Science Fair Help in the Library

Science Fair is under way! One of the components of each science fair project is background research. Students must research their topic and cite the sources they used in their research. All 3rd, 4th, and 5th graders have spent time in the library getting familiar with our online research resources and reviewing how to cite a variety of sources.

Our online research resources may be accessed from home through the library web page. Usernames and passwords are needed for home access - check your science fair packet for this information.  4th and 5th graders also have this information on the inside cover of their school agendas.

The library is usually open from 7:20 am - 3:10 pm each day for student use.  Here are some additional times the library will be available to students and their families for science fair support:

Tuesday, December 11 and Tuesday, January 15: 5:00 - 7:00 pm

Thursday January 10 and Thursday January 15: 7:20 - 3:30 pm

Come to the library during any of these times to find print resources, use the computers, and get assistance with online resources.

Bluebonnet Library Night - Thursday, Nov. 29

All 3rd, 4th and 5th graders are invited to attend our 3rd Bluebonnet Library Night!  it will be held this Thursday night from 6-7 pm at England Elementary.  Students from Jollyville, Forest North, Sommer and England are invited.  This Library Night celebrates the book Postcards From Camp and will feature a camp song singalong and camp themed snacks. We hope to see you there!

Texas Book Festival!

The Texas Book Festival is this weekend! It will be held on the state capitol grounds on Saturday, Oct. 27 and Sunday, Oct. 28. This is a free event that will include storytelling, author presentations, live music, and more!  All authors at the festival will have book signing times as well. You do have to purchase the books at the festival in order to have them signed.

Please visit the festival web site for a complete schedule and additional information:

http://www.texasbookfestival.org/

Jazz in the Library!

All 3rd, 4th and 5th graders are invited to enjoy Library Night at Jollyville Elementary on Thursday, October 18, from 6-7pm. We will celebrate the book Play, Louis, Play and hear live jazz performed by Phil Borerro, a professional trumpet player.  Students from England, Sommer, and Forest North are also invited.

Bluebonnet Party - Under the Mambo Moon

All 3rd, 4th and 5th graders are invited to a Bluebonnet Party on Wednesday, Oct. 3, at Sommer Elementary.  We will be celebrating the book Under the Mambo Moon. The event is from 6:00-7:00 pm in the Sommer Library and will feature Ballet Folklorico dancers.

This event is part of a series that celebrates four different Bluebonnet nominees at four partnering school libraries: Sommer, England, Forest North, and Jollyville. I hope to see you there!

Mrs. Carter

Special Reading Spot Photo Contest ends Aug. 31!

Grab your digital camera, a favorite book, and capture a special reading spot or pose to enter. Students might be found reading near an important landmark, in a tree, or any place their imagination takes them. In the photos, students should be visibly reading a favorite book. The 10 most creative pictures will win, and these photos will be enlarged for display in the library and shared on the morning news. All participants will receive an award, even if the image is not chosen for display in the library.

Contest rules:

 - The school-wide contest runs from NOW until August 31, 2012. Late entries are not accepted.

 - Participating students must turn in a 4 x 6 or 5 x 7 photo print of their entry along with a participation form.  Note: Use the highest resolution your camera will allow. Participation forms are available in the library or on the library web site.

 - Entries will be voted on by staff and the ten winners will then need to provide a digital version of their image so that we can enlarge it for display in the library.  Winners need to provide digital images to Mrs. Carter at christine_carter@roundrockisd.org. 

Please note that camera-phone photos do not have a high enough resolution to print in an enlarged size.       

     

New Bluebonnet Form is Up and Running!

The new Bluebonnet Entry Form is ready to go for all students putting Bluebonnet nominees on their summer reading lists!  The Bluebonnet program is available to all Jollyville students entering 3rd, 4th, or 5th grades.  The Texas Library Association encourages students to "Read five, then decide".  All students who read at least five nominees get to vote for the Bluebonnet Award winner in January.  Jollyville students who chose to read 10, 15, or 20 nominees are eligible for other awards and prizes. Try out a Bluebonnet nominee today!  

Summer Fun Book Fair: May 5-6!

The Jollyville Library is having a book fair at Barnes and Noble Lakeline on Saturday, May 5th, and Sunday, May 6th. If you visit the store on either date and let the cashier know you support Jollyville, a portion of your purchase will be donated to the library! Family and friends can go to ANY Barnes and Noble location on those two days and give the cashier our book fair code to support us as well: Bookfair ID 10734523.

You can also visit BN.COM/bookfairs to support us online from 05/05/2012 to 05/11/2012 by entering Bookfair ID 10734523. Share this information with your family and friends!

On Saturday, May 5, there will be lots of in-store activities for families to enjoy.  Here is the schedule of events:

10:30am – 11:00am    Robotics Demonstration

Students in the JVE Robotics Club will show off their creations!

11:00am – 12:00pm    JVE Staff Pet Parade

Some of our JVE staff will have their pets on hand for you to meet!

12:00pm - 1:30pm      JVE Celebrity Reader Story Time

Listen to stories read aloud by Jollyville celebrities!

1:30pm – 2:00pm        Flip Flop Fashion Show

Decorate a plain pair of flip flops at home, wear them to the store, and come be a part of our show!  Prizes will be handed out for Most Creative, Best Summer Theme, Best Reading Theme, etc. Participants must be in the Children’s Area at 1:30pm. Open to JVE students only.

2:00pm – 4:00pm        Face Painting



While you are there, you can pick up information on Barnes & Noble and Austin Public Library Summer Reading Programs! Get an application for a free library card from the Austin Public Library! Pick up lists of cool summer reads for each grade! Check out JVE teacher wish lists for great end of year gift ideas! Celebrate your school spirit by getting a vanilla bean Frappuccino in one of our school colors: Ocean Blue, or Green Monster!

Celebrating Seuss!

Jollyville Elementary recently celebrated Seuss Week!  Each day students dressed up in a different way to honor a Dr. Seuss book - crazy socks for The Foot Book, green clothes for Green Eggs and Ham, etc.  There were Seuss stories, a trivia contest, and a Character Parade on Dr. Seuss' birthday! What a great week of reading, learning, and fun!

Bluebonnet Votes Are In!

Students across Texas voted for their favorite Bluebonnet Nominee and the results are in: The book The Strage Case of Origami Yoda, by Tom Angleberger, has won the Bluebonnet Award this year.  Jollyville 3rd and 4th graders got to Skype with Mr. Angleberger earlier this year.  You can watch a special video Mr. Angleberger made here:
Tom Angleberger Video

Take a look at some of our students participating in the Jollyville vote below:

all finished voting!

another round of voters

Mrs. Carter is ready for Voting Day!

New Year, New Books!

January has been a busy time in the JVE library! 2012 began with the arrival of 10 boxes full of new books for the library!  Our library budget got an extra amount this year because Mrs. Carter and Mrs. Migl "weeded" so diligently last year.  Libraries weed books much like people weed gardens.  We remove dated, worn books from our collections in addition to books that just don't ever get checked out.  This makes the overall collection stronger and gives our shelves room to showcase all of the wonderful items we have to help students learn and grow.  Our weeding paid off when our budget was doubled for the year so we could add new books to replace some of the ones we removed.

Students are loving the new titles as well as the transitional chapter books we added with a grant from the RRISD Partners in Education Foundation.

As we look forward to the new semester, we also want to celebrate some of the wonderful events that occured in fall of 2011 - an author visit from Phil Bildner, the reveal of our new chapter books, a visit from Dave Titus, the String Man Storyteller, and a visit from storyteller Freddie Carnes for our Pre-K and Kindergarten students.  Enjoy the photos! The library is a happening place!

Phil Bildner signed books for JVE students

We gave Mr. Bildner a JVE shirt and he also signed our "Sluggers" poster that hangs in the library.  

Mr. Bildner sent us a photo of him wearing his JVE shirt on the Brooklyn Bridge!

Our revamped transitional chapter book section - ready for ribbon cutting!

The String Man shows students some great string figures

Kindergarten friends work together to make a star!

Freddie Carnes shares folk tales from around the world with Kindergarten and Pre-K students

Mr. Carnes' puppets - used for a traditional Chinese folk tale