Interactive Ancient History Museum

Mr. Patten and Mr. Mazieka's 9th grade World History classes recently came into the library to research four ancient civilizations: India, China, Rome, and Greece. Each group was assigned four categories: geography, government, society, arts and culture. The arts and culture students were responsible for producing a 3D print of an object that represented their time period. The other groups had the option of creating a digital and/or a hand-crafted display to present what they learned. All students utilized Mepham's MakerSpace. On Friday, we opened the library for students to walk the exhibits.

3D prints from Mepham's MakerSpace 

Do you have an idea worth spreading?

Made with Canva

Do you have an idea worth spreading? We are looking for dynamic voices on the theme: "Together in the Divide." Click here for the speaker application. Our next TEDxWCMephamHigh event will take place on Saturday, March 30th. Be on the lookout for more information coming soon or check out our website here. 

Holiday Cheer

Flyer created using Canva.com

Join us in the school library in our MakerSpace to craft holiday cards for Mercy Haven’s network of families. Mercy Haven is  a non-sectarian, non-profit organization located in Islip Terrace that offers assistance to over 3,000 Long Islanders, approximately half of which are children. Mercy Haven’s mission is to acknowledge the dignity and potential of people who are homeless, living with mental illness, or living in poverty by providing housing, advocacy, education, and life skills development. All craft supplies will be provided. We look forward to seeing you there! 

3Doodler Start

3Doodler Start 

This award-winning kid-safe 3D printing pen has been a big hit here at the Mepham High School Library. Even though this pen is designed for ages 6+, our high school students love how easy it is to use. We started with the 3Doodler Start Essentials 3D Printing Pen Set, which includes a 3Doodler Start Pen (Blue), 2 Packs of 3Doodler Start Plastic, Activity Guide (with over 12 projects) and Micro-USB Charging Cable. We also have the 3Doodler Create which is designed for ages 14+, but the students like the grip better on the 3Doodler Create. We have purchased accessories, such as molds and stencils now that the students have a good idea how to use this device. The 3Doodler  pens are available in the library (behind the circulation desk) for all our students to create. Just ask Ms. Stack or Ms. Gellerman. What will you make?

Mindfulness in the Library

Last year you may recall that we hosted the health classes in the library for our stress-reduction stations (you can read all about it here) and this year we are bringing back a few old favorites and changing some stations up.

Station # 1: Kindness Rocks Project
Station # 2: Board Games - Tic Tac Toe, Jenga, Chess,Checkers, & Rubik's Cubes
Station # 3: Color Me Poster
Station # 4: Button Maker / Origami
Station # 5: 3Doodler Pen / littleBits
Station # 6: Bracelet Making (to support the non-profit Reason2Smile)
Station # 7: Stick Together
Station # 8: Meditation / Virtual Reality

The holidays can be a very stressful time for teens. Most parents are consumed with their own stress this time of year, so teens might not get the level of support that they are accustomed to. It's also the end of the marking period, so some teens might be worried about grades. Most of our seniors are working on college applications as well. This is all very stressful. We need to take time to de-stress. This might be a foreign concept to many of our students. This lesson is designed to teach them to take time to focus on a singular task, to put down the electronics, and to spend time talking to their peers. It is 42-minutes for them to decompress. The thing I love most about this day is that everyone (usually) leaves with a smile on their face. They seem a little more relaxed and ready to take on the day.

Kindness Rocks

Some rocks from the Kindness Rocks ELITE event. 

Mepham students always find a way to give back. This past Monday, students showed up to the Mepham MakerSpace in the school library to paint rocks for the Kindness Rocks Project. We plan to place the rocks all around Mepham High School. Students are encouraged to take one when you need it, or share it with a friend.

Kindness Rocks Project

The Kindness Rocks Project is designed to "cultivate connections within communities and lift others up through simple acts of kindness." In honor of the release of founder, Megan Murphy's new book,
A Pebble for Your Thoughts: How One Kindness Rock At the Right Moment Can Change Your Life, we are hosting a Kindness Rocks Project here in the school library on Monday, November 19th at 2:15 pm. The Kindness Rocks Project encourages people to spread positivity by leaving a rock with an inspirational saying in public for someone to find. So come paint your own rock to leave around Mepham High School. All materials will be provided. It is an ELITE event. You can sign up here to attend.

Kindness Rocks Project @MephamHS

About the book (being released on November 15): 

It all started with a single stone on a beach in Cape Cod and now spans the globe. The Kindness Rocks Project, founded by Megan Murphy, is based on the profound truth that one message at the right moment can change someone’s day, their outlook, and, indeed, their whole life. The messages on these thoughtful pebbles take many forms: gratitude, affirmations, encouragement, and offers of hope—all signposts along the way for someone to find at exactly the right time.

Starbooks

Mepham Library Bulletin Board

We have a new bulletin board up outside the Mepham Library with one book selection from various genres. Stop by the library for more recommendations or browse our fiction section with genres labels on the book's spines.

Here are the ones listed on the bulletin board:
Memoir: Educated by Tara Westover
Realistic Fiction: The Hate U Give by Angie Thomas
Mystery: A Study in Charlotte by Brittany Cavallaro
Humor: Now a Major Motion Picture by Cori McCarthy
Biography:Vincent and Theo: The Van Gogh Brothers by Deborah Heiligman

Action: The Epic Crush of Genie Lo by F.C. Yee

Dystopian: American War by Omar El Akkad
Novel in Verse: Swing by Kwame Alexander
Mythology: Bull by David Elliott
Thriller: Hidden Pieces by Paula Stokes
Romance: A Very Large Expanse of Sea by Tahereh Mafi
Poetry: For Every One by Jason Reynolds

LBGTQIA+: What If It's Us by Becky Albertalli and Adam Silvera
Sports: Upon Further Review: The Greatest What-Ifs in Sports History by Mike Pesca
Science Fiction: An Absolutely Remarkable Thing by Hank Green

Historical Fiction: Before We Were Yours by Lisa Wingate
Horror: Sleeping Beauties by Stephen King and Owen King
Non-fiction: Astrophysics for People in a Hurry by Neil deGrasse Tyson
Classic: A Tale of Two Cities by Charles Dickens

Play: The Crucible by Arthur Miller

Classic Retelling: Girls Made of Snow and Glass by Melissa Bashardoust

Coming of Age: The Lake Effect by Erin McCahan

Social Butterfly

Ms. Stack as a "Social Butterfly" on Halloween

On Halloween, Ms. Stack came dressed as a "Social (Media) Butterfly." She discussed Internet safety with our students. More tips to come.

Literary Book Club

The Hate U Give by Angie Thomas

Literary Book Club: Join us on Wednesday, October 17th in room 232, as we discuss Angie Thomas’ book, The Hate You Give. Sixteen-year-old Starr Carter moves between two worlds: the poor neighborhood where she lives and the fancy suburban prep school she attends. The uneasy balance between these worlds is shattered when Starr witnesses the fatal shooting of her childhood best friend Khalil at the hands of a police officer. Khalil was unarmed. All are welcome to attend. This is an ELITE Event. You can sign up here to attend. 

Place of Study?

Buccaneer Vol. XLII 

While doing some research for our Buccaneer (Mepham's newspaper) staff, Mrs. Gellerman came across this interesting article regarding the school library. It even has a rebuttal by Wilma M. Cope, Librarian (great name by the way)! Personally, I would love to get my hands on Alison Goldstein's petition (wonder what was on that)!

The Mepham Library of yesteryear may still be seen in the construction of the space, but it hardly resembles the atmosphere today. When Ms. Cope stated that, "the librarians have tried to be more tolerant of moderate student talking of short duration;" I literally laughed out loud. Our library is anything but quiet. Learning is not always quiet. In fact, sometimes learning is loud. And we like it that way!

"Adopt Me" Bandanas

ELITE Event in the school library

On Monday, October 15th in the school library's MakerSpace at 2:15 pm, we will be creating "Adopt Me" Bandanas for cats and dogs up for adoption at the Town of Hempstead Animal Shelter. All materials will be provided. This is an ELITE event. Sign up here.

UPDATE: We were able to donate over 80 "Adopt Me" Bandanas to the Town of Hempstead Animal Shelter. #mephamgivesback

Google Classroom Update

There were so many great updates to Google Classroom over the summer and this September. Check out what's new on the Google Classroom Help page. What's great about this page is that it provides a description of each new feature and a link to more information on using it in Classroom. You can also get the latest updates on Classroom, by following Google for Education on Facebook or Twitter. Your Mepham Technology Integration Mentors (Ms. Desmond, Ms. Stack, and Ms. Tschan) recently hosted a Lunch N' Learn in the school library to prepare teachers for all the recent changes. As always, you can stop by anytime to ask questions if you are having trouble. We are here to help!

The "New" Google Classroom

The Teens' Top Ten

The Teens' Top Ten is a "teen choice" list, where teens nominate and choose their favorite books of the previous year! Nominators are members of teen book groups in fifteen school and public libraries around the country. Nominations are posted on the Thursday of National Library Week, and teens across the country vote on their favorite titles each year. Readers ages twelve to eighteen can vote online between August 15 and Teen Read Week™ (October 7-13, 2018) here on the Teens' Top Ten site. The winners will be announced the week after Teen Read Week.

Teens can vote for their 3 favorite titles from their list of nominees! Check out the nominees video and go vote! 

MHS Library Orientation 2018

Hey Mepham Pirates! Are you new to Mepham High School? Part of the Class of 2022? Welcome and welcome back to our returning students. We are so glad to have you. Click above to view our 2018 library orientation video. It is a virtual tour of your fabulous library in just six minutes! There have been a few changes over the summer... including the installation of a brand-new Starbucks-esque seating area thanks to a generous donation. You can read all about it here. 

Questions? Swing by and ask the librarian!

In Chains

Banned Books Week 2018 is September 23-29. It brings together the entire book community in shared support of the freedom to seek and to express ideas, even those some consider unorthodox or unpopular. The books featured in our Banned Books Week display have all been targeted with removal or restricted in libraries and schools. By focusing on efforts across the country to remove or restrict access to books, Banned Books Week draws national attention to the harms of censorship. For more information visit the American Library Association website.

Banned Books Week

Suggestion Box

We have a new suggestion box in the school library. If you have any suggestions please put them into the box and we will review them. All inquires are welcome. 

Someone once suggested we get a 3D printer. Guess what? We bought one!

There Are Two Sides to Every Story

Mepham Library Bulletin Board

Can you think of any books that tell a story from more than one perspective? Stop by to add that book to our latest bulletin board.

Reading Nook

Thanks to a very generous donation from alumnus Mark Mobius, class of 1954, we were able to purchase items for our first ever reading nook. The new comfy chairs and end tables were a big hit here at Mepham on the first day of school. We had been looking for ways to create separate, yet cohesive spaces in the library to accommodate all of our patrons. Students had been asking for "soft seating." We wanted to design a space that was inviting and would foster communication and collaboration. Looks like we accomplished that goal! The chairs and tables can be moved around to create many different configurations depending on the needs of our students and teachers.

New library seating

Thank you so much Mr. Mobius for helping to make our vision a reality. Alumnus, Lance Blackshaw serves as an ongoing liaison between the alumni and our school, making these special projects come to life. Mepham's class of 1954 continues to be a prominent source of funding for our school library.

Our mission is to promote an environment that is warm and welcoming for everyone. The school library is the hub of our school community and serves many functions. Students come here to learn, create, read, interact, socialize, and so much more. We will continue to provide them with unique opportunities and resources with the help of our alumni and community partners.

Kiki, do you love me?

Mepham Library Bulletin Board

Welcome Back!

Welcome back new and returning students, faculty and staff! We want to extend a very special welcome to our new ninth grade students, the Class of 2022! We have many opportunities and resources waiting for you up here. The library (room 300) is open from 7:30 AM until 3:30 PM, unless otherwise posted. All students are welcome to use the library during any free period, lunch, or after school. Come see our new fiction, non-fiction and biographies that came in over the summer. There is something for everyone. 

New Books for Fall 2018

If you have any questions, please do not hesitate to stop by and see us. 

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

Summer Reading Rocks 2018

“Summer reading is about kicking off shoes, staying up much too late, reading all day with no one caring that’s what you’re doing. It’s about rushing through one to get to the next or lingering as long as you want. It’s about vicarious experiences that let us become a girl in an attic, a boy in the wilderness, a kite runner in a far-away land. And that type of reading begins with personal choice.” - Dr. Kylene Beers: educator, author, and former president of the National Council of Teachers of English

Yay for independent reading! The English Department invites students from all grade levels to select a book of their choice to complete the summer reading assignment this year. *Please note that 11th grade students entering AP Language and Composition and all students entering AP Literature and Composition do have a special assignment that can be found here.

Having trouble finding a book? Come see us in the school library! We can help you find the right book for your individual interests. 

Still having trouble finding a book and school is no longer is session? We encourage you to check out these suggested titles:
YALSA's Teen Book Finder Database
NPR's Book Concierge
The 100 Best Young-Adult Books of All Time
40 YA Books You Need on Your Summer Reading List

Summer Reading Program Rules & Additional Information:

• Please select a book that is appropriate for high school. You should not have read this book before, either in class or independently. You can choose fiction or nonfiction novels, graphic novels, or plays. Essay and short story collections/compilations are OK. 
• Please complete the book prior to the first day of school in September, 2017.
• You will be asked to write a reflection on your summer reading selection in September!

Have You Returned Your Library Books?

Please Interrupt Me!

Since my desk is in the front of the library, and my job calls for stints at the computer - ordering books, responding to emails, posting on the school's Twitter account, etc. - I often hear students says, "Sorry to bother you, but..." YOU ARE NEVER BOTHERING ME. In fact, I download this sign from Grey House Publishing to make that clear and stuck it on my desk.

Courtesy of Grey House Publishing 

Whatever I am doing is not more important than helping you. So, please interrupt me! Remember that we are here to help you. That is our most important job.

Ms. Stack's desk

Matching "Please interrupt me" button!

Button courtesy of Mepham parent, Ms. Williams. 

A Day in the Life of the Library

Have you ever wondered what a day in the life of the William S. Christy Memorial Library looks like? Well, wonder no more! The students of the Bellmore-Merrick Broadcasting department filmed an average day in our library recently, highlighting some of our current initiatives, such as BreakoutEDU, 3D printing, Stick Together, MakerSpace activities, independent reading, and so much more!

While this video doesn't include ALL the wonderful things that happen every day in our library, it gives you a glimpse into what is happening around here. Come see for yourself. Remember... Everyone is welcome.

Library Club Manual

We recently came across a bunch of Mepham High School Library Club Manual's from the 1960s. The purpose of these handbooks was to describe some of the important duties of Library Club members. It was intended to be used for training the apprentices recruited each spring and to be kept for reference and review. The junior and senior students were to certify the sophomores under their tutelage as each branch of training was completed. The first manual was published in April 1962. It was intended to revised each year and suggestions were solicited. The hope was that both masters and apprentices will learn from this process. While most of the Library Club activities are outdated, the premise still rings true today:

"The smooth operation of the Library is very important to the high school, and the Library Club is very important to the smooth operation of the Library." - Wilma H. Cope and Mildred E. Klips, Librarians, W. C. Mepham High School  

Library Club Manuals from the 1960s

The Great American Read

"The Great American Read is an eight-part series that explores and celebrates the power of reading, told through the prism of America’s 100 best-loved novels (as chosen in a national survey). It investigates how and why writers create their fictional worlds, how we as readers are affected by these stories, and what these 100 different books have to say about our diverse nation and our shared human experience.

Voting will open online and on social media with the launch of the two-hour premiere episode and continue throughout the summer, leading up to the finale in October 2018. Over the summer, viewers can vote online and through hashtag voting via Facebook and Twitter. In the fall, viewers will also be able to cast their votes by using SMS and toll-free voting."

Watch the trailer above for more information.

Quiz: How Many Books Have You Read From the List of 100?

NoodleTools

Watch this short video below to see how you (Mepham students) can quickly access NoodleTools to create online citations. This is just in time to finish up all those research papers!

Revamped Website

The Mepham High School Library's Website recently received a much-needed face lift. Using our Weebly Pro subscription, we updated the content of our pages to reflect the changes to our program. You can still find all the information you need to locate books and access our numerous databases. We hope you like this new look.

New library website

Uncovering the Past

Our dear friend, Ms. Dennis has taught the Gilder Lehrman class, Uncovering the Past, here at Mepham for over 8 years. Her class can often been seen in the school library researching many different aspects of our strong and rich history. There is a plaque (see below) in the Mepham Library on the classroom side, and I have always wondered about it. Who was Donald F. Thompson? How did he serve Mepham High School? I enlisted Ms. Dennis's class to help solve the mystery. 

This plaque hangs on the classroom side of the Mepham Library 

Her class headed straight for the yearbooks. They picked up the 1964 Treasure Chest. Sure enough this yearbook was dedicated to Mr. Thompson. 

Mr. Donald F. Thompson

 In Memoriam

"Donald F. Thompson's untimely death has meant the loss of one of its ablest and most beloved teachers. Of his thirty-three years in teaching, twenty-four were spent here. His career was interrupted for a time during which he served in the North African campaign in World War II. Although we think of him primarily as a classical scholar, he taught English as well as Latin, bringing to both subjects the enthusiasm, learning, and inspiration which brought him the respect of faculty and students alike. We mourn his passing, but we take comfort knowing that his influence, like his memory, will remain ever with us."

"No place is perfect," he would say.
Ours is less so; he's gone away.
The ready smile, the earthy wit,
The cheery voice, th' endearing bit
Of boyishness within the man -
Can we forget them? No one can.
And if we learn from him to be
Patient, gentle, kind, and free
From all envy, malice, guile
As we mourn for him the while,
We'll thus improve our earthly lot.
And he? In pace requiescat.

Spring Cleaning

Ahh, spring is FINALLY here. We are trying to do some spring cleaning around the library, including weeding books and technology. Not many people outside of the library world know what the term "weeding" means, as we apply it to books. Weeding is the systematic removal of resources from a library based on selected criteria.

"...weeding is the most undesirable job in the library. It is also one of the most important. Collections that go unweeded tend to be cluttered, unattractive, and unreliable informational resources." - Will Manley, "The Manley Arts," Booklist, March 1, 1996, p. 1108.

This quote still rings true over 20 years later. A well-maintained collection is far more useful than one filled with out-of-date or unused materials. We weed books that are of poor content (racist, sexist, outdated, obsolete, irrelevant to patron needs, etc.) poor condition, poor circulation, multiple copies that are no longer necessary and other selection criteria.

When we weed:

• We make room for relevant material to be added
• Our students are able to access useful material quickly
• The collection is more reputable because it is current
• Gaps can be seen and filled more easily
• The materials on the shelf are of good quality and physical condition (Students actually want to pick them up!) 

We are also cleaning up our technology. We have condensed the larger, bulkier Chromebook carts to one sleeker version. We welcome suggestions regarding our space and making it more user-friendly. Stop by today to chat to a librarian about any wants/needs.   

Our NEW Chromebook cart is more compact and saves space

3D Printing

The Afinia H400 in the school library's MakerSpace

We are busy today 3D printing chess pieces. We are repurposing an old checkerboard with some chess pieces designed by our students. #wearemakers

Once a Pirate, Always a Pirate

On May 2, 2018, Lance Blackshaw representing Mepham's Class of 1954, stopped by our school library to present Ms. Stack, librarian, with another generous donation from the alumni. This is the Class of 1954's third donation in the amount of $1954 (not including their initial donation of $5,400). The funds go to support projects like our iPad reference bar, 3D printer, ELITE events, 3Doodler, Silhouette Cameo and so many others. The donations we receive enhance our library programs and make every student feel welcome. Thank you so much for your continued support.   

Mr. Blackshaw presents a check for $1954 to Ms. Stack

Chipotle Reading Rewards

We recently reached out to Chipotle when we heard about their Chipotle Reading Rewards, which are special bookmarks that include a coupon for Buy-One/Get-One FREE entrée cards.

We partnered with Chipotle to bring our students this great reward in conjunction with our "Reading Without Walls" Challenge, which you can read about here.

Chipotle Reading Rewards Bookmark (and coupon!)

With a surge of independent reading in grades 9-12, we wanted to reward our students for all their hard work. This is the first year that Chipotle is supporting teen reading programs and we think that's important because we should all be lifelong learners. Thank you Chipotle for supporting our mission to make reading matter.

Book Auctions

As an alternative to the traditional book talk, this month, I decided to host a book auction. I brought my show on the road, traveling to the Meadowbrook Alternative Program (MAP) in our district. MAP does not have a traditional library and the classroom sets of books are lacking in diversity. So I filled up three boxes with a variety of books from different genres (historical fiction, fantasy, science fiction, romance, humor, military, etc.) and different formats (graphic novels, verse, poetry etc.). Since I had so many books with me and a small amount of time to "sell" them to the students, I summarized each book into one sentence. Trust me, that's no easy feat! This is what I call a "book auction!"

The books I brought over were chosen based upon a Reader's Advisory Questionnaire that I asked to students to fill it out prior to my arrival. Since I did not know the students personally, I wanted to know a little more about each one of them to help guide the selections. 

The result: Success! Each student in the class was able to select a book of interest for their next unit on independent reading.

NEHS Induction Ceremony

Our 12th annual National English Honor Society (NEHS) Induction Ceremony will take place tomorrow, April 24th at 2:15 PM. This year we are inducting 69 juniors from Mepham High School who have done outstanding work in English. As members of the NEHS they understand the importance of communication, the value of listening, and the significance of expression. They have proven themselves capable of serious study of the English language and of pursuing the truth in works of literature or in their own creative expressions of poetry or prose.

Our keynote speaker, Michael White, is the founder and publisher of Greater Long Island Media Group, which publishes community news website that, collectively, were viewed nearly 2 million times in 2017 alone. He's been on the front lines of news and information gathering from New York City, to Long Island's East End, to the boom town that is Patchogue Village, where he launched his first website, GreaterPatchogue.com, on July 1, 2015. Mike has a master's degree from the Columbia Graduate School of Journalism and is a former staff reporter for the New York Post and Daily News, where he last worked in the Police Bureau. In 2007, he wrote the second-most stories of any reporter at the News before leaving NYC in 2008 to edit community weeklies in the towns of Southold and Riverhead on Long Island. Today he operates GreaterPatchogue, GreaterBayShore, GreaterBabylon and GreaterPortJeff. The sites publish local news stories daily, in both print and broadcast style.

We look forward to hear what Mike has to say to our inductees. All students are welcome to attend.

Flipgrid

According to Flipgrid's website, "Flipgrid is where your students go to share ideas and learn together. It’s where students amplify and feel amplified. It’s video the way students use video. Short. Authentic. And fun!" We couldn't agree more! Bellmore-Merrick has provided each teacher with an educator account. BMCHSD teachers - check your email for instructions on how to signup. Flipgrid is super easy to use. Teachers create a "Grid' - that’s our classroom. Add a "Topic" to spark the discussion. Your topics are like your assignments and are completely customizable. Next, you share the topic code with your students. Then they use that code to share short video responses to ignite a dialogue.

Sample Flipgrid Topic

Your technology mentors (Ms. Stack, Ms. Tschan, Ms. Desmond, and Ms. Bretscher) created a topic called Mepham HS Teachers & Admin to introduce the faulty to all our students, incoming and current, and their families (see below).  Mepham teachers, administrators, and staff will continue to add their voices to this topic throughout the year and it will be ready to view at the beginning of the 2018-2019 school year. Click here to see our progress so far. #FlipgridBack2School

Mepham's school-wide Flipgrid: #FlipgridBack2School

Now, students even have a fun place to record their videos in our Flipgrid pop-up tent in the school library.