NewsLeader - 2006 Summer

Georgia Library Media Association Mini-Grants Announced

The following library media specialists have been awarded GLMA mini grants for the 2006-2007 school year. The GLMA grants are awarded each year to assist media specialists in having an exemplary media program in their school:

Rebecca Tate, Kelley Lake Elementary School, Decatur, GA Using the book Plant a Rainbow, Rebecca will work collaboratively with a 5 th grade science teacher to create a colorful perennial garden for every season to attract butterflies. Their goal is to become a registered Monarch Waystation using children’s literature as springboards for their gardening activities with the students. The students will be involved in preparing the soil, planting, measuring growth, and observing the path of the sun as well as the butterflies and animals observed in the garden.

Kristine Woods, Teasley Middle School, Canton, GA Her grant will utilize the book, The Art of Reading: Forty Illustrators Celebrate RIF’s 40th Anniversary, to explore what motivates someone to read and create new ideas. Each week a different illustrator from the book will be highlighted along with the picture books or novels that inspired and motivated the illustrators. The goal of this project is to expose students to the books the illustrators found inspiring as role models for reading motivation. This year long project uses art combined with literature to inspire students to look at reading from a different perspective.

Kathleen Disney, Druid Hills High School, Atlanta, GA Working with the art, English, and special education classes, Kathleen will use her grant to purchase graphic novels that appeal to reluctant readers. A nationally known graphic novel artist will spend time at her school talking about his own reading problems in school and how reading graphic novels helped him to overcome his learning disability. He will also spend time talking to the art students about his career as a graphic novel artist. The art department will create posters to hang throughout the school highlighting the graphic novels.