Westgate School Library Program

 Many students in rooms 7 and 8 mixed their love of art and books and participated in the City of Edmonds Best Book I Ever Read Poster Contest.  Wonderful posters were created by all the students and Westgate is represented by five students in this city-wide contest.  Amelia, Abigail , and Evan  won Outstanding Awards.  Sean  and Annabelle won Honorable Mentions. 

All these students’ posters are being displayed at the Frances Anderson Center at 700 Main Street during May.  The students and their families are also invited to a reception.  The posters of all the participating students will be displayed in the hall at Westgate.  Please take the time to visit the Frances Anderson Center this month and see the winning posters!

Several Edmonds school librarians met at the Westgate Library on April 24th to learn how to create and improve blogs for their libraries.  They learned the basics of blogs, adding widgets, how to post, and adding media.  The librarians will use their blogs to share resources, encourage students to discuss books, and tell what is happening in their libraries.

Author Samantha Vamos talked to first to third graders in the Westgate library on Thursday, April 19th.  She is the author of Before You Were Here, Mi Amor and The Cazuela that the Farm Maiden Stirred which is a 2012 Pura Belpre Honor book.

K-3rd grade Westgate students have been reading and exploring the 20 nominees for the 2012 Washington Children’s Choice Picture Book Award (WCCPBA) for months and now they have voted for their favorite.  The winner of this state-wide award will be announced in April.

The votes from Westgate students in order are: Never Smile at a Monkey (37 votes), Little Pink Pup (33), Oscar and the Very Hungry Dragon (25), Mr. President Goes to School (21), Pop! The Invention of Bubble Gum (16), Sophie Peterman Tells the Truth (16), Pierre the Penguin (14), My Best Friend is as Sharp as a Pencil (11), How Rocket Learned to Read (11), More Bears (9), Children Make Terrible Pets (7), Ugly Pie (7), A Balloon for Isabel (7), The Sandwich Swap (6), Ol’ Bloo’s Boogie Woogie Band and Blues Ensemble (5), The Circus Ship (4), Immi’s Gift (3), Don’t Slam the Door (2), Duck for Turkey Day (2), The Cow Loves Cookies (1).

Westgate will be celebrating Young Author’s Day with award-winning local author/illustrator Laura McGee Kvasnosky.  The theme of the day is “Leap into Storytelling” and students will be learning from the author and working on writing and illustrating their own stories.

There will be a free evening program for families with the author in the gym from 6:30-8:00pm.  Families will be writing and illustrating their own stories.

Laura McGee Kvasnosky is best known for writing and illustrating the Zelda and Ivy stories about two fox sisters.  She won the 2007 Theodor Seuss Geisel Award for Zelda and Ivy: The Runaways for the most distinguished American book for beginning readers.  Check out her web site at: http://www.lmkbooks.com/

Thank you to everyone who purchased books and helped at the Usborne book fair last week.  It was a success and the library was able to get over $800 in free books with the profit.  Many families were generous and purchased books for classrooms also.  The next book fair will be with the University Book Store before spring break.

Come to the Westgate Library November 29 to December 1 to buy Usborne books to support the library.  It is an order only book fair so there will be nonfiction, fiction, and crafts resources to look at and order.  The books will be delivered to students by December 16 in time for the winter break. 

50% of your purchases will be used to get new books for the Westgate Library.  If you would like to volunteer at the book fair, please contact the library.  The book fair will be open until 7pm on Thursday, December 1.

You can also shop online today through Dec. 4th.  Just go to www.usborneshopper.com and click on Westgate Elementary School (to the right under Active eFair).  Thanks for your support!

Tuesday, Nov. 29            noon to 4pm

Wednesday, Nov. 30       8:20 am to 4 pm

Thursday, Dec. 1              8:20 am to 7 pm (open late!)