I'm not sure what happened, but all of a sudden it was December. And as the title implies, there is "Lots to Do in December" here at the SHS Library. So much so that I am already exhausted. I hope the students are having fun.
Mystery Box - all month long
I actually do this every month. I have one of those BreakOut EDU boxes, and I use the regular key lock. (Of course, any box with a lock will do; the BreakOut EDU boxes just happen to be sitting in my library.) Inside the box, I have free books, snacks, and stickers. Students finish the activity of the month, bring it to me to check, and then I give them the key to the box. They can choose 2 items from the box, and then give the key back to me. Other than keeping the box stocked, this is a great passive program. This month's activity is a Christmas word search.
12 Days of December - all month long
This is a passive program for the teachers. I send them the activity calendar at the beginning of the month, and they can open a box each day to see what the day's activity is. I put a few treats in there along with some book recommendations, some tech tools, and brain breaks. Here is the link to this year's 12 Days of December in case you need a visual.
Bundle Up with Books - all month
This is the reading contest in Beanstack. So this program runs itself. Students log in their reading minutes, and the program keeps track and rewards them digital badges along the way. Once the students have met the required number of minutes, they come to me for a reward. This month is combined with January. So I probably won't be giving out any rewards this month.
FirstPage Friday - Dec. 6
This is a program for my avid readers. They fill out a form every month with a preferred genre. And on the first Friday of the month, I give them 2-3 books I have picked just for them along with a snack and a prize. Think of it like a monthly subscription service, but with library books. So the books come back to the library, but the student keeps everything else. Here is the presentation I used last year and this year to introduce the program: FirstPage Friday
Office Aides Gifts - Dec. 10 & 11
I try to do something special for my library office aides at least once a semester. I have 22 Office Aides this year. These are seniors, and Office Aide is a class. They have to report to an office or area, and their main job is to run errands for the adults in the office. Although the class is designed to be only a semester, many of them take the class both in the Fall and in the Spring. Some of the students may change, but mostly we have the same students all year. This year I gave the Office Aides a small bag of snacks and a hot chocolate bar so they can fix their own hot chocolate and put in all the fixin's.
Book Club - Dec 11
Book Club happens twice a month except for November and December due to the holiday breaks, testing, and all kinds of things that happen during the Fall Semester. Our Book Club is called the 40 Book Pledge, and we get together to talk about books. I do not assign a book of the month. Our task is to read 40 books by the end of the school year. So that is an average of one book per week. Not all students read 40 books, but all of them read more books than they did the year before. Here is the information about our book club: The 40 Book Pledge.
District Library Meeting - Dec 11
Somehow I said yes to baking cookies and doing a short presentation during our meeting this month. I am going over Genially. It might not be my go-to program, but I do enjoy using it from time to time. To be honest, the presentation is less than 10 minutes which isn't an issue unless I go over my minutes since I am used to presenting for 45 to 60 minutes. LOL! Here is my presentation: Genially in the Library.
Due to the fact that I have definitely over extended myself this month, I opted to buy my cookies . . . actually they are brownie bites. I am sure everyone will still eat them. LOL!
Hot Chocolate Bar for Office Aides and Book Club - Dec 12
I believe I already mentioned the Hot Chocolate Bar for my Office Aides. I also include my Book Club people. So I usually pick a date and combine the 2 groups. I serve hot chocolate every lunch that day. If students forget, they have to wait until next time. This is also the day I am serving hot chocolate to the teachers if they are keeping up with the "12 Days of December." I bet I see more students than teachers though. I guess I will find out tomorrow.
Senior Breakfast - Dec 13
Thank goodness I am not in charge of this one, but it is in the library, and I did agree to help. I have agreed to bake 4 breakfast casseroles for Friday. To be honest, that should be easy. I have a great recipe with minimal ingredients which takes about 40 minutes to prep and bake. Back to the actual event, the seniors seem to enjoy it every year. We play the Polar Express in the background, and the students wear school appropriate pajamas. It is not open to all seniors, just the ones who pay the $15 to get in. With the amount of food served, it is well worth the $15. Plus they get out of 2nd block and Advisory. It's a win-win!
Holiday BINGO - Dec 13-19
This is also in Beanstack. I have created a BINGO where students can participate for another crack at the Mystery Box. Some of the activities they have to be present for in the library, and other activities are online. That starts on Dec. 13th, and the students have until the 19th to finish and collect the key to the Mystery Box.
National Buddy the Elf Day - Dec 18
This is also an easy program. I pick a different day each month from the "National Day" calendar. We celebrate that day by giving away SWAG related to said day. For Buddy the Elf Day, I am giving away Elf vinyl stickers and candy canes.
Last Day of Class - December 19th
Today is a day of nothing - at least no planned events in the library. Students are taking final exams, and we are unplugging everything in the library and our 5 computer labs. This is in an effort to conserve energy while away on break. Did I mention how ready I am for the Christmas break?
