Food for Fines!

In the spirit of the holiday season, the SERC Library will forgive fines on all overdue resources returned in December that are accompanied by a nonperishable food item!!!! All donations will go to the Amazing Grace food pantry in Middletown run by St. Vincent de Paul Middletown. This is a great way to celebrate the season, help your community, your library and yourself!

Happy Thanksgiving

On behalf of all the SERC Library staff members, we wish you and your family a Happy Thanksgiving! We invite you to read the quotes below and take a look at the Young People's books listed.

"The Pilgrims made seven times more graves than huts. No Americans have been more impoverished than these who, nevertheless, set aside a day of thanksgiving." ~ H. U. Westermayer

"Thanksgiving Day comes, by statute, once a year; to the honest man it comes as frequently as the heart of gratitude will allow." ~ Edward Sandford Martin

"As we express our gratitude, we must never forget that the highest appreciation is not to utter words, but to live by them" ~ John Fitzgerald Kennedy

"Thanksgiving, after all is a word of action." ~ W.J. Cameron

"Our rural ancestors, with little blest,
Patient of labour when the end was rest,
Indulged the day that housed their annual grain,
With Feasts, and off'rings, and a thankful strain."
~ Alexander Pope

Giving thanks: A Native American good morning message by Chief Jake Swamp and illustrated by Erwin Printup, Jr. The 24 page text of the picture book is based on the Thanksgiving Address, an ancient message of peace and appreciation of Mother Earth and all her inhabitants, as told in Six Nation tradition. These words are still spoken at ceremonial and governmental gatherings held by the Six Nations. The colorful illustrations are of nature scenes. The Six Nations or Iroquois include Mohawk, Oneida, Cayuga, Onondaga, Seneca and Tuscarora. Children are taught to greet the world each morning by saying thank you to all living things. Diversity is considered a gift and people everywhere are thought of as family. Ages 4-8.

The holiday book by Karent L. Saulnier. Holidays, their meanings, and how they are celebrated are explained in this 48 page book for ages 3-8. Each sentence is shown in illustrated sign language.

Yummy and Fun!

Three weeks until reading and yummy rice! ---- but who's counting!

Okay, have you done it ---- have you signed up ---- there's only three weeks until EVERYBODY COOKS RICE -- December 11th, you are coming aren't you? Your not going to leave me to read by myself and eat all the rice, are you? Remember the deadline for registration is Friday, November 26th and by then you will already be tried of eating turkey or plum tuckered out from shopping sooo early in the morning! Sign up or you'll miss all the fun! See you on December 11th! And, DO NOT FORGET YOUR RICE RECIPE ON AN INDEX CARD --- I can always use new rice recipes when I read my book!!!!!

Everybody Cooks Rice by Norah Dooley event on Saturday, December 11th from 9:30 am to 12 pm

Everyone eats rice, no seriously, everybody does! Come join the latest offering in the "Raising a Reader" series as we invite families to the State Education Resource Center (SERC), if you could not guess considering you are at the SERC Library blog, meet the staff of CT Parent Information and Resource Center (CT PIRC), the Early Childhood Resource Center, and the, yes you guessed it the SERC Library staff to eat rice and play with rice ----- no seriously ----to READ the book Everybody cooks rice by award-winning children's author Norah Dooley, create some crafts and play games related to the story ----- sample different kinds of rice -----yummy! ----- decorate rice cakes and rice treats! You can take home a recipe box, designed by you and filled with rice recipes -----please bring your favorite rice recipe to share with others ---- directions and materials to replicate activities at home and a copy of Everybody cooks rice! To register for this yummy learning event to be held on Saturday, December 11th from 9:30 am to 12 pm, please contact Suequanna Lewis, Project Assistant at 860.632.1485 x 288 or lewis@ctserc.org. Space fills up fast so get going and register by Friday, November 26th so you won't miss all the rice, I mean fun!

Designing UDL

Contest on Universal Design for Learning (UDL) for Educators & Pre-Service Educators

What do you know about Universal Design for Learning?

How has UDL assisted you in lesson design and implementation for your teaching practice?

Participate in the National Center on Universal Design for Learning contest and you could win up to $500.

The deadline for contest entries is December 1, 2010.

Get tips on how to get started, contest rules, how entries will be judged and how to apply and submit your entry online at: http://www.udlcenter.org/community/designingudl.

Universal Design for Learning is a framework for designing flexible curricula with multiple access points for all students to gain knowledge, skills, and enthusiasm for learning. UDL is gaining momentum across the country. Educators at all grade levels--from pre-kindergarten through adult education--are learning strategies and practices to enable all students to have the opportunity to reach their greatest potential by putting UDL principles into action! To learn more about UDL visit: http://www.udlcenter/org/aboutudl/udlguidelines.

Thank you CW for the post information and write up!