Author Visit!

Author Gordon Korman will be returning to TMS on October 23 to speak to our 6th and 7th graders. His program was a tremendous success two years ago, and we are very excited about his visit. Students will be able to purchase his books and have them autographed. Books by Gordon Korman are on display in the LMC (if they are not already checked out!) but please note that some of his books are more appropriate for older students. You can read more about the author on his website. Please support this visit by encouraging your students to participate in the school-wide read- the book for this marking period is Korman's No More Dead Dogs. You can read a review on Amazon.com here.

TMS Book Fair at Barnes & Noble

The PTA will once again be organizing a book fair for TMS at the Westport Barnes and Noble on Saturday November 22nd. All interested teachers and staff can create a "wish list" of books that you want, either for your classroom or even for your personal collection. These books will be assembled on a cart and identified by staff member name so parents can select a book from a particular teacher’s list.
When you have created your wish list, please e-mail it to Tricia, of Barnes and Noble, at: crm2864@bn.com . Put TMS Book Fair wish list in the subject heading. She would like the lists no later than Friday, October 10th so she has time to collect the specified books. Please copy me on the email so I will have backup lists for B&N. Thank you.

Punctuation Day is September 24!

To encourage students to use proper grammar and punctuation in all their written work, the LMC is helping to celebrate Punctuation Day. Here is the official website. Check out the display of grammar and punctuation picture books in the LMC available for use in your classroom.

MP3 Players for Assistive Technology

We acquired several MP3 players recently as part of a grant to provide services for students with special needs. Unlike iPods, these are extremely sturdy and have large, well-marked buttons for easy use by students with fine motor difficulties as well as teachers who reached adulthood without becoming facile with iPods! Students can use these devices to listen to audiobooks as they follow along in the text, but they can also record their own podcasts to take notes or as an alternative presentation for a class project. Please see the LMC staff for directions if you are interested. Post any comments here on your experiences with using the MP3 players, or any suggestions for other purchases that can assist our students.

Recent Acquisitions

Highlights of our newest shipment of curriculum-related non-fiction books:

• Biographies of celebrities with a focus on life skills to tie in with our Habits of Mind program
• Crafts of Ancient cultures, with hands-on project ideas
• Teen health issues
• Myths from various cultures- should be high interest given the popularity of The Lightning Thief series and The Sea of Trolls
• for Tech Ed: Alternative energy sources, communication devices, and careers in technology