We're moving!

 It's been some time since this blog has been updated. Blogger is a good tool, but it can't quite match what we would like this online space to be. 

To that end, we will be moving house for our main website. This site will remain here so that you can see what we got up to in the past and maybe we'll use it for future projects, but to keep up with us online, come visit us at our new home:  sjcposlibrary.weebly.com

See you over there!

INTERNATIONAL SCHOOL LIBRARY DAY 2016

It's here again and we’ll be taking part in the Skype Adventures and Bookmark Exchange Projects! This year's theme is:

Learn to Decode Your World!

This project involves matched schools making creative, homemade bookmarks to exchange with each other. It is a simple, fun way of sharing the joy and fun of books and libraries and of making new friends through school libraries worldwide.

We have been paired up with students from

Kendriya Vidyalaya Iiit Jhalwa from Uttar Pradesh, India,
Kwok Man School from the New Territories, Hong Kong,
Technical School Slavonski Brod from Slavonski Brod, Croatia &
Kiskunfélegyházi József A. Ált. Isk. Platán Utcai Tagintézménye in Hungary.

We will also connect with our partnered schools on Padlet, our school library blog, Edmodo and Skype as we make our bookmarks so that we can learn something about other cultures and different ways of life. So..

COME, CONNECT, CREATE!

sjcpos library media centre annual report 2015-2016

Keeping up with you... developing our collection

Of course, everyone is aware by now aware that our country’s current economic situation has impacted schools, and especially their libraries. This is even more so in the case of government assisted schools like ours.  

While our reading program is well known for its depth and variety of fun reads for our pre-teens and teens, budgetary constraints have meant that we have been unable maintain or develop our collection for the past 18 months and even though Mrs Pounder and Mrs Ramphal try, the fact is, our budget for new books has almost completely dried up...

We know that multiple studies show that extensive reading for pleasure not only increases anyone’s reading speed, understanding, vocabulary and facility for language acquisition, it improves all round academic achievement!

So please consider purchasing one or more books from our Amazon wish list that we may continue to provide our entire school community with the engaging and useful books for which we are known. When filling out the shipping information, we suggest choosing the option of shipping directly to the library.

Or, you may choose to purchase a book voucher for us at any RIK or Keith Khan book store. You may be able to claim a charitable deduction for books purchased and donated to the school. We encourage you to consult with your tax advisor regarding your gift-in-kind donation.

Thank you so much in advance! 

The Girl Who Hated Books

Living & learning in our Global Classroom!

Welcome back to our blogging pals!! Our quirky, fun, creative and passionate Form 1s will be blogging here about all the exciting things they’re learning during their year in the Global Classroom! 

Thank you for visiting our site and please come back soon because there’ll always be new things happening here, just click on any of our class links on the left and then on a name to find our student blogs… and don’t forget to leave a comment!

Posted on November 17, 201Welcome to our brand new blog which we’ve created specially in honour of International School Libraries Month!! Our quirky, fun, creative and passionate Form 1s will be blogging here about all the exciting things they’ll be learning as they begin a year in the Global Classroom! Thank you for visiting our site and please come back soon because there’ll always be new things happening here, just click on a class below and then on a name to find our student blogs… and don’t forget to leave a comment!

New year, new moves!

Your School Library - Mind Map Central

International School Library Month (ISLM) is celebrated every year in October. It first began as simply International School Library Day in 1999, but in 2008 it was decided to make it an entire month to honour the fantastic work of school libraries all over the world and their contribution to student achievement and development. 

This year, our theme is Your School Library: Mind-Map Central. Mind-mapping is a way of note taking -in a visual form that gives you an overview of a topic and its complex information. This lets you understand more easily, create new ideas and build connections. It can also be a really cool way to brainstorm and organise ideas for projects, research and essays.

Akinoglu and Yasar, 2007 and Abi-El-Mona et al., 2008 showed that students who use mind mapping show improved creativity, organisation, productivity, and memory for mastering complicated ideas!

Creating a mind map is simple too... you can just use a whiteboard or sheet of drawing paper & coloured markers, or if you prefer, there are many software options from which to choose. Here are 5 great free choices –

• Examtime 
• Xmind 
• Coggle 
• Freemind
• CubeCreator and our school library collection is also a brilliant starting point for any mind mapping exercise! 

We have some amazing activities on @ourlibrary this month; our library prefect community outreach at the NALIS Celebrity Tale a Thon on Sunday 26th to begin National Library Week, librarian led CubeCreator user sessions, to Skype adventures with students from schools in Portugal, UK, USA and other mystery destinations and of course our Bookmark Exchange with our new friends in Portugal. And of course, the book collection is, as always, amazing. So don't forget to check us out @ourlibrary!

References

Abi-El-Mona, I, (2008). The Influence of Mind Mapping on Eighth Graders’ Science Achievement. School Science and Mathematics, 180, 298-312.

Akinoglu, O. & Yasar, Z. (2007). The effects of note taking in science education through the mind mapping technique on students’ attitudes, academic achievement and concept learning. Journal of Baltic Science Education, 6 (3), 34-43.

International School Libraries Month Bookmark Exchange 2014

To celebrate International School Libraries Month 2014, our school has been paired up with the Agrupamento de Escolas N.º2 de Rio Tinto. Click on the image to see our fun messages to each other!

Sharing learning and hugs from Trinidad to Portugal and back again!

We're open for borrowing!

So even if you've only just met me, one thing will probably be very obvious... I love reading! I especially enjoy adult and young adult paranormals, science fiction/fantasy and adult romances. I just love reading!

So I am really excited to announce that the library will be open for borrowing from tomorrow, Wednesday 10th September at lunchtime. Just take a minute to read through our loans policy below and make sure you have your library card ready!

• Students in Forms 1 - 3  may borrow up to 2 items at a time.
• Students in Forms 4 - 5 students may borrow up to 3 items at a time.
• Form 6 students may borrow up to 4 items at a time.
• All materials must be checked out before they leave the library, including magazines which are to be signed out at the desk. 
• A two-week checkout period is allowed for most books. 
• Quick Read books (under 150 pages) may be borrowed for only one week. 
• Special reserve items may be borrowed overnight but are due before 8.00 am the next day.
• Fines are charged for overdue books - 0.50c per day for General and Quick Read items and $3.00 per day for Special Reserve items.
• No student is permitted additional checkouts until overdue books are returned, and fines cleared. Replacement costs are charged for lost or damaged books, and parents or guardians will be contacted if students have overdue books or charges at the end of any term.
• Items, including Special Reserve Collection items, may be renewed once unless requested. 

And if you need suggestions and recommendations, my staff, my library prefects and I would be delighted to be your Book Buddy!

New (school) year... new worlds.

The library staff is so happy to welcome all members of the SJCPOS family for our new school year!

I chose some brilliantly cool new books, Ms. Seepersad has worked really hard to get our them processed and on the shelves and Ms. Peters has sweated over repairs to your old favorites.

So now we're all ready and book loans will resume on Wednesday 10th September. We would like to remind everyone that

• Form 1s to Form 3s are allowed to borrow 2 books
• Form 4s and Form 5s may borrow 3,
• and all Form 6s may have up to 4 books out at one time.

But what to do if you have overdue books and/or outstanding fines for the library? Well, just for this week we are declaring a BOOK AMNESTY. Bring in your overdue item and we'll forgive all fines!

So everyone come in, check out our amazing collection and make sure you have your library card available... because 'you can't get none if you ain't got one!'

So why do we blog?

Mr Smith from Watercliffe Meadow School, Sheffield, UK asked all the quadbloggers who visited his class' site to tell him why they blogged. Yes, I know some of you would say, because Ms Heywood makes us, but check out the video he made of some of the answers he received... And if you blog for a different reason, please tell me in the comments!

Form 1 blogs!

So this week in Trinidad, we had quite a surprise. Fires began burning in the landfill outside our capital city and that produced a horrible smog that left many people gasping for air.

Many schools were closed and students sent home for 3 days! But our Form 1s still blogged... so click on the links below to find out...

• why Karina is really looking forward to Sports Day

• and why Shana really isn't

• what Jordana is resolved to do differently this year

• and Alexi's new direction

• what Marley wants to be when she grows up

• about Stephanie's amazing accomplishment

• just what Leah-Marie wore to the bazaar

• how brilliant Terika's dance project was

• why Aqueena loves libraries

So just click on the links, give us a read and don't forget to leave a comment!

International School Libraries Month is here again!

We all know that school libraries are really awesome places to find information when you need it, to check out the most exciting books, to discover how to use the newest, coolest apps anywhere and to connect with friends, new and old, in person or online. But this is just the start... even after you leave school, you'll still be able to use the skills you have learned in our school library to find and use information, in all kinds of formats, to do whatever you want.

The characters in our ISLM poster illustrate some of the media  we use in our library to share information - 

* Brittney Books,*  Lana Laptop, * Polly Poster, * Ivan iPod, * Tanya Tablet, * Molly Magazine & *Edward eReader and * Nelly Newspaper.

All this month, there will be book talks, read aloud sessions, displays and many other activities on each week. The library prefects will even be assisting as official helpers at the NALIS Fun Day on Sunday 27th October at the National Library bulding!

  

     

So don't forget to pop in and check out what's on @ Our Library!

New Book Bonanza

Over the August vacation, the library staff and prefects worked very hard to prepare our space and resources for everyone. Ms. Shepherd even joked that we might have to hang books from the ceiling, as we tried to make space for over 300 new books.

So, finally yesterday we finished the last of the Form 1 library orientation sessions and distributed the last of their library cards. And today for the first time in this new school year, we issued loans for all forms.

It was a awesome day! Over 240 students came into the library, and 72 people borrowed 104 books!

But there are plenty more where those came from. So if you missed out today, drop in tomorrow. The library will be open from 7.00 am to 3.45 pm and don't forget your library card!

Corpus Christi

The procession begins!

In 1246, in the city of Liege, Belgium, on the Thursday after Trinity Sunday in 1246 the Feast of Corpus Christi was celebrated for the first time.

Corpus Christi is a public exhibition of faith when the consecrated host, in a monstrance or ostensorium, is held high and paraded through the streets in procession.

It was the lifelong dream of St. Juliana  who was born in 1193 at Retines near Liège. She was orphaned at an early age and she was educated at and eventually joined the Mont Cornillon Abbey.

As a young girl, St. Juliana, always had a special love for the Blessed Sacrament, and longed for a special feast in its honour. She shared her hope with  the Bishop of Liège, Robert de Thorete,with Hugh, the Cardinal Legate of the Netherlands, and with the  Archdeacon of Liège, Jacques Pantaléon who became Bishop of Verdun, Patriarch of Jerusalem, and eventually Pope Urban IV. Bishop Robert was favourably impressed, and ordered the celebration to be held in the following year.

Mass at the savannah

The feast was celebrated for the first time by the canons of St. Martin at Liège in 1246. Pope Urban IV, always an admirer of the feast, published the Bull "Transiturus" (8 September, 1264), in which, after having extolled the love of Our Saviour as expressed in the Holy Eucharist, he ordered that the annual celebration to extend to the entire world. He also granted many indulgences to the faithful for the attendance at Mass and at the Office.

This year, because of the ongoing restoration works at the Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception, after holy mass at 8.30 am at the Grand Stand in the Queen’s Park Savannah, our local procession will begin. It will end outside our closed cathedral.

There will be three benediction stops along the way—outside the Rosary Church on Henry Street; outside the Sacred Heart Church on Richmond Street and finally outside the main entrance to the cathedral. We hope to see you all there!

For all the Harry Potter fans!

A Visual Summary of Harry Potter infographic

A space odyssey... via Moscow!

Each year, many countries celebrate Space Day. The aim is to promote Maths, Science, Technology and Engineering education by capturing young people’s enthusiasm for space and inspiring them to continue the work of today’s space explorers.

The music video below is actually a collaborative effort of the rock group, Barenaked Ladies and Chris Hadfield, a Canadian astronaut. On December 19, 2012, he set out aboard a Soyuz spacecraft to the International Space Station (ISS) where he is currently living and working in aboard the ISS as part of the crew of Expedition 34/35. You can find out more about him and his work here or follow him on Twitter. He often posts truly amazing photographs from space!

           

 Today, Ms Tatyana Chernaya shared this presentation, which was created by students in her class. They all attend a distance school in Moscow, Russia. Look at their slide show and think about what questions we can ask them about life in outer space and about life in Moscow.

             

 Then share your questions on the padlet (wallwisher) below and check back to see their answers!
 

Created with Padlet

Happy Holidays!

As a Roman Catholic convent school, it is very easy sometimes to forget that other peoples also have celebrations. Today for billions of Roman Catholics, Eastern Orthodox Catholics and other Christians is Easter, the commemoration of the resurrection of Jesus Christ, the Son of God.

This week is special also for the world's Jews as they honour the tradition of Pesach, or Passover. This 7 day festival begins on the 15th day of the Jewish month of Nissan,and celebrates in remembrance of the Angel of God "passing over" and sparing the houses of the Jews when he was slaying the firstborn of Egypt.

One thing all of these days have in common, is the emphasis on sharing them with one's family. So, whether you are rejoicing in the risen Lord or commemorating the ancient Israelites being freed from slavery out of Egypt, I wish everyone a great weekend of celebrating!

Habemus papam Franciscum!

  

When many of us returned home after J'ouvert, to discover that Pope Benedict the First had stepped down, our school as community reeled in shock. Many of us put off really considering what it meant for our Church until Ash Wednesday when the full impact of this decision really hit home.

In the library, we got to work creating an exhibit about the workings of the college of cardinals, the traditions of the conclave and the presumed papabile. And to make sure we got the most in depth and current information, we went online. It was the most blogged about event all month, even eclipsing Carnival! Our display took a lot of time to research, assemble and mount, but when it was done, judging on the duration of past conclaves, we figured that it would be up until the end of term...

So just imagine our shock, when at about 2 o'clock on only the second day, our Skype and Twitter accounts blew up with the news that there was smoke from the chimney of the Sistine chapel and... it was white! Teachers and students rushed to the library, checking for details on the desktops and their laptops and smartphones, while watching the television with baited breath.

This term our Form 1s have been looking at the importance of digital media in their lives. They've described it 'like air, all around , all the time and essential to our lives'! So this shouldn't have surprised us at all, but it still did... 

Check out video above from France24 and share the digital media reactions of the world!