Bellmore-Merrick Community Cupboard

Volunteers at the Bellmore-Merrick Community Cupboard

The Bellmore-Merrick Community Cupboard helps families in our neighborhood put food on their tables. It’s important for me to show my son where those canned goods we donate go to and how they really help those in need. The Cupboard provides unique volunteer opportunity to our faculty and students. They are always looking for volunteers to pack groceries every other Wednesday or to label foods with expiration dates or to organize the donations. Speak to Mrs. Stack in the library for more information. The Cupboard is growing exponentially and we need your help!

Mepham Gives Back

Mrs. Geller's School and Community Leadership classes in the school library.  

The generosity of our students overwhelms me sometimes. This year we decided to send our school-made holiday cards to the Bellmore-Merrick Community Cupboard. To learn more about how the Cupboard got it start click here. Charity begins at home and you can feel the love here at Mepham. Great job to everyone who showed up for our ELITE event, "Crafting Holiday Cards." We now have enough cards to fill this weeks grocery bags. Thank you for spreading the holiday cheer. 

Crafting Holiday Cards

Join us on Monday, December 9th in the school library's MakerSpace right after school to craft cards for our Bellmore-Merrick Community Cupboard. All materials are provided and all students are welcome. This is a school sponsored ELITE Event.

2019 Word of the Year

Oxford names ‘Climate Emergency’ as its 2019 Word of the Year. The Word of the Year designation is intended to highlight “a word or expression shown through usage evidence to reflect the ethos, mood or preoccupations of the passing year.”

The term is defined as "a situation in which urgent action is required to reduce or halt climate change and avoid potentially irreversible environmental damage resulting from it," the Oxford Dictionary reported.

Check out this New York Times article that explains how this year's word was selected. 

Speaker Application is Live for TEDxWCMephamHigh

TEDxWCMephamHigh is a TEDxYouth event geared toward high school students with a broad eye to the general public. This year's theme is "REACH." No pressure...your talk does not have to adhere to the theme. If you have an "Idea Worth Spreading" Tell us!

Click here for the application. Deadline is December 20, 2019.  

New Library Display

Here are a few photos from our new library display. This display will be updated weekly as new school and library events are featured. Have something you want to share? Just let Mrs. Stack know and she will add it to the presentation! We are always looking for innovative ways to reach our school community. A very special thank you to Rose Luna, Librarian at Freeport High School for posting this tweet and inspiring me to finally get this old television up and running! The thing I love the most about being a librarian is the collaborative spirit among colleagues, the willingness to share ideas, and the enthusiasm to try new things. 

Thanksgiving Placemats

Mepham's MakerSpace will be hosting an ELITE event on Monday, November 4th in the school library at 2:15 pm. Students will have the opportunity to decorate Thanksgiving Day placemats that will be used in our Thanksgiving baskets. Our goal is to have at least 2 placemats in each basket. We give over 100 baskets to our local community through the Bellmore-Merrick Community Cupboard. This is a tall order. We need all the help we can get! So stop and give back.

Rock, Paper, Scissors and...

Ms. Geller as the rock, Ms. Stack as the paper, and Ms. Dennis as the scissors.

Not exactly library or book-themed this year, but at least I’m the piece of paper. #HappyHalloween

Stress and Anxiety Relief Through 3D Printing

Student shows off a llama stress-relief toy printed in Mepham's MakerSpace

Research shows that fidget toys help to relieve stress and anxiety... and it's not just for kids! Students or staff can print their own designs or find one on the Internet at Thingiverse.com. We were able to print the one featured above in less than 3 hours using our Afinia H400 3D Printer in the Mepham MakerSpace. Have questions? See Ms. Stack in the library for help.

Winner, Winner, Books for Dinner (Breakfast and Lunch too)

Ms. Stack is the winner of this gift basket from author Laurie Boyle Crompton

I never win ANYTHING! So it was exciting to win this gift basket from author Laurie Boyle Crompton and the Nassau BOCES School Library System at their quarterly meeting today. Included was a $5 gift card to Barnes and Noble, Freaky in Fresno (Ms. Crompton's latest novel), Pretty in Punxsutawney (another one of Ms. Crompton's novels), Groundhog Day DVD, The Breakfast Club DVD, and Pretty in Pink DVD (all of which plays some role in Ms. Crompton's books). I brought all of these goodies back for the students of Wellington C. Mepham High School!

Pretty in Punxsutawney

A Groundhog Day meets Pretty in Pink mashup from author Laurie Boyle Crompton, Pretty in Punxsutawney tells the tale of a girl willing to look beneath the surface to see people for who they really are.
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Andie is the type of girl who always comes up with the perfect thing to say…after it’s too late to say it. She’s addicted to romance movies—okay, all movies—but has yet to experience her first kiss. After a move to Punxsutawney, PA, for her senior year, she gets caught in an endless loop of her first day at her new school, reliving those 24 hours again and again. 

Convinced the curse will be broken when she meets her true love, Andie embarks on a mission: infiltrating the various cliques to find the one boy who can break the spell. What she discovers along the way is that people who seem completely different can often share the very same hopes, dreams, and hang-ups. And that even a day that has been lived over and over can be filled with unexpected connections and plenty of happy endings. 

Freaky in Fresno 

Ricki has one goal: save the Starlight Drive-in movie theater from going dark forever. Okay, make that two goals … she may also want a first kiss from her cinema-rescuing partner and major crush, Jake. Lana definitely has only one goal: grow her online makeup channel to keep her momager off her back, even if the posts attract ugly internet trolls. 

The two cousins couldn’t be more different, but their opposite personalities come crashing to a head when their aunt gifts the girls a vintage cotton-candy-pink convertible. To share. Ricki wants the convertible for the drive-in’s grand reopening, but it’s the same day as Digifest, a huge event where Lana needs to shine. After a major fight and a minor electric shock while wrestling over the wheel, Ricki wakes up as Lana, and Lana wakes up as Ricki. 

Ricki and Lana have only a day to un-Freaky Friday themselves, a task made even more difficult as they try to keep up appearances on Lana’s channel and with Ricki’s hopefully-soon-to-be-kissed crush. But it turns out experiencing a day as each other—filled with rampant Chihuahua wrangling, guerrilla makeovers, and a mini road trip in the Skylark—may be the one thing that helps the cousins see each other and themselves more clearly.

Classroom Libraries

Since introducing choice reading to all of our English classes, it’s hard to keep popular titles on the shelf for long. I’m so grateful to my colleagues for creating robust classroom libraries. It creates an environment that says reading is important to all of us. #mephamreads

Mr. Grosskreuz's Classroom Library

Mrs. Ackerman's Classroom Library

Fragments: Euphoria

Fragments, Mepham's literary magazine, has announced their fall writing contest. Details are in the flyer above. Please see Mrs. Maresca with any questions. 

Pirate Ship & Treasure Chest

This weekend while I was out shopping with my family, I came across these fantastic finds at Pottery Barn and had to scoop them up for our library. Hey, once a pirate, always a pirate! Come check out the thrillers that out new pirate ship and treasure chest are holding.

Pirate Ship holding our "Thrillers"

Treasure Chest holding some more "Thrillers"

Each month we will use these vessels to hold a number of our books on different subjects. Look out for this ever-changing display. #mephampiratepride

Whales for a Cause

Don't you just love it when a collaboration comes together? Our School and Community Leadership students in Mrs. Geller's class colored Vineyard Vines Whales from the Mepham High School Library MakerSpace to raise money and awareness for No Kid Hungry! A total of 154 whales were collected and displayed around the school library. #WhalesForACause #mephamgivesback

Poetry & Short Story Reference Center

There are a few databases that have not look familiar to you at the Mepham High School Library. One of them is the Poetry & Short Story Reference Center. "A rich full-text database of hundreds of thousands of classic and contemporary poems, plus thousands of short stories, biographies, essays, lesson plans and learning guides. It also includes high-quality videos and audio recordings from the Academy of American Poets and other sources."

Content Includes:

• More than 370,000 full-text poems, both classic and contemporary
• More than 55,000 full-text short stories, both classic and contemporary
• More than 4,000 full-text dramatic works
• More than 2,600 audio recordings of poets reading their own works from the Academy of American Poets, poets reading works of other poets and podcasts from The Poetry Foundation
• High-quality videos provided by the Academy of American Poets and MacNeil/Lehrer Productions
• More than 440 full-text explications of both classic and contemporary poems
• More than 1,100 full-text e-books focused on poetry, drama and short stories
• Teaching and learning guides
• 180 lesson plans/labs from the Poetry Foundation
• Poetry Showcases from The Paris Review

JSTOR

We have a new database at the Mepham High School Library. It's JSTOR! "JSTOR provides access to more than 12 million academic journal articles, books, and primary sources in 75 disciplines." The database was purchased as a recommendation from the College Board for AP Capstone, but ALL STUDENTS here at Mepham have access to it. Please see Mrs. Stack in the library for the unique username and password.

MHS Library Orientation 2019

Hey Mepham Pirates! Are you new to Mepham High School? Part of the Class of 2023? Click below to view our 2019 library orientation video. It is a virtual tour of your fabulous library in under six minutes!

Banned Books Week | September 22-28, 2019

Banned Books Week is celebrated this fall from September 22-28. Take a look at the info-graph below that shows the top 11 challenged books of 2018. Do some of them surprise you? Did you know that 59% of challenges take place in public libraries and 23% take place in school libraries? The other challenges take place in schools (classroom), academic libraries, and special/prison libraries. A challenge is an attempt to remove or restrict materials or services based on content. On the other hand, a band is the removal of materials or cancellation of services based on content. 

Believe in YourShelf!

Mepham High School Library Bulletin Board

Close up of Mepham High School Library Bulletin Board

Close up of Mepham High School Library Bulletin Board

Welcome (Back) Pirates!

For some of you, it may be the first time that you will be stepping foot in the Mepham High School Library. For others, you may have spent a lot (or a little) time here. Either way, WE WELCOME YOU!We most definitely want to extend a very special welcome to our new ninth grade students, the Class of 2023! We have many opportunities and resources waiting for EVERYONE up here. The library (room 300) is open from 7:30 AM until 3:30 PM, unless otherwise posted. Students are welcome to use the library during any free period, before or after school.

Many of our new books have arrived - over 6 shelves worth! You may notice some changes to our shelves. We have merged the reference section with our non-fiction books. Now ALL books on a subject will be in the same place and can be checked out for the standard 3-week time period. We also moved our biographies and picture books over to the main seating area.  This leaves more room on our classroom side, which houses our fiction section. If you have any questions, please do not hesitate to stop by and see us. We can't wait to have a great school year with you!

P.S. Are you following the school on Twitter and Instagram? We are @MephamHS!

Turnitin.com

Google Single Sign-On allows you to log into Turnitin using your Bellmore-Merrick Central High School District email address (username@bmchsd.org) and password. Click the “Sign in with Google” button on the Turnitin login page. You’ll be prompted to enter your Bellmore-Merrick Central High School District email address. Then you’ll be prompted to enter your Bellmore-Merrick Central High School District password. Yay! We love when third party companies offer this feature. We all have so many usernames and passwords to remember. This makes life a little easier. 

ISTE 2019: Philadelphia

Some of the Bellmore-Merrick Technology Integration Mentors headed to the International Society for Technology in Education (ISTE) in Philadelphia this summer. Here we are just testing out a green screen.

This conference allows us a chance to test out technology that we can then incorporate into our own classrooms and turn-key this information to the rest of the faculty in Bellmore-Merrick. We were able to make items using a laser cutter. We were also able to try some of the latest adaptive technology, such as a ball that doubles as a microphone. Some of us were even lucky to win a few desks that turn into a standing workstation. ISTE is a worthwhile learning extravaganza that helps us be on the cutting-edge of technology in education.

Summer Reading

Summer Reading for 2019 is now posted. Get all the details by clicking here.

Image Source

Overdue

All library books are now considered overdue. AND THERE ARE 216 OF THEM! AHHHH!!! No worries, just put your book in Mrs. Stack's mailbox. There are no late fines charged - ever.

65

The Class of 1954 has so much school spirit. Every year since 2014, they have made a generous donation to our school library. This year in honor of their 65th anniversary upon graduation, they have donated $6,500. A donation to the school library benefits all our students, faculty, and staff. The items we have purchased in the past have included a 3D printer, iPad reference bar, newspaper stand, MakerSpace materials, furniture, eBooks, and so much more. Some of the items we plan to purchase with this donation include a large flat-screen television, new desks, and additional charging stations.

Mrs. Stack, Librarian and Mr. Gomez, Principal with representatives from the Class of 1954

Mepham High School means a lot to a lot of people.We strive to give a great education, sense of community, and opportunities to all our students. Your generous donations allows us to continue that pursuit. Thank you to the alumni for giving back.

What book changed your life?

Inspired by BookExpo 2019, our latest bulletin features books that changed the lives of our students, staff, and faculty at Mepham High School. There is still time to add your voice to our wall. Stop by and pick up a post-it, write down the title of the book and the author, then stick it on the board.

Penguin Random House at BookExpo 2019

Mepham High School Library Bulletin Board

Books for Days

Expo floor at the Jacob K. Javits Convention Center for BookExpo 2019

Holy cow! This was my first time heading to BookExpo, which gives librarians access to the latest titles, favorite and new authors and librarian-focused conferences to help us track the trends. This conference offers librarians the ability to see and learn what’s new and what’s next in publishing to help build our libraries. BookExpo was simply amazing. Besides the FREE "stack" of books that I left the conference with (all of which I brought back to our students and staff), there were engaging sessions, author signings, and giveaways.

Adult Book & Author Breakfast

The Adult Book & Author Breakfast took place on day 2 on the main stage and was moderated by Rachel Maddow (Drift).  Malcolm Gladwell (The Tipping Point) - MY FAVORITE!!, Karin Slaughter (Pretty Girls), Marjorie Liu (Monstress), and Ta-Nehisi Coates (The Water Dancer) spoke about their new books and breaking into the industry. It was a highlight for sure! 

Huge fan of Jason Reynolds right here!

Getting to meet the authors that have changed the way you teach is incredible. This man right here turns non-readers into readers. I have been a witness. Finding the right book for the right student is one of my favorite jobs as a librarian. In order to do that, I have to read books in genres I might not be accustomed to, but it pays dividends when a student comes back and you know they are hooked.  

Children's Book & Author Breakfast  

Day 3 brought the Children's Book & Author Breakfast hosted by Jenna Bush Hager & Barbara Pierce Bush (Sisters First: Stories from Our Wild and Wonderful Life). The other authors included: Tomi Adeyemi (Children of Blood and Bone), Lupita Nyong'o (Sulwe), Eoin Colfer (Artemis Fowl series), and Da Chen (Girl Under a Red Moon). These breakfasts were very powerful, dealing with real world problems. I laughed, I cried - the way any good book makes you do.

BookExpo - I will be back next year! 

Book Expo 2019

Two of the high school librarians from the Bellmore-Merrick Central High School District are headed to BookExpo for the next three days! We are very excited regarding all the librarian-specific content.

According to the website:

BookExpo gives you access to the latest titles, favorite and new authors and librarian-focused conferences to help you track the trends. There is no better place for librarians to see and learn what’s new and what’s next in publishing to help build your library! 

BookExpo features librarian-focused content, including:

• Author Breakfast, APA Tea and Stage Events
• Autographing
• Library Lounge
• Buzz Panels
• Connecting Children’s Books with Kids
• Data Driven Collection Development
• AAP Library Sessions

We will post updates live from BookExpo on our twitter accounts: @mssstack and @KMtheLMS

Checkology

Last week I attended a demonstration at Nassau BOCES School Library System on the News Literacy Project's Checkology. "Young people are dealing with the most challenging information ecosystem in human history, rife with misinformation, hoaxes and falsehoods that distort students' understanding of their world. To become critical thinkers who demand the truth, they must develop news literacy skills."According to recent research 89% of teens get their news from social media. 44% of teens and pre-teens believe they know the difference between fake and real news. 31% of teens and pre-teens shared information in the last 6 months that they later learned was false or inaccurate. News literacy education is the answer to these challenges we are facing. 

With 13 interactive lessons, Checkology is a browser-based platform that enables our teachers to equip our students with the tools to evaluate and interpret news and information so they know what to trust, share, and act on. 

The 13 interactive lessons cover:

• InfoZones*
• Democracy's Watchdog*
• Misinformation*
• Practicing Quality Journalism*
• What is News?
• Be the Editor
• The First Amendment
• Citizen Watchdogs
• Introduction to Algorithms
• Branded Content
• Understanding Bias
• Arguments & Evidence
• Press Freedoms Around the World 

We have decided to add this database to our curriculum for the 2019-2020 school year. Our hopes is that it will help our students tell fact from fiction. 

*These lessons are available at no cost. 

** Full disclosure: Checkology is partially funded by the Facebook Journalism Project.

Paper, Paper….Get Your Paper Here!

Our newspaper stand just arrived at the Mepham High School Library. You can now pick up a copy of The Buccaneer (our school newspaper), Newsday, or The Wall Street Journal. Read the world or our little neck of the woods.

Mepham High School Library Newspaper Stand