutive fifth grade classes on finishing their Glogster Projects showcasing their knowledge of the 13 Colonies

2:50 – 3:10 Outside duty

3:10- 4:45pm Answer emails, library management, lesson plans

Repeat

Home, Rest (and/or work), Repeat Tomorrow

Total Impact on Students and Staff

Total Hours: 9.25

Students Worked with: 182

Teachers Worked with: 6+

Million Dollar Question

Question: How can I do all this, teach so many students, and assist a variety of teachers part time?

Times Have Changed

Remember visiting the school library as a child? Most likely you had one of two types of librarians: the “Library Ogre,” defender of books and organization reprimanding any student who even thought about picking up a book and not replacing it precisely where it belonged on the shelf, or “Ms. Sunshine,” who loved to read aloud to students until the end of the day when she quietly shooed the students out and tidied up her haven of books. Fast forward to today’s elementary school – filled with computer savvy students who talk fast and move even faster. Their environment is filled with technology: cell phones, computers for gaming, PCs, Macs, the internet, instant messaging, face booking, blogging, YouTube, iPod, iPad, and just about instant everything. These students move at what seems like the speed of light. Today’s Teacher Librarians have the skills to educate our high speed students, retain their attention, and teach them how to be safe as they utilize the many different technologies available to them.

Helping All Students Excel

Our students benefit in a variety of ways from having access to Teacher Librarians. First, Teacher Librarians support our students literacy by providing a large selection and variety of texts to interest and encourage students to read and discover the world around them. Next, Teacher Librarians provide interventions for our students who struggle with reading and writing. Students with deficiencies are identified and given extra support and time to read or write with experienced Teacher Librarians. Students who excel in the classroom are given time to enhance their learning and projects by meeting with Teacher Librarians and creating videos, slide shows or using other media to research their subject more comprehensively and present what they have learned. Another benefit Teacher Librarians provide to our students is a cohesive connection between students’ classroom learning and the communication technologies available to them. Teacher Librarians are well informed about the curriculum being taught and can provide opportunities for our children to use many types of media (computer software) to research and demonstrate what they have learned to peers, teachers and parents.

Tammy Langeberg – Epitome of a Modern TL

At Warder Elementary, we have an excellent example of an invaluable Teacher Librarian, Tammy Langeberg. She epitomizes what a modern Teacher Librarian is and does. She conducts Book Fairs that help get books into the homes of all students. She creates extracurricular opportunities for students such as Technology Club, Reflections (a program that encourages students to create works of art in the areas of literature, dance, photography, and visual arts), and the Science Fair. Ms. Langeberg teaches students good presentation skills through performance on the Warder School News (a closed circuit  student news program viewed each morning by the entire school). She hosts homework help after school in the library, and teaches students to use Google Docs and blogging to improve and encourage their writing skills, which also builds community and keeps parents informed about their students’ learning. Ms. Langeberg and other Teacher Librarians keep students engaged and on track for future success in all aspects of their lives.

Don’t Leave Our Kids Ill Prepared

It is imperative to our students’ success that Teacher Librarians continue to be an available resource that bridges the gap between expectations for our students learning and their actual achievement. Without Teacher Librarians’ expertise our children will be ill-prepared for their technologically-rich futures.