Farewell Bush

Today was my last work day and a farewell to Bush. It has been quite the experience! I'll be back August 25th with my new postings from Leslie. Today I spent some time going over notes for the new person and leaving post it notes on the assistant handbook I keep at my desk. If I'd had something like that, it really would have helped! I'm sure the new library media assistant will do things their own way, but this will get them started. Had teachers bring in books so I got all those shelved. Went to the LMSS end of year meeting and got to meet the other Middle School assistants. We actually have our own meetings! That will be fun! Back to Bush and put the new Espanol and English stickers on the non-fiction up through the dinosaur section, then time to go! Looking forward to a nice summer and back into middle school at the end of summer! Farewell Bush!

One to Go

Spent time in the computer lab today cleaning, arranging wires, bagging up the keyboards, mice and screens for the summer to keep the dust off. Had to really scrub the counters in there. Just ground in dirt from the kids and their hands this year. I really took some time in there since I never really had time to do it during the year. Makes me sad that the kids had to put up with smudgy conditions. Did more notes on what the new person will need to know. Finished off the bilingual stickers for the Everybody and Fiction books. Put the last of the books away. Both carts are empty and in the back of the workroom. Started working on putting the bilingual stickers on the non-fiction. The day rolled by pretty fast. Tomorrow is our library end of year meeting and my last day at Bush. Spent some time thinking today about what this year has been like in elementary. Sometimes I feel like a real heel to leave here, other times I just don't think I could do another math afternoon! I worked hard, tried my best in spite of it all. Will turn in all my badge and parking sticker tomorrow. 

200+

That's how many books I put the new 'Espanol and English' stickers on today. I think I got them all but the last two down in the 'Z' section. Shut down all the computers, but before I did I checked all the regular headphones and boxed them all up for tech support to pick up. Sent off 28 in various states of disrepair and we need ten just to cover all the computers in the lab down here. Had a tech kid come in and pick them up along with some of our ancient laptops to see if they can revive them. Got all the Title 1 call numbers done so that cleaned up about four different reports. Off to pick up granddaughters...again!

Everybody Done

Got all my Everybody books inventory done today! It's taken a week, but finished it off this after Had my last three classes today, my last two cafeteria duty lunches (Huzzah!!!). Then we had a fire drill & field day began! We've had such nice weather it was sad that the kids had to dodge in & out of the rain all afternoon, but at least some of the afternoon was nice! I had the library open as a cool down room. One of the girls was sent infor a half hour time out. Another couple of girls came in to just read a little bit. I printed up our missing books from this inventory, about 80 of them worth around $2,500. Worked on changing the big book title 1 call numbers until Insignia went down, then worked on putting new bilingual stickers on those books for the rest of the afternoon. Off to pick up the granddaughters.

Appointment

Came in early today (this is actually Wednesday!) so I could go with my mom to an appointment. Did some more on inventory then had my four classes in a row. The fifth graders were tough on me. I know we're just a few days away from the end of school, but to get them to listen & be quiet for my books was just painful. I explained that I hoped they would find a book that really spoke to them & some of them were just plain rude. *sigh*  Then I was off to accompany my mom & got back to help out Mrs. M in her room until the end of the day. Because of a bus schedule glitch, they did not go home early today. I did more inventory stuff then home.

Autodialer

Sent out an autodialer tonight for all overdue books and all lost books. I couldn't combine them, so we sent out two. One was for all lost books, so I let parents know that their kids could return them to Bush, and I'd make sure they got to the school they belong to. Got in and started computers, then worked on inventory. Got through the O's! Worked in Mrs. M's room putting together summer reading packets then listened to kids read. Lunch time, then cafeteria duty. Had one girl hug me because I'd be at Leslie next year. A few more told me they were happy I'd be there too! Checked in a few books. Had a couple of kids ask if they had turned in books or not. Then up to Mrs. M's room for the whole afternoon. The kids were doing an art wrap up for the year, I helped hand out some snacks. We also went down to the library computer lab and I watched the kids in there while Mrs. M worked with kids on their overdue homework. I went around telling them they had to whisper to each other. I think it worked! Mrs. M came in once when they got loud and we went back to whispering. Then up to the room and she started a movie and she told me she was sure I had plenty to do in the library, so to go ahead and do that. She is so nice to me! So I got the autodialer all set up, then off to get my hair done!

Best of Bush

Came in today and got computers up and windows open. Cleaned up some stuff with checking in and worked on some inventory. Had my employee review from Ms. T, and she really had some very nice things to say. Then worked on the poster for a thank you for Mrs. M's class. Picked up her class from PE and then worked for the last time with my little 'Chocolate Touch' reading group. Then my lunch, then cafeteria duty. Had my last class with Mrs. L's class and I decided that we'd look through some of our amazing pop-up books. These are not to be checked out, but I thought I'd show the kids some of them to maybe give them ideas! They loved it. Then we went off to the Best of Bush assembly and it was amazing to see all the kids and their awards for the year. They also had a 'goodbye' to staff part and I got a lovely geranium and a card to send me on my way to Leslie M.S.  Then at the end of the assembly Ms. T told the kids how happy she was that they had all done a great job this year and they started the "Happy" song and we all ran up and did our little dance for the kids. They roared! It was fun! Back to the library to finish up the poster for Mrs. M, and a few more things to straighten up and it was 4:15 already! Out for a walk I go!

Said Goodbye

Said goodbye to my Kinders today. It was their last day in the library. Came in and worked on more inventory and got the E's, F's, and G's all done. My three classes, then lunch time. Cafeteria duty, then my last kinder class and some time to work on repairs. Then to help Mrs. M. Monitored some students that needed to finish math quizzes. Then we went outside for a science experiment, changing a liquid to a solid. They poured chocolate milk into a little baggie, then ice and rock salt into a big baggie. Sealed up the little baggie, put it in the ice/salt, sealed that up then tumbled them around and the milk turned to ice cream. Pretty cool! They seemed to really enjoy it. Cleaned up the library from my classes today, turned off all the computers. Took all the books that I had to pull from my stack while I was doing inventory (a bunch of 'G' books were all invalid barcodes!) to get ready to take to LMSS. Our last Friday with kids. Goodbye Kinders!

New Digs

Got the call this afternoon. I applied for the Library Media Assistant over at Leslie Middle School and they offered me the position today, so I accepted! I am so excited!! I will start there in the fall, August 25th. That made my day! Came in and got computers up and ready for students to look for books for the library. Yeah! Insignia worked so I got started on inventory. I got through the Everybody books through 'D'. Had three classes this morning. My Book Request tub has a lot of slips in it. That makes me happy. Then my lunch, and off to outside for our school BBQ. It was nice to have it outside, so much less noisy! Then I did a bit more inventory (did the 'D's) then off up to Mrs. M's class and we got the class ready for the staff/fifth grade kick ball game. They got to sit on the sidelines, and it was hard to keep them in line out in the nice day for an hour! But, we worked it and the fifth graders won the game and we went upstairs. Got the kids their snack, then Mrs. B read to them while Mrs. M took off for the day. Then we got the kids down and out the door for the day. I went back into the library and saw the email from HR and called! Huzzah! Our principal was in the library getting ready for a staff meeting so I let her know that I had accepted the position. She was so gracious and kind. I will miss the amazing people at Bush. They are truly professionals who care about their kids. Then we had the staff meeting. She announced our interim PE coach was off to Liberty, and that I was off to Leslie. A lot of people came and congratulated me. It's been quite the experience!

Site Down

Today was the perfect day to get inventory done after the kids left at 1:15. I messed about with an old laptop which took forever even to get logged on. Then I switched to one of the new computers in the lab, got it working, all ready to go and it wouldn't read my scanner. I called Tech Support and they couldn't get it done remotely either. So I pulled my computer out and hooked it up, found a working internet port and wouldn't you know it? The library site we use was down for the rest of the afternoon! So frustrating!! I had all this great time to get a lot done, and the site failed me. Ugh. Not that I didn't have other things to do! Shelved the books that came in, did some repairs. Got some picky things done that I hadn't had time to do. But still! Came in this morning and sorted out all these little tiny books that were in plastic boxes. I'm not totally sure why, but I think they were for the little kids to read when they couldn't check out maybe? Did my four classes. Read "All the Wrong Questions" to one fifth grade class and "Alcatraz and the Evil Librarians" to the other. Then asked if they would like to recommend books for purchase for next year. I had quite a few that really got into that and gave some good suggestions. My younger classes had "Goldilocks and the Three Dinosaurs" and colored, and I think they enjoyed that. Then my lunch, then cafeteria duty. We had our last birthday celebration for the summer and I took some time to sit and chat. Then into the library for my afternoon of wishing the site would work!

Giving Notice

Today I worked on our overdue and fine notices for the whole school. I managed to get them all printed, checked the shelves and got them in classrooms to put in Wednesday folders tomorrow. So glad I got that all done! Worked for Mrs. M today on her poster, then worked with my reading group so we can finish our book by Monday. Down in the library for my lunch, cafeteria duty. Back up to Mrs. M's room for the afternoon to help with math. I ended up taking eight kids out to the hallway to finish up their project. They had to do perimeters on quadrilaterals. Estimate, then cut out the pieces and measure the sides with a ruler (centimeters). Some of them didn't get it, so I drew my own mock up of what it should look like and my eight actually did finish! I was very glad! Notices done, math done. A good day.

Inventory Start

No more LLI so I got to spend my whole morning in the library. I decided to start inventory today. I thought I'd give the big books a first trial, and what a journey that was! I was expecting a couple of catagories, non-fiction and fiction. It turned out to be eight different catagories by the time I got done! There was the non-fiction, the Title I non-fiction, the Title 1 non-fiction. Then the Everybody, the Title I Everybody, the Title 1 Everybody and the Biling and Bilingual! That needs to be simplified I think! Worked on a poster for Mrs. M. Took kids into the upstairs lab for Read Alongs. Down for lunch and cafeteria duty. Then Mrs. L's class came in and we did Goldilocks and the Three Dinosaurs and I had them do a couple of activities to go along with it. It was a lot of fun! Then a bit more library time and back up to Mrs. M's for the rest of the school day. Checked in books, found a book in Mrs. M's room that had a spine label, but the barcode was gone and someone had tried to rip off the Bush library sticker. I've had one other I've found this year, but still makes me sad that kids would do that. Shelved books the rest of the day.