Dickinson County partnership promotes reading

Famous Iowan Dr. Norman Borlaug, an agricultural scientist and winner of the Nobel Peace Prize in 1970 is the theme in February as part of a Dickinson County partnership to promote reading. PHOTOS SUBMITTED

Representatives from school districts and public libraries across Dickinson County have teamed to offer reading activities during the month of February. The theme for the 2010 Reading Month is, "Reading feeds the minds of youth." The planning group chose the theme to honor famous Iowan Dr. Norman Borlaug, an agricultural scientist and winner of the Nobel Peace Prize in 1970. During his life, Dr. Borlaug's work laid the groundwork for the Green Revolution and technological advances which promise to alleviate world hunger.

The primary goal of the Dickinson County Reading Committee includes providing an opportunity for the citizens of Dickinson County, its schools and public libraries to celebrate the value of reading. There will be reading-related activities in Dickinson County schools and libraries throughout the month of February. Activities during the month will also emphasize the value of lifelong learning; provide children and parents enriching experiences related to reading; and encourage everyone in Dickinson County to read.

HIGH SCHOOL EVENTS

National FFA week is in February and FFA readers from the Harris-Lake Park High School will be sharing agriculture-related literature (ag-lit) with elementary students during library skills classes.

The Norman E. Borlaug International Symposium is held each fall in conjunction with the awarding of the World Food Prize. This dialogue brings together international experts and policy leaders to address cutting-edge issues in food security and nutrition. This year, sophomore Abbie Shew was the Spirit Lake High School representative to the World Food Prize Institute in Des Moines. At the 2009 youth institute, sponsored by the organization, Shew attended the conference, presented and defended her paper along with other high school students from Iowa and around the world. During February, Spirit Lake High School is encouraging an electronic opportunity for individuals to read her paper online at the World Food Prize Web site: www.worldfoodprize.org/assets/YouthInsti....

Okoboji High School senior Sadie Range has also participated at the World Food Prize event. Her 2008 paper can be found at: www.worldfoodprize.org/assets/YouthInsti....

The Spirit Lake High School library will be hosting an opportunity for students and the public to talk to Abbie and Sadie about their experiences at 3 p.m. Wednesday, Feb. 17, in the high school library.

Roots & Shoots is the Jane Goodall Institute's international environmental and humanitarian program for youth of all ages. All projects associated with Roots & Shoots are focused on improving the lives of people, animals and the environment. At Spirit Lake High School there is a local, high school branch of Roots & Shoots. At this time the group is planning a "fun night" which will be held in February. Preliminary plans call for combining the event with Haiti relief.

MIDDLE SCHOOL AND ELEMENTARY

Students in grades 5-8 participated in a county-wide bookmark design contest in preparation for reading month. The contest was sponsored by Hill Avenue Book Co., in Spirit Lake. Jill Krebs, the owner, sponsored gift certificates for the winning entries. Harris-Lake Park student Noreen Morrow, grade 8, won the $15 first prize gift certificate; Lindsay Wittrock, Okoboji Middle School, grade 5, won the $10 second prize gift certificate; and Jacob Phillips, grade 6, from Spirit Lake Middle School won the $5 honorable mention gift certificate. Bookmarks featuring the winning entries from each school will be distributed in school libraries throughout February.

At Harris-Lake Park School, local author Jena Boles will share her writing process and self-published books about the character Maggie and small town living. Contact Deb Morrow, teacher librarian, at (712) 832-3437 for presentation details.

Each week in February mystery readers will be visiting Harris-Lake Park School classrooms.

Students will be doing a variety of classroom activities throughout the month at Spirit Lake Elementary School and Middle School. Activities include students "planting themselves in the hallways" and reading on Friday, Feb. 5 and local celebrities speaking to students about agriculture later in the month.

At Okoboji Elementary School and Okoboji Middle School, the students will be participating in "Help for Haiti" and a can drive for Upper Des Moines Opportunity, Inc.

In addition, at OES there will be a competitive reading event planned for February which will involve both the students and their families.

PUBLIC LIBRARY ACTIVITIES

At the Lake Park Public Library Jean Tennant will be discussing the writing process and excerpts from the book she edited, Knee High by the Fourth of July, with the public at 12:30 p.m. Thursday, Feb. 25. Plans call for the Harris-Lake Park grade 6 Iowa History class to be part of the discussion. Contact Val Karczewski, Lake Park Library Director, at (712) 832-9505 for presentation details.

On Wednesday, Feb. 3, there will be a free computer class from 6:30-8 p.m. at the Milford Public Library. Monthly movies are shown on the first Thursday of every month at 1:30 p.m. February's movie is on Thursday, Feb. 4.

In addition, every Friday at 10 a.m. the Milford Public Library sponsors a story time open to the public.

In the Spirit Lake Public Library, preschool through Grade 4 children are invited to "Nighty Night" story time scheduled for 6:30 p.m. Tuesday, Feb. 9. There is a snow date for the event on Thursday, Feb. 11.

A preschool-intergenerational story time opportunity event is also planned for the Homestead Cooperative Living center at 10 a.m. Tuesday, Feb. 16. There is an open chess games hour beginning at 3:30 p.m. Thursday, Feb. 18.

Students in Grades 1-9 are the usual participants. Call (712) 336-2667 for more information on any or all of these Spirit Lake Library-sponsored events.

The Terril Public Library continues sessions in February which focus on crafts and knitting. Sessions are held every Friday from 9:30-11:30 a.m. The Terril Library is also starting a book discussion which will meet for the first time at 1 p.m. Friday, Feb. 12.

SCHOOL-WIDE EVENTS

Activities will continue each week during the month of February as students participate in Drop Everything and Read (DEAR), Friday Free Reading, and Sustained Silent Reading (SSR). Staff members will also display "I am Currently Reading ..." posters in their classrooms throughout the month. The posters will feature books currently being read by faculty members.

This is the sixth consecutive year the Spirit Lake Community School District and the Spirit Lake Public Library have had a Community Reading Month. This year's collaboration marks the third year the schools and libraries in Dickinson County have joined to promote reading in a county-wide effort. For questions about reading month in any Dickinson County Community please contact your school's teacher librarian or your community's public librarian.