Reading Events:

* *Read it Forward* *

Mrs. Zell distributed 100 copies of the book Bronx Masquerade by Nikki Grimes on Thursday January 7th. Students who took a copy of the book agreed to read the ENTIRE book, see Mrs. Zell to discuss it, and pass the book on within 2 weeks. Our goal is to see how many people we can get to read a fabulous book by February 23! So far, over 140 people have read the book and answered a question on it!! Those students will be able to attend a performance by the group Poetry Alive! on February 26th at PMS. In addition to PMS students, our Superintendent, Mr. Dupre, and our Principal, Ms. Kimmons, have read the book, and so have 21 other PMS staff members! Way to go, Panthers!!! Congratulations to those people who have already read the book. Spread the word about how good it is, and keep on Reading it Forward!!!

* *Classroom Activities* *

It's the last round of Lone Star booktalks!! Mrs. Zell is finishing her booktalks for the last 7 Lone Star books from the 2009-10 school year by visiting all ELA classes.

So far, three students have read all 20 Lone Star books this year. Please congratulate Aislyn Orji (8th grade), Julia Chapman (7th grade), and Luke Proctor (7th grade) for being excellent Lone Star readers!!

Mrs. Zell is currently helping 8th grade students with their I-Search research projects. They are using the Big 6 Research Method to guide them through their investigations. Students are learning to use EBSCO, Encyclopedia Brittanica, and nettrekker databases to gather information on their topics.

6th grade ELA students are currently studying the Holocaust, and have checked out either a historical fiction novel or a nonfiction book about World War II.

Mrs. Findell's 8th grade science classes are working on a natural resources project, and have been using the library to select information about timber, coal, oil, natural gas, water, sunlight, wind, woil, or ocean life.

* * Book Fair!!!* *

The 2009 PMS Scare Fair was a huge success! We sold over $8,000 in merchandise, so our profit came to $2,055! A HUGE thank youto the 20 volunteers who provided valuable assistance, especially Melanie Fischer who coordinated volunteers, and Teri Burba, who was our chairperson and also created AWESOME decorations!! See you next year at the fair!!

* * One for Books!!!* *

The PMS Community Relations Committee decided to make One for Books our school's Fall service project, and Mrs. Zell is promoting it in conjunction with the Book Fair. For every dollar we raise, Scholastic will donate a book to a needy child through Toys for Tots, the National Center for Family Literacy, or Kids in Distressed Situations.

Congratulations, Panthers!!

Students and staff at PMS raised $1948 for One for Books!!

That means that over nineteen hundred children will each receive a free book because of us.

And once again, PMS raised more money for One for Books than any other school in Central Texas.

Way to Go!!!

PMS School Reading Program:

At PMS, the school-wide reading program is based on the Texas Lone Star Books. These 20 books, recommended for students in grades 6 through 8, are selected by librarians across the state. This year, the program is celebrating its 20th anniversary in Texas schools! Please see the Lone Star Summaries link below for descriptions of the 2009-10 Lone Star titles.

All PMS students are strongly encouraged to read one or more of the 2009-10 Lone Star Books. Mrs. Zell goes into all English classes to booktalk these titles several times per year--normally in September, November, and January.

Once a student reads one of the Lone Star books, he/she goes to Mrs. Zell to answer a question about the book. Then the student's name is entered into a database, so prize levels can be tracked. Prizes are awarded to each student who reads 2, 5,10, 15, and all 20 books. At the end of the year, we celebrate all of our top readers. Last year there were five students who read all 20 Lone Star books! Let's see if we can top that number this year!

Library Rules:

1. Show respect for people.
2. Show respect for materials. No GUM!!

* * Fines Policy * *

If a book is lost or damaged beyond repair, a student will be expected to pay for its replacement plus a $2 processing fee.

Students who do not return library books on time are charged fines of 10 cents per item per day. If a student has a fine, or an overdue book that has not been returned, he/she CANNOT

• check out any more books until the fine is paid
• attend a school dance or any other school-sponsored event

Fines may also be assessed if the book is returned damaged. Students are strongly encouraged to check a book for damage before they check it out, so they do not incur a fine for something they didn't do.

Students can check their library fines from any computer. Fines lists are also distributed to all Language Arts teachers at least once a month. Please keep on top of your fines, so you don't lose other privileges!

Helpful Links:

• PMS Online Library Catalog
• Lone Star Book List 2009-10
• Lone Star Summaries
• Bluebonnet Book List, 2009-10
• 2009 Pre-AP Summer Reading List

• Stories and Sequels
• Pflugerville Community Library
• Wells Branch Community Library
• Round Rock Public Library
• Austin Public Library