Student Book Reivew: Olivia’s review of Warriors, by Erin Hunter

December 4, 2015.Reading time 2 minutes.

Warriors by Erin Hunter Warriors is a stupendous book filled with excitement, adventure, mystery, and investigation. If you are a person who likes excitement, adventure, mystery, and investigation… then this is the book for you. It all starts with a kitty pet (house cat) named Rusty. One day Rusty dreams of catching a mouse… but […]

Making steps with MakerSpace and MakerStudio

December 1, 2015.Reading time 3 minutes.

Earlier this year, Johnson was chosen by the University of Virginia to receive a grant through ALCOA to bring new and exciting technology into our library. A new software is being designed and beta tested for student use, and UVA wanted us to be a part of its creation. (Um, sign me up please!) After […]

Third Annual Picture Book Month Celebration

November 30, 2015.Reading time 4 minutes.

Happy Monday! I hope you all had a wonderful and relaxing break with your families. I’m happy to be back with my Johnson family today, and to be sharing photos of such a fun event with you! When I started Johnson’s Picture Book Month Celebration in November 2012, I knew that it was a great […]

Family Connection: Resources for Talking to Your Child about Gratitude

November 24, 2015.Reading time 4 minutes.

It’s that time of year again. The leaves are falling, the air is turning chilly, and the turkeys are flying off of the shelves at grocery stores. With Thanksgiving right around the corner, this is the perfect time to talk to your student about gratitude. This abstract, hard-to-put-your-finger-on concept is such a difficult one for […]

Family Connection: Minecraft in Education

November 23, 2015.Reading time 7 minutes.

At the 2015 Virginia Association of School Librarians conference, I noticed the repetition of certain buzzwords: MAKERSPACE! DIGITAL! 21ST CENTURY! CREATIVE! You’ve probably noticed… I love all of these words. And the excitement! Capitalize those letters! All the exclamation points! Sign me up! I’m in! But there was one buzzword that surprised me. It started […]

Student Book Review: Luka and Oak’s review of Diary of a Wimpy Kid: Old School

November 20, 2015.Reading time less than 1 minute.

Diary of a Wimpy Kid: Old School by Jeff Kinney This student book review was written by Luka and Oak, Johnson Elementary School students, and shared with the library via Google Docs. Luka and Oak drafted and typed the book review independently. Luka and Oak are in the fourth grade.

November is Picture Book Month!

November 16, 2015.Reading time 3 minutes.

Happy Picture Book Month, my friends! Wondering what Picture Book Month is? First and foremost, it’s an excellent excuse to read and reread your favorite children’s books – so you can stop hiding that copy of Don’t Let the Pigeon Drive the Bus that we all know you read when nobody’s home. (No judging here!) […]

Student Spotlight: Brandon’s Short Story

November 12, 2015.Reading time 1 minute.

Untitled by Brandon Tomorrow, Ms. Messham is getting married. She is getting married outside where the ocean is, because there is a nice breeze. When she was dancing, she fell into the cake. Then the cake was wobbling and it fell on her face. Shew as angry because the cake got all over her wedding […]

Student Book Review: Ev’s review of Inkheart, by Cornelia Funke

November 2, 2015.Reading time less than 1 minute.

Inkheart by Cornelia Funke This student book review was written by Ev, a Johnson Elementary School student, and shared with the library via Google Docs. Ev drafted and typed the book review independently. Ev is in the fourth grade.

This Month in Photos: 9/25-10/30

October 30, 2015.Reading time 12 minutes.

WHAT A MONTH. October is always a busy month at Johnson, but this month feels like it has been our busiest yet! From special guests and reading events to Creepy Carrots and engineering tools, October has been a blur. Take a look at some of the amazing things we’ve been doing in the Learning Leopard […]