library volunteers ozaukee christian school-1711

Volunteers Impacting Ozaukee Christian School Students through

the Library• Library services• Computerization of

existing titles• Book “whispering”• Math & reading

component• Assist with Family Fun

Reading Night• Parent section• Ongoing parent and

teacher assistance

Library Services• Volunteer librarians in 2003

prepared books for a formal library (book cards/Dewey Decimal on spine). Library had been inactive.

• Since then three volunteer librarians have assisted students bi-weekly with themed library time. We help students find books that they are interested in and pull books to meet our featured “theme”.

Computerization of Existing Titles• Starting in January 2013

volunteer librarians (and others from the community) computerized all the library holdings (6,300+ books) using our school web-based management system. This was completed in August 2013. Each book had to be scanned and bar coded for entry into the database.

• Students, parents and teachers can now search via title, author or key word.

• Volunteer librarian planned a “Grand Re-Opening” of the library – to get kids excited about reading! The mayor was a Guest Reader.

Book “Whispering”• In conjunction with our bi-weekly, themed library

times, librarian does book “whispering” with the 5/6 and 7/8 graders. Following the theme of the day, she “whispers”, or previews, 3 to 4 books to engage the students’ interest. For example: Presidents, Black History Month, Heroes and Heroines of the Old Testament, Horses, Poetry, and Don’t Judge a Book by its Cover.

• We have had good success in having students check out books that were “whispered” to them.

Math and Reading Component

• When Ozaukee Christian School purchased new math books, a teacher noted there was a reading component to go along with every chapter. She asked volunteer librarian if we had any of these books.

• Volunteer librarian used books already available, as well as purchased new and used books, to provide a reading component for every chapter in the math curriculum for kindergarten, 1st, 2nd, 3rd and 4th grades.

• Volunteer librarian developed Excel spreadsheet (searchable by title, author or grade/chapter) for teachers to use.

Assisted with Family Fun Reading Night

• Volunteer librarian assisted Language Arts Teacher with an inaugural Family Fun Reading Night.

• Volunteer librarian gave an overview and demonstration of new computerized library program.

• Volunteer librarian showed parents the many different areas of our library open to them.

Parent Section

• OCS Library provides a “Parent Section” with books available on Christian parenting, reading development and improvement, and parent/child activities (to name a few).

Ongoing Teacher and Parent Assistance

• Librarian is available to pull books to meet the needs of students, parents and teachers.

• Example: A student lost her grandmother and parents were looking for resources to read with the child. Librarian provided three Christian-based books for the family to use.

• Example: Second graders are to write their first research paper on animals. Volunteer librarian shows children how to find appropriate books and how to use index, etc.

Ways We’d Like to Enhance our Library and School

Areas we are eager to improve:• New Caldecott/Newbery posters• Additional language arts books• Additional Spanish/English books• Replace very worn books• Additional parenting books• Updated Christian biographies• Additional Christ-centered worldview

books (Answers in Genesis, for example)• Completion of series where we are

missing some volumes

Additional areas to improve in our school:•3 more iPads for algebra I class•20 iPads for middle school (science and social studies classes)•4 laptops and video projectors for lower elementary and preschool classes