This week, our students got their first peek of the Golden Shelf Award, which is one of my favorite library projects yet. Every Monday, one Johnson Elementary School class from grades 2-4 will be announced by Mr. Stern to be the winner of the prestigious Golden Shelf Award from the Learning Leopard Library.  If a class is chosen as the winner, they get to keep the Golden Shelf Award in their classroom all week, which gives them some pretty serious bragging rights. The class that has won the Golden Shelf Award the most times by the end of the school year will earn a special award party,  Learning Leopard Library style!

So how can a class earn this fantastic award? The Golden Shelf Award is based on celebrating classes that have the best library behavior and positive attitudes. But the biggest infleuence on a class’ chance to win the Golden Shelf Award is the respect that they show the library shelves and materials. I walk around the library after each class leaves, scoring the shelves – are they neat? Are all of the books up-to-down, with their spines facing out? Were books left on the windowsills or on the floor? Where books placed back where they belong or left on the purple question mark table to be shelved, or were they shoved anywhere they could fit? The class that takes the best care of their library has the best chance of taking the trophy home!

The Golden Shelf Award will be awarded this Tuesday morning for the first time ever. Stay tuned to see which class earns the prize first!