Kathleen OConnor

EDSL530 PWC Cohort

Fall Back-to-School Reading

Program
Goal: Students will read widely and fluently to make connections with self, the world, and
previous reading. (AASL Standard 4.1.2) Students who read well and frequently perform better
on all manner of standardized tests, no matter what the content area. Our program will also
support AASL Standard 4.2.4: Show an appreciation for literature by electing to read for
pleasure and expressing an interest in various literary genres. This supports the school goal of
reaching AYP annually and making sure all demographic groups are progressing, closing the
achievement gap.

Objective:

The school librarian will work with classroom teachers and parents to
promote visiting the library and developing the habit of reading for pleasure/enjoyment.
The school librarian will encourage teachers and parents to model this behavior as well. A
specific objective is for each student in the building to check out one book from the library
during the first quarter of school. The program will support the schools vision statement,
which is, Potomac High School will set the standard for educational excellence, where all
students achieve their potential and contribute to our local and global community. This
parallels language in the AASL Standards: (Students will) participate in the social
exchange of ideas, both electronically and in person: (4.3.1).

Target Groups
Students, classroom teachers, administrative team, and parents

Strategies

What:
Currently less than one-fifth of students use the library on their own to check out materials that
are of personal interest to them. Most students only come to the library when they are brought
there by a classroom teacher for a specific purpose. The fall reading promotion program will
bring students into the library early in the school year in order to hopefully establish it as a habit
early on. During this visit, the students will be invited to join the book club that meets in the
library during all lunches on every third Wednesday of the month, and receive the flyer for
Septembers selection, Looking for Alaska by John Green.
Promoting and recruiting parents for library involvement will be an important part of the
program. During back to school night, parents will be invited to visit the library and have a tour
of the services offered. Information will be distributed about the Mother-Daughter book club,
Father-Son book club, and Family Read.

Kathleen OConnor
EDSL530 PWC Cohort

During the parent tours, I will introduce them to the Book Sponsor program that will work like
this for collection development: Parents can elect to be book sponsors for our library. There will
be a request box where students can ask for books or an annual magazine subscription that they
would like to see added to our library collection, and one of the parent sponsors can purchase the
book. Involvement can be at whatever level the parent chooses (i.e., purchasing one book or
twenty!) and we would produce beautiful stickers to put inside the front cover, acknowledging
the family for the gift, and creating a family legacy that will last for years.

Why:
It is often said that the library is the heart of the school, and the goal of this program would be to
create and support a Community of Learners. Reading for pleasure is an essential part of
literacy development and citizenship in a learning community. This program will work to bring
together all stakeholders to support literacy development and support the idea that the library
belongs to everyone.

When:
Week of August 25-29: Meet with all grade level PLCs in the English Department to explain the
program. Bring laptop with library schedule so that teachers can get their class visits on the
calendar on the spot, rather than leaving them to their own devices to do it later.
September: All English classes will circulate through the library to view thematic book displays
and learn how to check out books, how to join the book clubs, and learn about the library and all
it has to offer.
Tuesday, September 19th: Back-to-School Night. It will be important to make the library a
desirable destination for parents to visit either before or after they rotate through their students
classes. Balloons, banners, coffee, desserts.it will be an event within the event of Back-toSchool night and parents can learn about all of the literacy encouragement programs mentioned
above, as well as services like off-site access to databases, public library cards, and homework
help.
Early November: When the first quarter is over, the programs success will be assessed and
administrative team will be provided with data to gauge the level of success.

Who:

School Librarian: Responsible for spearheading the entire program.

Mrs. Sadler, Assistant Principal over Language Arts: Lend support to the program by
encouraging the language arts classes scheduled visits and basically making them
mandatory.
Mr. Wright, Building Principal: Providing support to the program by allowing the
school librarian time on the agenda during initial all-staff meeting, and the first PAC
meeting of the year to promote the program. Also providing as much funding to the
library as possible.

Kathleen OConnor
EDSL530 PWC Cohort

All English Teachers: Simply bring their classes to the library during their scheduled
appointment time and librarian will handle the rest. English teachers will NOT be asked
to give students an assignment connected to this visit because the whole idea is reading
for enjoyment.

How:
The primary target group for this program will be students. Rather than focusing on the
problem (low library circulation), the message will focus on the goal: that each student
will check out and read at least one book for personal enjoyment during the first
quarter. Secondary target groups include teachers, parents, and administrative team.

Communication Tools:
Because the primary target audience is teens we will implement a library Facebook page,
Twitter, and Instagram since teens are tuned into social media more than anything else.
The official School Fusion page will also be used.

Evaluation:
Data regarding library circulation from the previous school year will be collected. In
November, the same data will be collected to measure the increase in circulation as a
result of the program. Hopefully we may also be able to also sort students by English
teacher and maybe give a prize to the teacher/class that had the greatest participation.

Attachments that follow:

1. Mother-Daughter book Club Handout (there will be similar one for Father-Son
book club)
2. Book Talk with Ms. OC and Potomac student book club bookmark
3. Cover sticker for donor books
4. Evaluation tool

Kathleen OConnor
EDSL530 PWC Cohort

Mother-Daughter Book Club

Here is how the book club works: Choose a title from this list, the more
extensive list on the library website, or choose a title of your own. Read
it together with your mother, sister, aunt, or even your dad. Then check
out the website for questions you can use to promote a discussion.
After youve discussed the book with your partner, join the discussion
on Twitter!
Follow library discussions @pshslibrocks!

Follow us on Instrgram @pshslibrocks!

Follow this link to the library web page and click the book club tabs to see all of your community reading options!
http://potomachs.schools.pwcs.edu/modules/cms/pages.phtml?
pageid=7971&sessionid=2f061c1ceaacdffae5a17ee1291f553c

HERE ARE SOME GREAT BOOKS TO READ WITH YOUR MOM! All available in sets of
two in the PSHS Library!
If Id Known Then, Women in Their 20s and 30s Write Letters to Their Younger Selves,
edited by Ellyn Spragins
Half Lives by Sara Grant
Neverwhere by Neil Gaiman
Nonnas Book of Mysteries by Mary Osborne
Roomies by Sara Zarr and Tara Altebrando
What Happens Next by Colleen Clayton
Whats Eating Gilbert Grape by Peter Hedges

Kathleen OConnor
EDSL530 PWC Cohort

Here is just one example of the great titles available in the library that you
might enjoy reading and discussing with your mom, sister, or aunt!

It's 1964, and Sunny's town is being invaded. Or at least that's what the adults of Greenwood, Mississippi
are saying. All Sunny knows is that people from up north are coming to help people register to vote.
They're calling it Freedom Summer.
Meanwhile, Sunny can't help but feel like her house is being invaded, too. She has a new stepmother, a
new brother, and a new sister crowding her life, giving her little room to breathe. And things get even
trickier when Sunny and her brother are caught sneaking into the local swimming poolwhere they bump
into a mystery boy whose life is going to become tangled up in theirs.
As she did in her groundbreaking documentary novel Countdown award-winning author Deborah Wiles
uses stories and images to tell the riveting story of a certain time and placeand of kids who, in a world
where everyone is choosing sides, must figure out how to stand up for themselves and fight for what's
right.

Fruit Salad
Sunny and her family and friends gather fruit and other food at her fathers grocery store for those who
were arrested fighting for freedom. Make this fruit salad for your friends.

Kathleen OConnor
EDSL530 PWC Cohort

Kathleen OConnor
EDSL530 PWC Cohort

Fall Back-to-School Reading Program

Evaluation Tool
Books
Checked out
4th Quarter of
2014 School
Year

Fiction
Biography
nonfiction
Graphic
novels

BOOKS
CHECKED
OUT
DURING
FALL
PROMOTIO
N 2014

Books
Checked out
2nd quarter
2014/2015

Books
Checked out
3rd Quarter
2015

Books
Checked out 4th
Quarter 2014

Kathleen OConnor
EDSL530 PWC Cohort

POTOMAC
BOOK CLUB!
EVERY THIRD
WEDNESDAY

A
LL LUNCHES!
Featuring:
Great books, great
discussions, great
friends!
Book Chats by Ms.
OC!
Snacks!
Club t-shirt design
contest
Field trips!

Pick up your lunch in the

cafeteria and bring it to
the library, or bring a
bag lunch from home
and meet us in the
library. EVERYONE IS
WELCOME!

This volume was a

generous
Gift from the

Galarza Family
To the Potomac
Senior High
School Library