Letters from a Guinea Pig

I ordered some new Gerald and Piggie books for the library a couple of months ago. 

I was excited about sharing the books with my students, and I knew the Kindergartners were my perfect audience. I planned on spreading the books out over a couple of weeks as we focused on our skill of learning what titles, authors, and illustrators were. What started out as a multi-week lesson turned into week after week after week after week of reading Gerald and Piggie books. The Kindergartners couldn't get enough of the hilarious adventures of these two characters, and I didn't have the heart to read them anything else. 

When the Kindergartners got two pet guinea pigs a little while back, guess what they named them? You got it, Gerald and Piggie. One of them died a couple of weeks ago, but Gerald is still around, putting smiles on the students' faces. Then the wonderful Kinder teacher, Kelly, got a brilliant idea, and shared it with me. I loved what happened in the library next:

During library story time, after reading a book about the adventures of a class guinea pig, the students and I talked about Gerald the guinea pig, and wondered what kind of adventures he might go on after school, over the weekend, and when the students weren't looking. We figured the only way we would know about Gerald's secret life was to ask him. So the students spread out at the tables and asked Gerald using words and pictures. 

We put the letters in envelopes and sent them to Gerald the guinea pig. The following week, this package randomly got delivered to the library, conveniently at the same time the Kindergartners we sitting down for story time. 

I had no idea who it was from, but the students knew immediately that it must be from Gerald! We opened it up, and inside were letters from Gerald. He even sent them bookmarks! The students squealed with excitement. 

We split up into groups, and the helpers read Gerald's letters to each individual student. They beamed and giggled when they heard their letters, and rushed over to tell me what they learned about Gerald. It turns out he likes to play soccer after school, and he even sneaks out of his cage to read books in the reading loft!

Students gathered around Miss Speigle to hear their letters being read aloud

Sabina waited patiently for her letter 

Showing off his new bookmark and letter

Lots of smiles in the library lately. I'm thankful for fictional characters and pet guinea pigs that spark imaginations and fill students with wonder.

Waiting for the Next Book

In the land of school libraries, book series are both the best and the worst thing.

When you finish a book you love and immediately get to pick up the next book in the same series, they are the best thing. The book characters, who have of course become your new best friends, get to continue their adventures right where they left them off, and you get to join in for the ride once again. Cliffhangers are resolved, and you can rest knowing that all your questions from the previous book will soon be revealed.

When you finish a book you love, and realize the next book in the series is checked out from the library, series are the worst thing. Your heart is broken as you are left in book limbo. You turn into an obsessive library stalker. You pretend to casually walk into the library, innocently browsing the shelves. What started as a "casual visit" turns into a desperate questioning session with the librarian.

"Is MY book here yet?" 

"Who has it checked out? Haven't they gone over the due date yet?"

"Are you sure the book isn't here? When was the last time you saw it?"

I admit that as the librarian, I find these scenarios slightly funny, as well as a little heartbreaking. I love that my students can be so passionate about books. I love their reactions and the way they try (and fail) to play it cool when their book isn't available.

A little while back I had a high school student come in every single day for three weeks, desperately looking for the fourth and final book in one of his favorite book series. Every day I turned him away, empty-handed. Finally, finally, I handed him The Book when he walked in. He fell to his knees, shook his fists in the air in victory, and then happily took the book from me.

A few days later a younger student came into the library after about a week of rejection. I handed him the book he was waiting for, and he took it without a smile. As soon as I checked out the book for him, he sprinted toward the door of the library, jumped in the air, clicked his heels together, and let out a little yes! I still laugh thinking back on it.

If only my students knew how I reacted when I finally get the book I am waiting impatiently for ...

Research

It's officially fall, or more accurately, "It's fall back home so let's pretend it's fall in Nicaragua even though it's 95 degrees outside and the leaves don't change colors".

Little things, like autumn bulletin boards and pumpkin desserts make the charade a little more believable.

Either way, we are passed the "beginning of the school year routine learning phase" and deep into some learning.

In the library, we've used print and online resources to help us learn more about some classroom content.

The first graders have been researching community helpers. Popular topics included librarian, mail carrier, and taekwondo instructor.

The third graders are now officially penguin experts! After learning about plagiarism and how to find good resources, they hit the books and internet to learn interesting facts about the different types of penguins. Over the course of a week, they researched, worked on a graphic organizer, drafted and reworked paragraphs, and finally presented their findings to their classmates.

One of my favorite parts about helping students research is that I get to learn new things as well. Need a random penguin fact? Just ask and I'll gladly share some with you.

Reading Faces

This past week I've heard gasps, giggles, and exclamations in the library. I've seen a solitary tear, a head buried under a pillow, and a two hands clasped over a heart.

All because of a story. 

I love watching my students as they read. The younger ones love to pour over books together. That's when the giggling and pointing and exclaiming gets intense (and when it's easiest for me to sneak in and snap a picture). It's usually a crazy fact from a nonfiction book, or a hilarious illustration from a fiction book that really gets them going. 

My older students sit near their friends, but get lost in their own books and their own worlds. Usually they are so lost they forget about those around them, until the involuntary gasp slips out, or the single tear falls down their face and they look around to see if anyone notices. These are the moments where I don't have my camera to capture the magic, but believe me, the magic is there.

Let the Reading Begin!

We are kicking things off in the library with an Olympic theme!

Meet the library crew: Sierra, my new library assistant, and Jackie, the best full-time volunteer anyone could ask for. 

Upper elementary teachers, ELL teachers, and the librarian

The newest edition in the library -- magazines! 

New books! This is just a VERY small portion of the new books in our library this year, thanks to many donors from my church, Emmanuel Fellowship. 

And the best part of Open House? Seeing my students with new books in their hands :)

Let the reading begin!

Lava

Nicaragua is aptly called "The Land of Lakes of Volcanoes". Over the years, I have seen and explored many of these wonders of God's creation. In just the last six months or so, there has been an increase in volcanic activity across the country. Volcanoes have been erupting, spewing ash, and shaking the earth. When the volcanoes first started generating some excitement around here, my friend Amy and I decided to create a new life goal.

NEW LIFE GOAL = SEE LAVA FIRSTHAND

Thanks to some recent activity, a "lava lake" formed in the main crater of the Masaya Volcano. Amy and I realized this was our chance to accomplish our new life goal, and off we headed for a little adventure.

I wish I could say that our videos and photos did justice to the experience, but they don't even come close.

I knew seeing the lava would be pretty neat.

But I didn't imagine it would be so loud, or that the lava would crash and break and bubble like waves. Or that it would make it on the list of "Coolest Things I Have Ever Seen".

The park rangers only let you stay at the top of the volcano for around 10 minutes before they kick you out. We realized we didn't have any pictures of us at the volcano, so we quickly snapped a couple, only realizing later that only one picture actually shows the lava in the background. Oops.

Thankfully, we had time to get some dorky pictures in the museum. I'm sure I'll cherish these forever.

Things Don't Last

I have learned many things since I've moved to Nicaragua. One such thing could be titled "Things Don't Last Like they do in the States".


Example A: Clothes
It is summer weather all year-round, which means we don't have winter, spring, and fall clothes to rotate. We wear the same summer clothes over and over, so they get a lot of use. The clothesline is another issue. Do clothes dry quickly in the burning, hot sunshine? Yes. Do they fade like crazy and stretch out? Most definitely. Shirts that used to be normal length are about to be longer than my shorts. Some of my school pants are so baggy that they are officially too frumpy to wear to class. My friend had to gently tell me that my favorite red shorts are red no longer, but have most definitely faded to a nice shade of coral pink.

My swimsuit is a prime example:

Swimsuit on the left was purchased last June. It got plenty of use while I was in the States, but still looked pretty new when I came back to Nicaragua in August. I had to stop wearing it regularly in November because it was disgusting: faded, didn't fit correctly, almost see-through, with a nice dirt stain at the top. Swimsuit on the right is the same suit, brand new, brought from the States by a visiting friend.

Example B: Fruit
I used to buy fruit at the beginning of the week, naively believing it would still be fresh by the end of the school week. Now I know better, although sometimes I am still surprised by how quick things ripen. I purchased a very large and very un-ripe avocado Saturday night, assuming it would be nice and ripe and ready for guacamole making on Wednesday. Monday at 4:00 pm, that avocado was extremely ripe. One more day and it would have turned. Very green bananas, if I'm lucky, might make it to Thursday before they are fit only for banana bread.

Example C: Tires
I could write a twelve page essay on how quickly tires get destroyed here, but I will refrain. Let's just say that in less four years of owning my van, it has experienced almost 20 flat tires.

Cat in the Hat, Mr. Caldecott, and Scientists

The library has been abuzz with activity lately. Some highlights include:

Celebrating Dr. Seuss's Birthday 

Happy Birthday, Theodor Geisel! To celebrate, we've taken Seusstastical pictures, learned about Seuss's life, and read MANY, MANY Dr. Seuss books.

Learning about Randolph Caldecott and the Caldecott Medal that was named after him. 

We are officially Caldecott experts in the library. After learning about Randolph Caldecott, the inspiration for the Caldecott medal, students read books featuring current award winning illustrators. We now know that Caldecott winners are very talented and creative, and that many are excellent storytellers who don't need to use words! In the pictures above, students are closely examining wordless picture book illustrations on a Caldecott Scavenger Hunt.

Meet the Scientists

The library is the perfect place to plan, research, and showcase your learning. After using every library book about inventions, searching the internet, and learning how to write a bibliography, famous scientists and inventors (who suspiciously look like 4th graders) filled the library as they shared about their lives, accomplishments, and how they changed the world.