School days, schools days…where did the summer go???  The days certainly flew by quickly, but we are excited to open our doors and share the many wonderful books and resources from the Media Center.  I hope that everyone had a wonderful vacation and the opportunity to do some reading as well. 

      Mrs. Romero and I have been very busy this month doing the many back-to-school tasks that need tending to in order for the media program and Computer Lab to be functional for both students and staff.  We will be ordering and processing new materials in the coming weeks for both student and teacher use.

      I would like to remind all parents that each student in the Choctaw-Nicoma Park Public School district must have an Internet Acceptable Use permission form on file in order to use the computers and access the Internet while at school.  If your child is a returning student, it is not necessary to fill out another form unless you change your preference for their Internet usage.  All new students should have received a form to fill out during enrollment.  These forms should be signed by both the student and parent.  A copy of the full Internet Acceptable Use Policy is available for your review in the school office.

     Third graders have received a Media Center orientation and will continue to learn all the different ways to use the library’s resources in the coming weeks.  They have caught on quickly and are learning where everything is located in the library.  We welcome these enthusiastic new readers to NPI!  All other classes have visited the Media Center as well and are currently checking out lots of books.  Students are in the process of taking the STAR placement test in their homeroom classes to determine their Accelerated Reader level and goal for the first nine weeks.  Students will be rewarded through the media program at the end of each nine weeks if they reach their goal.  They will receive a special bookmark and be promoted to the next “level.”  Levels this year will follow a sports theme:  goal reached during the first nine weeks = Rookie; goal also reached for the second nine weeks = Amateur; goal also received for the third nine weeks = Professional; goal reached for all four nine week periods = Hall of Famer.  Any “Hall of Famer” student will be invited to an end-of-the-year reward party in May.  The Accelerated Reader program provides vocabulary and skill quizzes for thousands of books.  The AR program also has an exciting “Home Connect” feature that allows parents/guardians the opportunity to view their child’s progress in the program.  You may log on with the same username/password that your child uses at school to take AR tests.  There is an AR Home Connect link on the Media Center page of the NPI website.  This is where you may log in to check your child’s progress.

     We are continuing our inkjet printer cartridge-recycling program once again this year.  If you have empty printer cartridges (any brand), please send them to the Media Center.  We receive between $1 and $2 for each one.  This money goes back into the Media Center activity fund to purchase additional ink, books, or other materials for the library.  The company we use also accepts old cell phones, so if you have one lying around that you are no longer using, please consider donating it to our recycling program.

     I would like to encourage you to visit our school website at www.cnpschools.org/npionline.  Helpful links to school news, community happenings, and staff e-mail contact information can be found.  There are also many links to educational games and online eBooks on the Media Center page for students to utilize.  If you have any suggestions or comments on how we could make the site better, please feel free to call the school or e-mail me at jdavis@cnpschools.org. 

     Mrs. Romero and I are both looking forward to serving you and your children this year through the media program.  We want children to enjoy their library experiences and learn to love reading.  Perhaps Mary Ellen Chase said it best: "There is no substitute for books in the life of a child."