ELA teacher Ms. Al-Mansouri checked out 100 library books on climate change, renewable energy, and ocean life to complement her classroom reading. These books support the novels Julia and the Shark and The Boy Who Harnessed the Wind. Each day, students spend the first ten minutes of class exploring these books, deepening their understanding of key themes. This engaging approach fosters curiosity and enriches the students' learning experience.

In Mrs. Herbert’s English Language Arts classes, students engage in collaborative preparations for debates by employing academic discourse through structured Socratic Discussions. Working in small groups, they research their topics, share insights, and challenge each other's viewpoints, fostering critical thinking and effective communication skills. Each student takes on specific roles—such as note-taker or facilitator—to ensure a balanced contribution to the dialogue. As they practice articulating their arguments and counterarguments, they learn to build on each other’s ideas, creating a dynamic engagement and developing 21st Century skills that will have leverage beyond the classroom in the real world!

In September, language art teachers—Ms. Hernandez, Ms. Al-Mansouri, and Ms. Akin—brought their students to the library for a genre book tasting event. For the event, the library was turned into a book bistro with the librarian wearing a chef’s hat and apron! Library tables were set with flowers, candles, and a “tasting menu.” The menu offered students nine genre choices such as horror, fantasy, historical fiction, and romance to name a few. Each library table showcased one of these genres with books from the shelves. Students rotated from table to table filling out their “tasting menus.”

Students enjoyed “sitting, browsing, and devouring” the books! Students learned about different genres and their characteristics. Each student used their menu to check out their next great read!