H. D. Stafford Middle Library Learning Commons

Orange Shirt Day- September 30th

9/18/2020

Orange Shirt Day takes place yearly on September 30th. In the library learning commons, we have several resources to support learning about residential schools and Indigenous Peoples. On Orange shirt day, we remember Phyliss Webstad's story about being stripped of her orange shirt, humiliated and abused at her residential school. We wear orange shirts that say "Every Child Matters." We learn and we grow, so history will never repeat itself.

If you would like to browse our Authentic Indigenous Peoples' collection online, it can be found here below.

https://collections.follettsoftware.com/collection/5eea9b64beee3c0012a8d7a6

Have a Great Summer...with lots of books!

6/23/2020

Well, we are days away from the end of this unusual school year and into summer vacation. It is my hope that you will have some time to rest, relax and recharge with your families. I also hope you have the chance to read some great books and will come see us in September to tell us about them. I plan to read as many of the 2020/2021 Langley Book of the Year nominees as possible, as well as several other books. We may not be able to travel right now to far away places, but our imaginations and the imagery of literature can take us anywhere in the world. Books can help us have a laugh, cry or simply escape our realties for a little while.
   We don't really know what September will look like yet, but we do know that the library learning commons will reopen to students in some capacity. We have missed seeing all of you and will have several new books to share.
   When you do come back, you will notice a lot of changes. We are very excited for you to see our makeover! We now have varied seating options (complete with mountain views out the window), new tables, chairs, reading nooks, a "think tank," shelving and more! Some sections have been moved to new shelving to allow for more flexibility with the space. We look forward to showing you all during library orientations this Fall! We are so lucky to have a large, modern space to learn in!
We hope you have a wonderful summer and are so excited to support your learning and literacy in September!

Tired of eBooks and missing holding a book in your hands?

6/16/2020

You can now place and pick up library holds from Fraser Valley Regional Library using FVRL Express – Click, Pick, Go. The new contact-less service offers customers a physically distanced way to pick up library holds (books, magazines, movies and more!) and return items at all 25 locations.

How to Use FVRL Express

Browse the catalogue and place holds now!
Staff will pick and package the holds, and send an email when they are ready for pick up.
Plan to pick up your items on your next essential outing or within 3 weeks of receiving the email. Please check your local library’s hours of operation prior to heading out.
When you arrive at your pick up library follow all ground markings and signs to the pickup point. Ensure you maintain a safe physical distance of two meters, or six feet, between you and other customers at all times when in the queue.
At the pickup point, show your library card or ID. Library staff will retrieve your packaged holds, place them outside the door, and motion to you when it’s safe to step forward and retrieve your package

Book Drops are now open. However there is no rush to return materials checked out to you prior to the closures – late fines will not accrue.

FVRL EXPRESS

FVRL SUMMER READING CLUBS!

6/5/2020

Keep motivated with summer reading from the Fraser Valley Regional Library! More info to come or check out:

Summer Reading Club

SUMMER READING CLUBS: Explore our universe! Discover the great unknown this summer when you join FVRL’s 2020 Summer Reading Club. There is a club for everyone!

Read To Me (0 to Preschool) Share stories, record reading, collect stickers, win prizes and get a medal.

Kids (grades K to 6) Collect a reading record, enter prize draws, come to fun shows and earn a medal. Just read every day!

Teens (grades 7 to 12) Read. Record. Repeat. It begins when you pick up an SRC reading record. Includes chances to win fantastic prizes.

Adults Take home a reading record and mark your reading to enter prize draws. The more you read, the more chances to win.
How do I join? Sign up starts June 12 and continues throughout the summer.

How does it work? You and your family members can sign up online and download a reading record! Record every day that you read for fifteen minutes or more! You can read anywhere! Once you have recorded seven days of reading, you can enter our online contest for great prizes!

Programs and Events
It wouldn’t be Summer Reading Club without a great lineup of events throughout the summer. We have virtual storytellers, puppet shows, parties, awards ceremonies and more! Check out our spectacular guest performers.

- Norden the Magician: Norden is back with a magic show full of amazing tricks and wacky gags. Be prepared to join the fun!
- Puppets with Elspeth: Master puppeteer Elspeth and her puppet friends present rollicking fun stories and songs that will help unlock new discoveries as we explore.
- Panagaea Arts: Panagaea Arts presents Stories on Wheels. Based on Kamishibai, a traditional form of travelling street theater from Japan. Tales are brought to life by high-energy comic performance, music, and dramatic action.
- Music with Marnie: Discover the fun of music with Marnie. Sing along and dance as Marnie presents old favourites and new original songs. The music will make you move!

A full list of the SRC 2020 virtual events will be listed on our Events page soon!

Accessible Summer Reading Club
Find accessible Summer Reading Club titles through NNELS. FVRL also has ebook and audiobook formats to better serve customers with perceptual disabilities. Ask library staff for more information.

Write a Letter to Yourself

6/2/2020

Self reflection can be such a powerful tool for growth. When I used to teach English, my students would write a letter to themselves at the beginning of each school year. We would fold them up, lock them in the cabinet and then read them at the end of the year. This website does the same thing, except it will email you your letter whenever you choose. So, go ahead, write yourself a letter. What are you into? What music are you listening to? What's happening in the world? How are you feeling? What's in your heart? What are your hopes and dreams? What fun it will be to read your own words when your letter is emailed back. Happy Writing!

https://www.futureme.org

J.K. Rowling's new book, "The Ickabog", can be read online for free AND includes a chance to have YOUR ARTWORK published!

6/1/2020

From the Author, J.K. Rowling:
"The Ickabog will be published for free on my website, in installments over the next seven weeks, a chapter (or two, or three), at a time. It isn’t Harry Potter and it doesn’t include magic. This is an entirely different story.
The most exciting part, for me, at least, is that I’d like you to illustrate The Ickabog for me. Every day, I’ll be making suggestions for what you might like to draw. You can enter the official competition being run by my publishers, for the chance to have your artwork included in a printed version of the book due out later this year. I’ll be giving suggestions as to what to draw as we go along, but you should let your imagination run wild."
Rules:
- Children (aged 7-12) can create a hand-drawn or hand-painted illustration based on one of the illustration themes, using a single sheet of standard letter-sized (8-1/2" x 11") unlined paper, in portrait/vertical orientation.
- A parent/guardian must scan/photograph their child's artwork and use the official entry form (below) to submit your entry before 11:59 p.m. ET on Friday, July 17, 2020.
Prizes:
- The 34 winning illustrations will be included in the print and ebook editions of J.K. Rowling's The Ickabog, to be published by Scholastic in November 2020.
- Each winner will also receive a copy of the book signed by the author and a prize package of $650 worth of Scholastic books for the entrant's school or library of choice.

Read the Ickabog

Enter Illustration Competition

Roving Resident Reader Challenge!!!

5/25/2020

Our RESIDENT READER has left the building! They got a bit lonely without all of you and decided to head out for a walk in the trails around your neighbourhoods. It's always a great idea to read a book out in nature!

WHAT? This will be a challenge! Search your local nature trails to find our Resident Reader(s) in action! Take a picture of what/who you find. Remember to search high and low, hint-hint!

WHEN? You can find Resident Readers out and about between now and Friday May 29th.

HOW? Enter the contest by emailing Mrs. Burns (cburns@sd35.bc.ca) a photo of the Resident Reader(s) that you discover. In your email you must include your first and last name, as well as your homeroom teacher's name.

SAFETY!!! It is preferable that you go walking the trails WITH an adult or an older family member, and always ensure you tell someone where you are going and what time they can expect you to return.

The WINNER will be announced after the contest. Have fun searching, Skyhawks!

SORA - Access to hundreds of books!

5/19/2020

The Langley School District has been given access to SORA until the end of June. SORA has hundreds of ebooks and audiobooks. It functions much like Libby from the public library, only it's for schools.

To see what's there, go to: https://soraapp.com/welcome
Click on: I have an access code. Code is: sd35ca
Then just use your District Microsoft log in to get to the online catalogue.
After your initial log in, you can even download the app.

Have fun browsing and happy reading!

5th Annual Teen Creativity Contest - Hosted by FVRL

5/8/2020

5th Annual Teen Creativity Contest
Grand Prizes: 4 x $100 Visa gift cards
Runner-up Prizes: 8 x $50 Visa gift cards
DEADLINE: MAY 31, 2020

Teens! How creative can you get? Show us your creative writing, display your artistic skills, build a robot, write a song, loop a video! It can be anything you put your mind to. You may enter as many times as you like!

The contest is open to teens who live, work or attend school in a community served by FVRL libraries. Applicants must be 12-18 years old at end of the contest period. Teens do not need a library card to participate.

Visit the link below for more details:

Online Contest Form & FAQS

Fave Books from the Past and Present!

4/28/2020

Skyhawks love to read. Here's some great book recommendations from your Skyhawk Staff from when they were young and now!

Ms. Favero: The Hunger Games, Susanne Collins
Refugee, Allan Gratz
   Holes, Louis Sachar
Ms. Paul: Peter and the Starcatchers, Dave Barry and Ridley Pearson
Mr. Wood: The Once and Future King, T.H. White
The Harry Potter series, J.K. Rowling
Ms. Cooper: Wonder, R.J. Palacio
Ms. Jones: Tuck Everlasting, Natalie Babbit
   Loved The Babysitters Club when I was young.
Ordinary Hazards, Nikki Grimes
Ms. Hamilton: The Dark Tower, Sharon Stewart
   Masterminds, Gordon Korman
Ms. Hayne: The Book Thief, Marcus Zusak
   The Diary of Anne Frank
Ms. Day: The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-time Indian, Sherman Alexie
   War Brothers and Thunder over Kandahar, Sharon McKay
Mr. Foerster: The Artemis Fowl series, Eoin Colfer
Deltora Quest series, Jennifer Rowe
Ms. Collins: The Harry Potter series, J.K Rowling
Ms. McArthur: Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban, J.K. Rowling
Ms. Vaughan: Rhyme Schemer, K.A. Holt
House Arrest, K.A. Holt
Ordinary Hazards, Nikki Grimes
Ms. Passaglia: Between Heaven and Earth, Eric Walters
Mr. Briscoe: The Wonderful Story of Henry Sugar, Roald Dahl
Danny, Champion of the World, Roald Dahl
   Going Solo, Roald Dahl
   Boy, Roald Dahl
Ms. Burns: The Chrysalids, John Wyndham
   Out of My Mind, Sharon Draper
   Number the Stars, Lois Lowry
   Among the Hidden, Margaret Haddix
   Masterminds, Gordon Korman
   Harry Potter series, J.K. Rowling
Ms. Ashcroft: The Hate You Give, Angie Thomas
On The Come Up, Angie Thomas
   Harry Potter series, J.K. Rowling
Ms. Kobzos: The Book Thief, Marcus Zusak

We are all happy to chat reading with you! While the school library is still closed, be sure to check out the Libby app through the public library for these books. They even have the audiobooks for Harry Potter. Happy Reading!

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