Save Our School Library!

Did you know you can donate money to our school library online? You can even go online and CHOOSE the book you'd like to add to our library! Go to our online book shelf to make your donation and/or see what books have been donated. THANK YOU for your support and remember...100% of these donations go to our library.

Help us reach our goal of $500 by the end of the school year and...put books in the hands of our students!

Book Fair Highlights!

Check out our collage of book fair highlights below! Just click on the collage to see it a little larger.

 

Way to Go OIS!

Boy did we EVER reach our book fair goal! Our goal was 500 books and we sold OVER 1,000 books during the week of the book fair - woohoo!! As a school-wide reward students will have the opportunity to watch the oh-so-out of this world movie..."Mars Needs Moms"...complete with popcorn for EVERY student! Thanks to our FABULOUS teachers, students and parents for making this ONE HUGE SUCCESSFUL EVENT! We love to read - and boy does it show!

Mars Needs Moms...coming SOON to a classroom near YOU!

Book Fair Update!

We're having lots of fun at our Scholastic Book Fair this week - where reading is OUT OF THIS WORLD!! We've had lots of exciting things going on at the book fair...contest winners, Open House, visits from Grandparents, pictures with Astronaut Seymour and the UFO and our "What Planet are YOU From?" costume contest. The fun continues as the week goes on...we still have two GREAT days to shop the book fair, invite grandparents, have your picture made and enter contests. Be on the look out for Space trivia tomorrow and Friday as well as winners announced from our coloring contest. And don't forget...if we reach our goal of selling 500 books, OIS will celebrate with a school-wide movie and popcorn day featuring the movie "Mars Needs Moms"!

Keep bringing that ONE FOR BOOKS money! All donations are accepted. Tomorrow is quarter day and Friday is "Anything Goes" day...so bring it all!! Here are the top FOUR reasons you should participate in One For Books:



1. Your class gets to keep all the money to purchase books from the book fair for YOUR classroom!

2. The library makes a profit from the money you bring in to spend towards new books in the library for YOU to read!

3. Scholastic matches EVERY PENNY you donate and sends fabulous books to children in need.

4. You get to hang a UFO in the OIS lobby for all the world to see that YOU are making a difference!

5. The class collecting the most money will be awarded a field trip to visit with author Mike Thaler who wrote the oh-so-popular "Black Lagoon" series!!

Now THAT is something to get excited about...keep reading, keep donating and keep shopping the book fair...where reading is OUT OF THIS WORLD!!

OIS...where students and teachers LOVE to read!

We Have New Friends in the Library!

So our library recently became the home of approximately 40 new friends. These friends are better known as Beanie Babies or as we refer to them...our Reading Buddies! Students are allowed to select a Reading Buddy once their book is checked out and read to him! These have been a fun addition to our library! Students look forward to choosing a buddy for the day and sharing some reading time and a change of scenery. We always have room for more buddies, so if you would like to donate any Beanie Babies taking up space, feel free to send them our way where they will not only be taken care of, but read to daily!

Nosey is Good!

I am a nosey teacher.

I consider being a nosey teacher to be "a good thing". Why you might ask? I learn more. I know more. And the more I learn about my students...the better I can help them at being nosey students. You see, if I know their favorite methods of technology, if I know their favorite things to read, if I know their most admired celebrities...I can create a love of learning that will enable my students to be nosey about reading and in turn nosey about life-long learning. How do I get more of these books? How do I find more books written by this author? How do I get an app for this Kindle? How do I practice my vocabulary words on the Ipad? The more I know, the more I can teach and the more I can teach, the more they will know...

I have asked my students who their favorite celebrities might be...and now we have personalized autographed pictures to display of these exact celebrities encouraging students to read.

I have asked my students what their favorite subjects are...and now I have more books on those subjects.

I have asked my students what they enjoy doing when they get home...and now I have that same technology here so they can read not only books, but information in magazines, on Kindles, on Ipads, on websites and in newspapers.

I have asked my students who their favorite authors and illustrators are...and we have brought many of them to the school to encourage students to continue to read and write and draw...they may be a famous writer or illustrator one day.

I have asked my students when their birthday is...and they are celebrated in the Birthday Book Club with the honor of checking out a new book and donating it to the library.

I have asked my students what they want to learn in technology...and we have downloaded many of these programs and found websites where they can learn more.

I have asked my students how they think other students would be best helped...and we have created school-wide contests and group efforts to make a difference and donate books around the world through Scholastic's One for Books and various other programs.

I have asked my students who their favorite characters are...and we have transformed students into these characters.


I have asked my students how they are involved in the community...and we have invited their local heroes to be a part of our reading program.

My motto is "Reading Rocks". When a student asks, "Why does reading rock?"...I tell them...come inside and let me show you.

I am proud to be a nosey teacher.
I am proud to teach nosey students.
They're always wanting to know what's going on in the library.
They checked out over 16,000 books last year alone in a school of less than 400. They kept a close eye on the library's blog.
They logged into My Capstone Virtual Library online...thousands of times.

Students at Odenville Intermediate School are nosey. They are knowledgeable. They are learning. How nosey are you?

If you are interested in learning how classroom management software can help you become a nosey teacher and manage students on computers more effectively, check out http://www.netop.com/products/education.htm

Welcome Back to School OIS!

Welcome back! I am convinced this is going to be the BEST school year ever! I am so excited to announce our first library event, a back-to-school Reading Pep Rally by author, illustrator, musician...Chris Rumble! We are so excited to have Chris visit our school this Friday, August 19th.

Students, teachers, parents...you may purchase books from Chris for $6 each. This includes an autograph and personal note of encouragement. Be sure to send your money Thursday or Friday of this week.

Here's a special note from Mr. Chris Rumble:

Dear Parents,

My name is Chris Rumble. I am so looking forward to my Author Visit with the great kids at Odenville Intermediate on August 19, 2011.

I believe I was put on this planet to encourage the next generation to realize their greatness. Reading is a big part of that equation.

During our event, I will give all that is in me to get the kids fired up about diving into great books in order to feed their minds and broaden their horizons!

You can help by getting your child excited about our event. Letting them know what a GREAT DAY it is going to be and that we are going to have a lot of fun with music and illustrating and audience participation!

Also, let me encourage you to use this event as a reason to experience great books together with your child. Please see my “Seven Great Reasons to Read to Your Child” included in the post-script.

The day of our event, they will be especially motivated to explore the books that I have written and illustrated: The Adventures of Uncle Stinky! (Random House) Kids love these books highly illustrated chapter books.

At $6, my books are relatively inexpensive. If the school is doing a book sale, the books can be purchased there. I autograph every book and include a personal note of encouragement to each child. If the school is not having a book sale, you can obtain the books at my web site at chrisrumble.com.

Thanks for investing in your child by getting them excited about our event!

I can’t wait to see the great kids at your school face-to-face!

We are going to have a BLAST…and inspire your child at the same time!

For the kids,

Chris Rumble

Student Book Review: Addy Walker

The following is a book review written by OIS student, Taylor A. Taylor is a big fan of American Girl books. She recently wrote a review on one of her favorite books, Addy Walker. Thank you, Taylor, for spreading the love of reading!! If you're looking for something new to read and you've never read an American Girl book, this might be the series for you!! Check out Taylor's review below:

The past couple of weeks I've been reading American Girl books. My favorite series is about a girl named Addy Walker. Addy had a rough life. She was colored so her whole family was sold as slaves. They worked hard and dreamed of freedom. Her dad and brother were sold and her mother and Esther stayed. Her mother decided she and Addy were going to get to freedom. Esther was too young to go so they left her. To find out the rest of the story, check out "American Girl: Addy Walker" in the library.

Thanks so much, Taylor! Great job!!

Valentine's Day Giveaway!

We're going to keep this one short and sweet...this is a 24 hour Valentine's Day giveaway and the winner will receive 6 books from the Magic Tree House series AND a surprise Valentine treat! All you have to do is leave a comment below telling me what YOU love to read - as easy as that!!

Happy Valentine's Day!

Love...

Help OIS Get an IPad!

Now through the end of the school year you can send your used CDs and/or DVDs to OIS and help us purchase Kindle Readers and/or an IPad for our school! Both CDs and DVDs must be in a case with the original paper cover AND they must be readable - no damaging scratches. With your help...we can do it! Thank you, thank you, thank you to those of you who have already sent in DVDs and CDs. We appreciate your support!! Spread the word OIS family!!

Odenville Public Library Hosts Reading with Ringling

Instilling a love for reading at an early age, Odenville Public Library has teamed up with Ringling Brothers and Barnum and Bailey Circus to provide its young readers...Reading with Ringling! Reading five books from Odenville Public Library can earn children a ticket to The Greatest Show on Earth!!

Participants must read four books that come from the Odenville Public Library and are recorded on the circus book log with a special stamp provided by Ringling. When complete, they will receive a clown nose, bookmark, reading log and of course, a ticket to the circus. Interested readers can contact the Odenville Library at 205-629-5901 between the hours of 9 a.m. to noon and 1 p.m. to 6 p.m., Tuesday through Friday to sign up for the program. The circus will be coming to the Birmingham Jefferson Civic Center Wednesday, January 26, through Sunday, January 30. Sounds fun!!

If you're reading along but not located in the Odenville area, be sure to check your local library to see if they're participating! If not, let them know about Reading with Ringling so they can sign up for next year's program!

Information taken from the St. Clair County News, Thursday, January 6, 2011 edition (Amanda E.H. Pritchard).

OIS Library Schedule

The OIS Library is open to students weekly: Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday and Friday. The library is closed each Thursday in order to complete administrative tasks, technology requests, new book orders/preparation, lesson planning, etc.

Library hours are 8:00-2:00. Be sure to visit us, check out new books and magazines and see the library displays. You never know...there may be a contest or two taking place. We love to see your smiling faces!!

Last year we checked out over 16,000 books!! Can we top it this year??

Keep reading!

Local Heroes Save the Day

Lydia Lewis, seated, is a 3rd grade teacher at OIS. Mrs. Lewis and her students raised the most money during the book fair through the One for Books program. Local Super Heroes were honored at a celebration breakfast for Mrs. Lewis' class. Local heroes were, standing, from left, Jenny Seals, Gary Hanner, Bob Talley, Mike McCullars, Ralph Glover, Robert Sutton, Adam Pardue, Buck Christian and Constance Seymour.

Click here to see this article in its entirety. We're so proud of our students, teachers AND local heroes. Thank you for helping to make our book fair a success!!

The OIS Fall Book Fair was $1 away from surpassing the school's all time book fair record! In 2008, the school sold over $6,000 in books and that was with 500 students. THIS YEAR, the school sold over $6,000 in books with an enrollment of approximately 325 students. THANK YOU to the parents, students, teachers and community of Odenville for supporting us in helping to raise funds for our school library!

OIS READS!

As of today, Friday, October 8, 2010, the students of OIS have checked out 3,357 books from the school library during the 2010-2011 school year. Way to go! Keep reading OIS!

Join the Birthday Book Club!

OIS students...remember to sign up for the Birthday Book Club for yet another extra special way to celebrate YOUR special day AND help your school library at the same time! Here's how it works:

*During the month of your birthday, you may choose a book from the Birthday Book Club Book Selection in the library.

*A special bookplate will be placed in the book with YOUR name and birthday - so that students for years to come will know YOU donated that book to the library on your birthday.

*Your photo will be posted on the Birthday Book Club Bulletin Board and possibly in the newspaper, in the yearbook and/or right here on our library's website!

*Enjoy some time in the library reading your book and munching on special birthday treats - this book will be checked out to you for two weeks in ADDITION TO your other two library books.

This is a FUN way to not only honor your child by placing a book in his/her name in the OIS library, but it also helps update our school media center. Cost for the Birthday Book Club is $10.00. Please see Mrs. Champagne for a Birthday Book Club form.

We WANT Your Sunny D Labels!

Remember to save those Sunny D Labels and send each label to the library. We can then cash them in for free books! For every 20 labels we collect, we'll earn 20 free books - sounds easy enough, but we need your labels!! If we're one of the top ten schools, we'll be entered into a chance to win HUNDREDS of free books - and boy do we need books - so start collecting those labels!

Labels will be collected NOW through November.

Need a coupon to go out and buy your yummy Sunny D? Go here to print out a coupon - save money AND help your school!

Thanks Sunny D!

OIS Teacher Feature: Friends Make Reading Fun!

Reading is a focus at Odenville Intermediate School. With so many wonderful teachers and students, you can always find something exciting going on as you walk through the halls, seeking out readers. Take for example, Mrs. Wonert's Class. Mrs. Wonert teaches reading to both a fabulous group of third graders AND to a beloved group of Beanie Baby Friends. During independent reading time, you will see a room full of engaged student readers...why are they so engaged? Well, because they're reading to their "friends"...a Beanie Baby animal friend of their choice. The Beanie Babies seem to enjoy being read TO almost as much as the students enjoy reading! When asked about her flock of readers, this is what Mrs. Wonert had to say:


I "borrowed" this idea from another teacher at Steele Junior High School. However, she allowed students to read to any stuffed animal. I collected beanie babies when I was a child and I came across them again when I was moving houses. I hated seeing them boxed up and put away so..... I thought they would come in handy for silent reading in my classroom. Brilliant idea! I have never seen children get so excited about reading!! Reading with the beanie babies is a reward. Sometimes if my class (as a whole) has been good for the day, I let them read with a beanie baby. I also let them read with them on test days once they have finished taking their test. Seeing my students silently read to them is precious. Some of them put the beanie babies on their shoulders and read; while others have them in front of them reading and showing the book as if they were a teacher! Priceless!


Keep up the great work, Mrs. Wonert. You ARE making a difference...creating life-long lovers of reading!

Remember to Turn in Your Summer Reading Logs!

If you're a student of OIS, be SURE to turn in your Summer Reading Log! You have until the end of the month to get them sent to the library and be eligible for some fun reading rewards. If you've lost your log, you can always write down the books you read and the approximate dates you read them on a sheet of paper. Let us know what you've been reading. It's so good to see all of your smiling faces back at school. We're going to have a great year!

Kohl's Cares - Help OIS Win $500,000!

I love Kohl's. Shopping there is fun and the time, effort and funds they spend giving back to the community are even better. They currently have a program called Kohl's Cares. They're using the month of August to tally votes on Facebook for schools entering the race to win $500,000!!! Here's what you need to know:

*$500,000 will be donated to 20 eligible schools nationwide, for a total of $10 million. Donations are made possible by the Kohl's Cares cause merchandise program.

*You, your school and your community can go to www.facebook.com/kohls to vote and submit program funding ideas.

*The 20 schools that get the most votes and meet eligibility criteria will receive half a million dollars each!!

That's amazing!! The good news is, you can vote for your school up to five times AND you have 20 votes - which means you can vote for 4 different schools - or more schools if you want to spread the love. This is GREAT for people like me who work at one school and have a child at another - I was able to vote for both schools, be fair and not feel guilty - because it only allowed me 5 votes for each. PLEASE - we would love for you to cast your five votes for Odenville Intermediate School. There are things we, our students and community, are in need of desperately...a play ground, cafeteria, music program, art supplies, and of course...materials for our library and classrooms. Won't you do your part and vote today?

Just go here to vote. The children of Odenville THANK YOU! Spread the word!

Capstone Kids: Interactive Fun!

Have you heard of Capstone Kids? It's a great website with free games and activities SAFE for the whole family! The great thing is, the characters in the games are straight out of Capstone's books - so children are already familiar with the characters AND they get an opportunity for some interactive play...they won't even know they're learning!

Here's a little blurb from Capstone:
Capstone Kids is owned and operated by Capstone Publishers. We are a family-owned company that supports the reading needs of preK-12 students through Capstone Press, Compass Point Books, Picture Window Books, Stone Arch Books, and Red Brick Learning. We’re proud of the range of high-quality nonfiction and high-interest fiction we offer, and invite you to browse our collections!

We offer MANY Capstone titles to students in our library. What's better than getting "hooked" via an online game and then searching for the book in the library?? It's all about making connections. I highly suggest this website for students - check it out!

Capstone Kids

Here are a few characters your children will see at Capstone Kids Online that they may be familiar with from books they've read:

Buzz Beaker
Captain Cal
Damian Drooth Supersleuth
DC Comic Superheros

Eek & Ack
Gus
Isabel Soto
Jimmy Sniffles
Klooz
The Library of Doom (a favorite of OIS students!)
Max
Max Axiom
Pony Tales
Recon Academy
Tiger Moth
Zinc Alloy