When you find ways to feed a few hungry students, proof college essays, answer the question “Can I come to the library during lunch so I can find something and read”, call Collegeboard and clear up 2 student’s accounts, fix three computers, find 2 computers for students to take home and keep thanks to another organization, proof three poems from students interested in submitting a poem for a poetry contest as they are feeding their hunger, As they are reading something they have wanted to read, getting forms filled to students to be part of a Trio program that will provide them support into the future, proofing 2 essays for another class and adding comments, brainstorming ideas for a community project for 2 students in college currently, working with several educators on planning the best way to present a lesson that a student has struggled with, matching and finding a way to get a student to several teachers that needs the extra or different way to look at things, strategizing the best way for a student to deal with being whisked away out of state every weekend as that parent wants to see their significant other, this is all before noon today – in the library.
Students flock to a library because they know someone that has the skills of many hats – and sees the certified librarian position for what it is – a respite, a refuge and the library as a third space – amazing things happen. A certified librarian position allowed to do what they are trained for, and allowed to work with educators, parents, counselors, public librarians is the most powerful asset a school can have.
It takes educators, counselors, administration, faculty, public librarians and school librarians, working together, to make things happen. I am amazingly privileged to have the above categories all work in such tightly timed spaces, and respecting what each other can do, that make things better for the students. One of the best things said all day – Our Assistant Principal came into the library and knew a student who has had quite a “everything against them” environment say She was proud of the achievements lately she has made. She was over the roof that the principal KNEW her and the things she had done, AND that she acknowledged her on those things, it kept her moving and able to get through her day.
It was fabulous.
Those that disregard what a school library and what a school librarian position does do for students, those that are still in the 19th century of what a library and a librarian does –
I have been talking much about the passing of Senate Bill 195, first in the Senate, and now the House, requiring Media Literacy Skills to be part of any educational curriculum in Delaware. That sounds kind of insignificant, quite obvious that it should be and a “No Duh” statement/action, or leave many scratching their heads and asking, “So, what that does this mean?” or “Who cares?”
In order to see the value of SB195 and see how it is tied to librarianship, it is essential to break down some “Do you know’s” of Librarianship and what exactly librarianship is. So here we go:
2. Just as you would not want an untrained, unlicensed educator to be providing insights and passing them onto future graduates, the same goes for first having a certified librarian at every level, and making sure there IS an individual, certified. What does certified mean? Can’t anyone basically check books out to students? (it is true in fact that anyone that works in a library does not necessarily make them a librarian), and yet, there is some VERY important work paraprofessionals do to promote librarianship. A- ha! – so here is the important thing to know. The idea that books being checked out to individuals makes up the main role of a librarian- that is a task that an assistant, a paraprofessional, and of course a certified librarian CAN do, but a certified librarian means: a) In Delaware (every state has unique requirements for being a certified librarian)-just like every other discipline. Delaware requires a teaching license as well as a degree from an accredited college/university in an ALA (American Library Association approved program). The ALA national recognized degree is also stated in the Delaware Standards Board.
3. How does Delaware provide a path to be a librarian? Good question! Some individuals have a Master’s Degree and the missing professional classes the University of Delaware offers helps provide insights into the professional knowledge that changes in intellectual literacy as this area changes. Check out the options HERE . ALSO – there is a great program called the Common Market, that is a full-blown Master’s Degree Program in Information Science (which is a licensed, ALA program for certification of librarians), that specific schools can be attended, that will count you as in-state tuition, if your home state such as Delaware, does not have a Master’s program in that area. This is a GREAT opportunity and a HUGE saving. while providing the top professional insight into ever changing approaches to educate future generations in media literacy.
4. If you look at a typical Library Media Specialist/Librarian field of study, technology is a part of this training, obviously, but also HOW to interpret the world around us in lieu of so many claims, social media claims, public relation statements, and dealing with false news versus factual events, eliminating bias and prejudice, it is essential that future generations are not told what to believe based on someone’s agenda, but truly, knowing what are facts and what are false facts, in order for every person to be able to decide for their own, based on the facts that have been presented to them and facts they can internalize as true versus being fooled.
Imagine for a minute, NO SUCH PERSON is available to introduce skills of the contents of a book, how to find varying types of material like magazines, books, databases, sources for employment and building a portfolio of skills as students rise through grades? Imagine a student trying to figure these and other vital skills out on their own? Finding an apprenticeship, a vocation, finding grants and funding that will assist them manage their farm, tap into resources that will help them weather bad times, the certification in the department of information literacy and training certified librarians into informational professionals, is a very specific line of study that is meant to connect every other discipline together for students.
Think about that- that is a HUGE TASK to make connections to every single discipline for students in a very specific focus, navigating the world today amid a rapidly technological world. THAT is exactly what Library Media Specialists are trained to do – and imagine not having that person in a building to offer that insight at all? That is a HUGE reality all over our state. Many do not realize this.
Technology is important, but a technology specialist alone is technology focused, and not always infusing every other discipline with a personal tie to that education; certified librarians are trained to take technology, taking information, and analyze it, compare it, dissect it, evaluate it, APPLY it. This is above and beyond building a library collection tied to a CURRENT school’s curriculum, weeding, monitoring resources as ineffective or effective, and constantly asking and polling students, not waiting for them to come to the certified librarian, but always being a presence and a resource that is looking out for students.
In a day and age where support and a mental relief of knowing someone is in your corner to help with any discipline someone might be struggling with, or to get the resources to help with a specific problem area, certified librarians, as you can see – assist the daunting tasks educators have. This cannot be done when a certified librarian is non-existent in a building. Not even close.
5. If you think about one position in education that touches very single aspect of life, it is that of a certified library Media Specialist – think about it. Every discipline is represented in a library that a certified librarian has curated and checked, and molded to fit it’s schools curriculum, not an easy task when comparing a collection to the course schedule and planning guide for courses. A certified librarian goes into the community and brings aspects of all vocations, not just four year colleges, every single vocation and has aspects of these available to students from K-12. A certified librarians takes the newest and oldest technology and finds ways to make that technology work for students. A certified librarian proactively checks on students and find what they need, NOT sitting behind a desk and waiting for help to come to them, those days have been over for years. (Trust me, if that is happening you need to question how or why that person is a certified librarian).
6. No, a position as Library Media Specialist is NOT a comfy choice for a preretirement finale. If anything, Library Media Specialists take on the uncomfortable aspects of education and turn them into steps and paths to “comfortableness” for future generations. No, certified librarians are NOT expected to push agendas, push opinions, and push views of one particular focus, they are trained to make transparent all possible truthful paths, teach future generations how to weed through lies, fallacies and fake truths, and identify the truths and be able to decide for themselves based on the tools given to do so.
7. Certified Librarians/Library Media Specialists lead students to opportunity, possibility, connecting the dots from Math, to Science, to English, to Agriculture, to the Arts, to Social Studies, to Physical education, to literacy, to language, to the WORLD. With this position vacant in so many areas, think of the work and connections students try to make themselves and get frustrated because that trained professional is not present!
8. Yes books are part of the librarianship model, but not to the degree the general population applies to their role of what is a certified librarian. They are tools, just as Math can be a tool to understand a concept in English, in Social Studies, in a foreign language, a tool, not the most important item in the world, but a priceless one when applied to all other disciplines.
9. Certified librarians today are trained to, 24 hours a day, connect EVERYTHING. When they listen to the radio, they are always ears up! to see if something can connect to a student or teacher that can be used down the road. When certified librarians are in public and meet people and their insights into procedures or ways to fix things, when they are aware of community events, when they read information that can be passed on to assist another, when they make a connection that can lead another to success, 24 hours a day certified librarians are trained to not let one single possibility go by the wayside without possibly helping another and connecting, connecting, connecting.
10. Senate Bill 195 is pretty simple in wording compared to other bills, and yet -so is the importance and value of a certified librarian. The dangerous aspect is that the information about availability of certified librarians is largely unknown to parents, community members, students, business owners, and if made aware, test scores, college admissions and references, success in every discipline, using technology and having access to technology in a more successful way, working hand in hand with public librarians and paraprofessionals, all help students overcome in the growing and daunting every-discipline-obstacles that students come into contact daily, even hourly. However, the public needs to know more about what is at stake without certified librarians to truly provide the unbiased and uninfluenced views that enable skills for future generations to do the same. Your voice, your support in a bill like SB 195 to now pass in the House insists on the skills that students need to tackle media literacy skills when they are bombarded with media; media loaded with intention, loaded with inaccuracy, loaded with one side or another’s view while leaving out important details. SB 195 insists that that awareness and path to being informed truthfully, to be able to wade through those obstacles equipped with tools so they themselves can discern between the right path for them, is always available.
No one needs to be influenced, persuaded, or fooled into buying into an idea that is someone else’s agenda. What youth do need is a fair and equal shake at resources and media literacy that allow them to make the correct decisions after knowing how to obtain the correct details, and not someone else’s agenda. Enter the certified librarian that can deliver that right and opportunity to every single student in every single school. I hope this first brief look at what a certified librarian truly means to a school and to every student within that school helps clear up what the role of a certified librarian versus the “idea” of what a certified librarian does.
For the record, I am NOT against paraprofessionals in the library – I know some AWESOME ones, and without paraprofessionals, sometimes there are no librarian visits at all – think of that! CRAZINESS! However, there should be a certified librarian at the very least with paraprofessionals in every library.
Another point often made is that individuals that have a Master’ s Degree, PhD, or what they see as a similar degree level is aokay as they hold their own in the library. For the record, there is no equivalent to a Master’s in Library and Information Science. just as there is no equal to a Master’s of Education compared to a Master’s in Technology Information.
When a certified Librarian and/or a Master’s Degree in Library & Information Science is easily substituted and allowed to be substituted for another “equivalent” degree, the problem is it lays waste and credibility to the cutting edge skills that the Master’s Degree in Library and Information Science brings to youth from K-12.
#14 – The single most important thing about volunteering – it s free experience and an investment. If you go into any volunteering experience with the attitude or perspective that you are sacrificing you could be doing in place of the chance to volunteer – oooof- wrong motive and you will not get out of it what you could be – remember, the chance to volunteer is a chance to invest in your community, and also gain experience for free from individuals that have some knowledge in something you do not – priceless.
I know, you want a very solid example of another volunteer opportunity, right? Okay so we can all take a lesson from Ron Russell, volunteer for the Nanticoke River Watershed Conservancy – he continually monitors Woodland Road and from a road that is constantly dumped on, he keeps it spotless. If you choose one easy stretch of road anywhere near you, and do a before and after shot, – and reclaim that area from litter to spotless – it helps to show the before and after to the public to pass on what they also can do on their small stretch of road as well. Usually the ability to share these pieces of highway, road, street we all take a part in creates a community awareness of together that extends beyond our own next door.
#15- One of the best things you can do is thinking outside the box when it comes to volunteering. Also, volunteering is contagious. We are in a great position to be near the eastern shore, and taking an excursion to the beach and reclaiming the beach, as well as a local wetland is extremely satisfying to look back on to see what the before and after was and is. In addition, we have an amazing group, MERR Institute that constantly preserves and saves wildlife in our state and in Maryland – a GREAT organization to also assist with. The key is often taking a view of something needed in your community, and finding a new niche to tackle that issue and come up with a solution. That is something we can do every day, and something that can easily be passed on to every calendar day of the year.
#16 – okay you get a bonus one – styrofoam. Until you have done several cleanups in and around wetlands, bays, harbors, and dug down into the ground and see pieces of styrofoam in grains of soil everywhere, it is difficult to realize how permanent and blocking to growth styrofoam can be- yet, places like the Jones Landfill outside side Seaford allow you to collect styrofoam once cleaned, and recycle it! From trays, to Chik Fil A cups, to containers that carry the recycling emblem, yes, you can, and should. One person multiplied by 300 more? Definitely priceless.
Keep Volunteer Delaware in your pocket as a go to for keeping our communities moving forward in the legacy that Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. left behind! Many wonder how this had to do with civil rights? it is true the path to all is the path that brings us together- which is what these and many others paths to improving the service we do, improving out community, improves the service we can give to each other as well.
#4 – One of the best things people can do, that many do not do, that does matter, is when you are in a parking lot- bringing in one, two, or three carts into the establishment – be it Lowe’s Food Lion, Family Dollar, etc – it is satisfying to know you are getting some exercise, as well as brining in your cart when you finishing and bringing your cart back, and you multiply how many people come to this establishment and if each takes one cart, the day of many will be lightened- seems ridiculous BUT – it makes a community feeling difference!
#5 -A very cool way of realizing different cultural practices and beliefs is FOOD. With so much swirl around the topic of immigration, one of the best ways is to delve into foods of various areas, prepare it, and then comment on social media about it and describe it, as well as what you have learned. This site is a great place to discover foods and if you are in the D.C. area, you can DEFINITELY try the menu – but for us on the eastern shore, this provides menu items we can look up, discover, try, and discuss and tie to various cultures!
#6 – Piggy backing off of the above link – a branch of that link found HERE (Scroll down)- allows you to help tutor and provide English help to immigrants, and what a cool welcome to pass on to others!
#7- Piggy-backing off the above two links – one of the best ways to support local businesses, not just restaurants, but services, from plumbing, to construction, to sewing to more, YELP. Create an account and highlight services, restaurants, businesses in your area and help them navigate tough business waters amid COVID.
#8- DIY’S- There is SUCH a distressing time for thrift stores currently. I rely on thrift stores for jeans and always have been able to find a great pair of Docker’s Levis or more there for half the price if not a third of the price of retailer’s and often in great condition – frequenting thrift stores is one way. Yet another – turn your attention to the items that are often dropped off that thrift stores cannot resell. Posting DIY’s on how everyone can repurpose these items – effectively, will allow others to repurpose or regift items that they would try to just dump off as a thrift store that they cannot resell. This is a HUGE advantage to thrift stores and lessens the space that they would NOT be able to use a space. Start your own instagram to do so, and if you do not know how, as your local school librarian or public librarian, they will show you how and you can impact your community!
#9- Again, piggy backing of the idea above, if you have NOT used Freecycle, WOW. You can grab items that can change your house and help others and it repurposes for free items that would otherwise end in the dump – YET- here is a even better purpose – Find a list of families in need of items, and search, post, and request items that can be delivered to a organization, home, family that needs these items! I cannot tell you how many items I have obtained, and resurfaced, resanded, repainted, and delivered to families that could use it. It is am amazing feeling to give new life to items to families in need, and can become a challenge to take off as many items from the Freecycle list as possible to get to others. An amazing service and great way to help others – there are areas in Sussex County, Dover and Wilmington for Delaware.
#10- Detergent bottles. Yeah, most of them DO NOT get recycled. Move away from these from filling up the earth and move to friendly eco strips or other (there are so many alternatives now!) but take the existing collection and put your children, the neighbor’s children, grandchildren, or create a lesson for your closest elementary school and create projects that can be reuse these plastic monsters to good use forever! From beach and overall organizing baskets, to glue gun stands/holsters, to bird feeders,watering cans to garden lights, it is possible and those detergent bottles recycled into something useful, other than taking up landfill space, will be even better to look at for years to come. yet this allows a workshop for groups at the local library, school, or neighbors!
#11- Audubon Bird count. Every February the Audubon Bird Count is on, and this helps show you how to get together with your community virtually. The 25th annual GBBC will be held Friday, February 18, through Monday, February 21, 2022. We are developing a birding group, novice to expert, from the Vince Morris Nature Trail at Chapel Branch and would love to have your participation, and you will learn alot! Email me at harry.brake@gmail.com as we develop this network of community bird promoters!
#12-Events like Do More 4 Delaware and Giving Tuesday are the lifeblood of many non profits. Do More 4 Delaware occurs in March 3rd to March 4th for 24 hours – the Nanticoke River Watershed Conservancy relies on the support of our community- as many other nonprofits, and $3.00 per person x 200 people is HUGE!- Giving Tuesday occurs is always the Tuesday following Thanksgiving, and a great way to pass on non-profits that you feel strongly about!
#13- Find your local school library and librarian, and ask to review a book that is in their collection. This is SO HUGE! I am ALWAYS needing reviews of books that are in our collection, and this allows librarians to display books with community member’s reviews, AND you can dip into the unknown and utilize books that stretch across many cultures, and provide your reactions to this book and this allows countless displays of books for patrons to see a community member’s review and reaction to- this creates a better connection between the community – YOU! – and the community of students in the school library – which is needed! (Did you see # 2 of this initial post?!!) If you want to jump right ion yes, I need your community reviews all the time and can recommend books that align with what we are focusing on as themes for this month! Email me please! 🙂 A GREAT way to tie connections that many might not know about in their school library!
We have TWO MORE! We will post these later tonight to make our top 15 as we let you soak in the details of how you can be more a part of your community and spread the legacy of meeting, benefitting, and interacting with your community, in the legacy left from Dr. Martin Luther King on this Day of service!
Monday through Friday – looking around the WHS Library Media Center, I was impressed. Academic Challenge students were on computers at various stations behind the circulation desk, in the back collection office, Independent Study students were sprawled out preparing for presentations and projects, Medtech students also from Delaware Tech were interspersed working on their assignments being remote from the campus, Monday at least 5 requests for new books for our collection (by students and faculty), phone ringing every period for students requested in different classes, offices, teachers for specific needs, chromebooks being serviced and loaned out every other period, organizing and packing Christmas donated decorations from the lobby, to the library, running reports to monitor the age of a specific part of the library collection against the items being checked out, creating promotions for the month of January to bring out items that patrons would not be otherwise aware of, attending webinars for SORA, the Delaware Library Association,YALSA, Governor’s Outstanding Service Volunteer Awards, calling Read Aloud in Georgetown, DE as well as other libraries to distribute texts to libraries in need, calling the administrative offices to clarify requirements on a specific scholarship, and on top of all that, realizing that the students need that prepared hot tea, coffee, hot chocolate, snack, or extra sofa cushion in the library to bring the stress of what COVID has brought to our doorstep in schools and redirect to another location so students can find a haven in the library – that is what often many do not see.
I was amazed at how packed, crowded, and Grand Central Station-like our library was this week, and never, despite a high level of stress and need being requested, was grateful for it.
It is a constant sign of the needs of students today. Many never will realize, see, or experience the urgency of needs students feel from period to period and yet, this fact does not make these needs any less.
(Is that the longest sentence you ever read? Hopefully you are getting the idea of what certified librarians need to do on a weekly, daily, and hourly basis to meet the mental, academic, and social needs of successful students today.
Fast Forward to Saturday, January 15th, 2022. Perhaps one of the greatest outdoor classrooms, the nature trail This one specifically, The Vince Morris Trail as Chapel Branch. Unlikely dog walkers made up of waist-high youngsters, I never thought I’d se the day where Dane, Wriggley, and Amaya could be walked by such young students and yet, there they were, there we were. (There was one point where young Caleb, was HANGING ON to Wriggley, while Wriggley was pulling him while Caleb was HANGING ONTO the leash while sliding on the ground behind him, – yes, about 15 feet at least. Caleb never let go, not once. I thought I was watching an old western – Caleb as cowboy and Wriggley wild Mustang, and yet, the hijinx and laughs made the day even more amazing).
Yes it was 22 degrees and quite cold and yet, all that disappeared when we noticed the beauty, solace, and calming around us, even though the lot of us were spread put and everywhere. Community members, youth, neighbors, representatives of our town, we were all together with potential on this chilly, frozen Monday morning.
It was magnificent. You might not see the connection between the two but the details that many do not see, and that you might see upon closer look, make the difference. Just like the details of that ice of the picture here, caught in between the limbs of the downed tree, at first, I was seeing a tree toppled onto a duck box protector.
Closer look revealed this unique capture of ice frozen into the limbs of the downed tree. Many take for granted what they see or know what a library space and librarian can do for others, same thing with a potential nature area. Yet, these two spaces, the library and have the potential to hold large massed of individuals form all walks of life, and provide services that many do not even realize are possible. That is the beauty of inquiry, the beauty of taking part and putting yourself in the mix to make positive change in the middle of chaos, making a difference.
As the Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Day of Service approaches, I hope many put themselves into situations where they learn something new about thew world around them, add something to better this world they have learned something new about, and learn how to add something for others in the future. That is the powerful legacy Dr. King left that keeps on repackaging and presenting itself in different forms today. We are the lucky patrons of that gift, and the gathering of our potential is limitless.
It makes the fire n each of us that much warmer at night!
Welcome to the countdown of 15 things you can do, in doors, and out, for your community!
Volunteer your time and talents
““Whatever affects one directly, affects all indirectly. I can never be what I ought to be until you are what you ought to be. This is the interrelated structure of reality.”
Volunteering amid the coronavirus pandemic may present new challenges, but that doesn’t mean you can’t be an active participant in your community! Reach out to local schools to see how you can help teachers in their virtual classrooms, raise money for food banks in your area, or even ask an elderly neighbor if they need help taking care of their yard.” (From https://www.audacy.com/news/lessons-from-dr-martin-luther-king-jr-we-can-use-in-the-present-day)
Over the next three days keep checking in as we add more and more possibilities you can do, indoors and out, to improve your community!
COLD. Yes, it is VERY cold, a cool 20 degees Fahrenheit today sooo- we will be represented at The Vince Morris Trail at Chapel Branch at this morning, imitating a warmer version of Friluftsliv but we want your visit to NRWC property to be comfortable and enjoyable. DO NOT worry if today is too cold to leisurely take in the trail, we understand it is probably too cold today but we will have another next week again!
In the meantime, leading up to Martin Luther King Jr’s Day of Service January 17, 2022, we’d like to pull some of the listed activities that you can contribute to your community, with, inside and outside!
Media Literacy is huge, and piggy backing on #1, we desperately need a push with increasing uses of social media, for future generations to receive the correct instruction on how to discern messaging on all sorts of media. Go ahead whole your are advocating today and support the Senate Bill 195 (SB 195) and let your legislators know you do feel the education and awareness of media literacy, by certified school librarians, is a vital part of education – that is what brings you to us and we hope brings future generations to us! (Beware of the tree octopus !)
What do you know personally about Poison Ivy, Sassafras, Black Oak, and Mountain Laurel? We’d like to hear your “Did you know’s” as we are moving forward with a Chapel Branch field guide for students! Send any and all cool trivia and facts you know to us and we will credit you and put your knowledge to use informing younger generations! (All info can be sent ot harry.brake@gmail.com).
Stay tuned for 12 more ways from now until Monday evening on how you can play a part in community service from your home and by getting out for the MLK Day of Service!
Camila de la Parra I still brag about today, every chance I get. Thanks to her patience, we started Repentino. in Mexico City and it still exists this day, morphing into one of the greatest representations of Mexican student ingenuity and expression I have imagined. It is amazing to see something continue and symbolize so much – and be a conduit for so much talent. That is Camila in a nutshell.
Yet, when I had met Ms Alondra de La Parra and Mane de la Parra thanks to a graduation invite in the home, I was mystified. So much talent in one room and they were there, IN THE FLESH! LOL. Camila was worried at the time of being her own person. She never had to worry. She has always been her creative, talented self as well as has been her brother Mane, sister Alondra, and her father Manelick de la Parra. It is amazing to see some much unique creativity in family but they always taught me a lesson, there is NEVER a “too late” to delve into something you are unfamiliar with and make your own.
The night I attended Ms Alondra de la Parra’s concert, she had West Side Story on the screen behind the orchestra, during the film, it was MAGICAL. The portion following the show, where she played music and had everyone in the audience dancing in the aisles and front of the orchestra pit, Magical.
Despite the ugh of 2021 and the ugh that tries to present itself in 2022, we have moments to allow creativity and possibility to survive and exist. Thank you for teaching me that lesson over and over Camila, Mane, Alondra, and Manelick de la Parra 🙂 Happy New Year!
MEL’s Burger BAR in NYC!A Most memorable Capping ceremonyPosing Columbia U stylede la Parra extravaganza!Meeting architect Michael Arad at the 911 Memorial
Looking back on a Christmas 2021 – I realized how sneakily it slid past, without truly, 100% recognizing what an impact others made to others this holiday. I had walked into a Wal Mart and saw already Valentine’s items up – and it is still December. The opportunity to SLOW moments down, to reflect on them, to soak them in, and have time to truly appreciate them, lives on a totally different time scale in Mexico than in the United States.
While both American, two different realities exist when it comes to the element of time devoted to reflection and celebrations – often over way to quick to absorb. Here are a few examples of extraordinary giving that occurred, that competed and helped many overcome the setbacks that 2021 presented to many.
Front stage and CENTER Having been invited to a colleague’s Christmas party – I found myself in the Rehoboth area stopping at a Dollar Tree store in search of labels for a funny / strange Christmas gift exchange that would be occurring that afternoon. Sure enough – Murphy’s Law would strike- (ironic history of this phrase, right? Check that link!) – For the last few days my 1997 Mercury Mountaineer, which has weathered several trips back and forth to Mexico City to Delaware and back, pile ons of whole Seaford Cross Country Teams, and carrying 6 total animals (canines and felines) from Mexico to name just a few, decided not to start. Randomly the last few days, just not starting then starting, trying EVERYTHING, in lieu of having a new key made to open all doors from the outside, it just chose the most inconvenient time to do so.
Although, again, all of these had been unexpected and inconvenient in their own way. Hood up, generous individuals will ing to come over and offer help, a jump, advice, etc to no avail. Calling my colleague letting her know I wound probably NOT make the exchange but holding out for that moment my vehicle would decide to jump back on – and 1 1/2 hours later, Voila!- it started! I decided at this point, it would stay running until I reached my final destination, not ideal, but darn it, I was avoiding Murphy’s law! As you might have guessed, I missed the gift exchange but my friend was gracious enough to feed me, we chatted (yep with vehicle running) and she gifted me some pretty awesome center pieces their Mom has made – and although the frustrating things had happened, keeping the faith and following through with making that visit – no matter what, resulted in alot of those centerpieces going home with students to share with their families, that might not have had centerpieces at all made of real pine and items from the outdoors.
It was a gift that lit many people’s eyes up, presented a warm gathering following a difficult and frustrating vehicle experience, and transforming the whole concept of what a gift really is and how it evolves. I appreciate the gifts I received from so many during my time in Mexico City and carrying them forward with me to Delaware. Priceless.
Gifting the Gift of Giving – When I first received the email from our principal, Mrs. Kirkland, it read simply this:
I am a Trooper at Troop 5 in Bridgeville and I organize our annual charitable campaign, The Needy Family Fund. The reason for my e-mail is that I had the idea to offer the opportunity to assist with the wrapping of the gifts to some students who might need volunteer credit hours. I reached out to Mrs. Sharp and she referred me to you. If this is something you would like to offer to your students I would love to chat more to discuss details.
Students from the Woodbridge National Honor Society, classes that had signed up to assist in wrapping, as well as Woodbridge High Independent Study students, combined tackled volumes and stacks and stacks of presents. It would have taken all day – and yet, students kept coming back for more and more and more – and finished leaving nothing to be done for the remaining two periods that had signed up!
If you watched closely, during this process from period 1 to 5- the holiday music in the background,
students getting candy canes and looking like a small gift production factory during the whole wrapping process, -it was pretty out of this world amazing to see members of the State Trooper division, Woodbridge High Students and faculty involved in a process that they otherwise might never have found themselves in together. I think what is even more outstanding is having a principal that had ideas that ultimately will impact so many others, and passing the wand on to so many others to let such generous ideas to help others occur, and let others make it happen. Be it from the library, educator’s classrooms, the students’ ingenuity, putting SGA and other groups to the challenge, the belief that someone can believe in another to carry out a generous act- is a whole other type of giving. The whole gifting entourage we experienced in December, with so much happening, magical.
Photographs captured by Ms Fisher!
Wreathing and Writhing – One of the coolest opportunities was Deck the Halls day as we take a break to work through some holiday cheer at Woodbridge High the last day of break. One of our students, without hesitation, volunteered to be on hand in the Library Media Center that day to help with the making of book wreaths. This used to be our goal when we wrapped gifts at Barnes and Noble for the holidays, and while we had students waiting, we would make a craft, often being the holiday book wreath which always snagged attention of those coming in and out. Hands down, from checking burnt out holiday lights, to putting on the factory hat, Wesley was able to churn out several book wreaths to gift to faculty and administration, as well as sit down alongside another faculty member supporting them in learning how to make her own, in ADDITION to suggesting what would make a better centerpiece for the book wreath and sure enough – it was AMAZING! Knowing a student like Wesley, his attention span runs at a pace faster than mine (yeah, I know!) and his ability to focus his abilities to benefit and gift the above mentioned energies to so many others in such a short span of one afternoon? – Again, priceless.
Looking back on all of these amazing feats occurring in December, and thanks to the countless individuals that came together to make so many possibilities a reality, it is worth slowing down, NOT getting caught into the machinery of what is next months ahead of the “What’s Next?” and appreciating the gifts that have been gifted to us, right in front of us. That is worth bringing in the New Year, looking back on gifts such as these.
I LOVE magnetized letters. Maybe, well okay, I think I like the people who find the most hysterical phrases from the magnetized poetry – I think that it the real secret. The others.
As I was walking tonight with some contemplating hounds, I realized, how extremely reliant the profession of a certified librarian is on others – how much insight others have to truly liberate the possibilities for students, with the librarian as merely a conductor, yet almost a key maker (think The Matrix).
In the month of November, thanks to Senorita Moraima Reardon, a friend of hers, Nan Burns, discovered a dumpster in Maryland full of books for students, from kindergarten to high school – and I truly mean over 25 boxes FULL of books. The magnetized portion comes to play Ms. Reardon cam to me, the librarian NOT because she thought me superhuman and amazing – (though she gives me higher compliments than I deserve and have to tell ya, certified librarians and public librarians can be nothing short of superheroes) – but because we had done something before – found donated books and placed into the hands of those in need. We did that, and it served as a conduit, ultimately a magnet, that Ms Reardon found me and together we became stronger in making this tragedy of new books almost sent to the garbage, now into the hands of Sussex Montessori, The Nanticoke River Watershed Conservancy, and Read Aloud Delaware (Stacy!)
took on sorting through over 25 boxes FULL of every age, grade, type of book, jumbled together – and sorted them ALL and into categories for various locations where they would go – they did this over a 2 week period – and never a complaint. They often found books they knew from growing up and expressed nostalgia over this or that book, but sorted them all expertly. It also was INCREDIBLY amazing to see such a diversity of books represent Native Americans, Middle Eastern locations, Latin American traditions, African American history and ancestry, Jewish heritage and so many more- HOW CAN IT BE OKAY for these texts to be going into the garbage? They represent the very essence of respecting an open mind versus a mind being thrown away.
Add to this the contribution of Ms Smith who connected me with Sarah who enabled a pipeline to get some of the most amazing books to the Sussex Montessori school as well.
Add to this the WHS neighbor who donated cases of blank books and stories that enable students to create their own stories and have their own hardcovers already started.
These individuals mentioned above, allowed the train of distribution to occur, and benefit the community at large around us – they magnetized. Each and every one, working together and yet never being all physically together? How does this happen? I have learned the discipline and training of a certified librarian depends on how you take a look at the community around us, assess the needs, and fill them. This could be residential communities, non-profit communities, school communities, youth communities, public library communities, adult communities, and so much more- the ability to get resources, connect resources – be that being people, supplies, projects, or more – the ability to network this goals and align them with curriculum that is being taught in school – welcome to the aims, goals, and objectives of the role a certified librarian plays in today’s world.
It is extremely enlightening and promising to see students take on and believe in a need so strongly that they will make sure a project as getting books once discarded, that are brand new, and get into the hands of youth that will benefit from them. It started with someone wanting to reuse and save something new, and ended with someone receiving someone new and able to reuse what another seemed worthless. So many similarities to the way people see the role of a certified librarian, see school, see classes, she expectations, we can all learn so much from each other – magnetized for supporting our immediate community!
Actually, it should not be a secret at all, and yet it seems to be.
The School Library. So many misconceptions of what a library is- but as December’s Agenda shows you ( and not being done updated yet after three hours, so stay tuned, more coming!) – the misconception that a library is a placeholder for books only – many need to be reschooled on how valuable certified librarians, school libraries, and students that bring them alive make such an impact on daily school life.
This comment was posted about libraries in general I came across today regarding an initiative to fund public libraries in the state of Delaware:
It is VITAL to NOT lump one category into another, meaning public libraries, school libraries, paraprofessionals, and certified librarians work hand in hand, but all are needed-and they ALL work when working together. Take one away from another, you have a lesser chance of empowering students to their fullest potential in a very difficult time in education today.
The location where students can gather, heal socially, academically, and personally, is truly the high school library. Certified librarians are trained to latch onto social media, community events, and activities to involve students, and tie even the slightest detail to an aspect of curriculum that is being covered in school.
I cannot tell you the number of conversations I have had with students about how to approach a presentation, a homework assignment, an academic assignment, and just IDEAS that students have, WHILE we have been decorating, building, repairing, or another activity. The blending of fun, interests and academics is possible, DOES happen, and occurs in school libraries as well as public libraries. It is easy to NOT see this happening when you might not be in the middle of students on a daly basis to see it happening, but as a parent, community member, and/or advocate for education, talk to your public and school librarians and find out what and how you can see what is happening in and among your community!
Parents, guardians, supporters of active learning – we need you to continue to voice your concerns, requests, and interests in making sure, all schools have a center like the school library media center to express, create, and develop their interests, an have a professional and a center to exercise their freedoms to learn in a flexible way that leads to opportunities that are not even know yet! It happens every day with a school library and certified librarians!
PAVEing a Blog 