ZervCott 2017

The Caldecott Medal was named in honor of nineteenth-century English illustrator Randolph Caldecott. It is awarded annually by the Association for Library Service to Children, a division of the American Library Association, to the artist of the most distinguished American picture book for children.

The 2017 Caldecott Award will be announced January 23, 2017.
It will be streamed live here at 8am EST:http://ala.unikron.com/2017/

All grades at Zervas Elementary are learning about the Caldecott Award and reading past winners and contenders for this year's award.  We are having our own award, the ZervCott, to be awarded January 19th.

Students participating in this voting are reading picture books published in 2016, and are thoughtfully applying the same parameters as the actual Caldecott Committee.

1. Excellence:
Are the illustrations an excellent example of its technique (collage, painting, wood carvings)?

2. Appropriateness:
Are the illustrations a good match for the mood, tone, and theme in the story?

3. Importance:
Are the illustrations necessary to understand the story?

4 Appeal?
Do we like it?

They have some tough decisions ahead!  Many excellent picture books were published in 2016, it will be exciting to see what they decide, and what will win the Caldecott.

Potential candidates for the ZervCott 

Hour of Code

Oh the weather outside is frightful, but coding is so delightful!

December means Hour of Code at Zervas elementary.  Every student in grades K-5 has the opportunity to learn how to code, and learn coding vocabulary and coding strategies.  

An annual anticipated event, Hour of Code gives all students the opportunity to learn about the exciting field of Computer Science.  Coding lessons are taught by the technology teacher, library teacher,  the math coach, and classroom teachers.  After Hour of Code students can continue coding throughout the school year in classes and center choices.

Coding is done in partners

Levels get more challenging

Problem solving at its best!

Celebrating problem challenges solved!

Author and Illustrator Matt Tavares visits Kindergarten, First, and Third Grade

On Monday, November 28th, author/illustrator Matt Tavares came to visit Zervas Elementary.
With three separate magnificent Creative Arts and Science presentations, Mr Tavares entertained students and teachers explaining the writing, illustrating, and editing process.

Adults have to edit their work too!  This message was delivered when Mr. Tavares showed students his manuscript with editors notes.  Writing and illustrating is a process, one that students got to experience.

Explaining the editorial process to grade 3

Real-time sketch!

Reading a story to Kindergarten

Real-time action sketch!

Explaining revision to grade 1

Real-time action sketch!

Author Bethany Hegedus Visits Zervas Second Graders

On Tuesday October 18th, author Bethany Hegedus spoke to Grade 2 about her books Grandfather Gandhi and Be the Change. Students were also treated with stories of their favorite authors and illustrators that Ms. Hegedus has worked with at the Writing Barn, her writing retreat center in Austin, TX.

Her new picture book, Be the Change, is a Grandfather Gandhi story.  Second in her picture book series about Gandhi and his message of peace, told from his grandson Arun's perspective.  The provocative collage illustrations by Evan Turk guided the discussion as students read what the characters were feeling throughout the story.

Zervas Elementary is a Responsive Classroom school and Ms. Hegedus' picture book of peaceful resolution, aligns with the social emotional learning in our school.  Her visit and the message in her books will be reflected upon throughout the school year.

Ms. Hegedus shares her favorite books from her childhood

Exploring the pictures in the new book by Ms. Hegedus, Be the Change

Reflecting on Gandhi's message

Star Wars Reads Day

Star Wars Reads Day is a nation-wide celebration of reading that is sanctioned by Lucas Films.
Zervas Second Graders celebrated October 11th in library class. 

Students practiced searching the catalog in
visual search.After clicking on the BB8 
reading icon, students learned the 
location  of the Star Wars book in the library.

Listening Centers were set up.
Students scanned QR codes to watch an online story.

Students borrowed books, and chose a center.

Coloring stations were also available.

Some students designed their own lightsabers.
This student created an everlasting lightsaber.

Word searches and puzzles were a challenge to complete

Celebrating International Peace Day with Jubilee!

How can we be champions of peace?  What are our hopes and dreams for a peaceful school year?

These are questions third graders asked on September 21, the UN International Peace Day. Together we read Jubilee! One Man's Big Bold and Very Loud Celebration of Peace written by Alicia Potter and illustrated by Matt Tavares.  A local story about a musician who wanted to celebrate the end of the Civil War with the 1869 Peace Jubilee.

After reading this story, students then thought about their hopes and dreams and how they could help create peace at Zervas Elementary, in their neighborhoods, and during this school year.  We decorated cards that will be saved and opened in June to reflect upon their school year.

And so it begins...

Another school year begins, during the first week of school in library class students get to listen to stories, we discuss the rules and expectations in class, and most of all, what they loved doing last year and they want to do again in class this year.  No surprise, every grade loved using the iPads, checking out books, and coding.  All of these will be done again in library class this year.


September 15th is International DOT Day, a day created by the author and illustrator Peter H. Reynolds.

In the story The Dot, a child finds her artistic freedom of expression.  Students in grades 1-5 watched the Tumblebook of The Dot, and thought about their hopes and dreams and how they would make their mark on this school year in library.

Students watched the Tumblebook of The Dot.  Tumblebooks are available to watch at home, see me for details!

After reading The Dot, students designed their own dot to make their mark, and used the app Quiver to make their Dot 3D.  Quiver is a free app, and the children were very excited to make their designs!

After reading The Dot, students used the app Quiver to make 3D Dots for Dot Day

The Pokemon craze is here, some students make Pokemon dots and tried to capture them using Quiver 

Quiver has lots of possibilities for different pictures.  It's a free app, ask your kids how!

One student wrote a poem dot

Lots of reading themed dots

and more reading themed dots