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New, old and new books?

Well simply said we just received some donated books! We love book donation around here. Often times it means that the books are tried and true, guaranteed to entertain and delight! For example, take The Big Book of Boy Stuff. Published in 2004, the book isn't new, but it is new to the library and still interesting to read. Yes, I know I'm a girl but I couldn't help peaking, shhhhhhh...

On the first page, what do I find? The activities section of course. First activity is this...

"Try to say the alphabet without moving your lips or your tongue at all. No cheating! Whenever I do this, every letter sounds exactly the same; try if for yourself." (pg. 1)

HA! Yeah I tried it and cracked up laughing at the ridiculousness of it all.  It was so silly I felt like posting it as my Facebook status just so I could imagine all my friends doing it. Instead I decided to blog about it so I can imaging all you lovely falcons doing it.

Anyway, some of our other new old books are:

• The Dork Diaries (series)
• Ramona and Her Mother
• The Wimpy Kid Movie Diary
• Have You Ever Seen a Jackalope?
• Vanished
• Mission (un)Popular
• and many more!

For the complete list check the Destiny Quest home page. 
 
 

Thank You and Congratulations!

First I would love to give a huge THANK YOU to my library sub Ms. DiPietro. She did an amazing job taking control of the library while I was out on maternity leave. Which of course brings me to her wonderful idea of the Falcon Fall Reading Contest! Not only was the contest fun for all who participated but I found it enjoyable to watch. I think it was awesome to see students reading books, using Destiny Quest from home and school, and writing reviews! What a great way to stay involved in the library!

The contest ended a week ago and the winners were announce at morning announcements on Tuesday. Thank you to everyone who participated. Here are the winners:

K-2 Group: 1st place - Ava Dalawari KB
                   2nd place - Charlie Krappman KA
                   3rd place - Luke Roa 1A

3-5 Group: 1st place - Shaylin Jani 4B
                  2nd place - Daniella Salazar 3B
                  3rd place - Robert Giradello 5A

6-8 Group: 1st place - Elizabeth Nail 7B
                  2nd place - Julia Nail 7A
                  3rd place - Amanda Hill 6B

What is Thanksgiving?

Thanksgiving Feast

Do you know the real story behind Thanksgiving? Is it just about remembering the Pilgrims and Indians? Are we supposed to give thanks for what we have while remembering those who have less? Do we pray to God and reflect on our year? What about stuffing your face with Turkey, while watching football and planning out tomorrow's Black Friday shopping trip? There are so many ideas behind Thanksgiving; traditions from the past that have become the celebration of today, but where did it all start? What is Thanksgiving?

Thanksgiving as we know it today came from three different types of celebrations. The first comes from a long ago time when people celebrated and rejoiced after a successful harvest. When colonist arrived to the New World from England they brought this tradition with them. The second celebration is another tradition from the Pilgrims who felt the importance of religious observance to thank God through prayer and feast. These celebrations would occur anytime of the year.  The last celebration is the commemoration of the Pilgrims landing at Plymouth Rock and surviving a harsh winter with the help of the local Native Americans.

As a national holiday Thanksgiving was first celebrated on November 26, 1789 when President George Washington issued a proclamation declaring the day of thanks for the blessings God gave the new nation and its independence from Great Britain.

     "Whereas it is the duty of all nations to acknowledge the providence of Almighty God, to obey His will, to be grateful for His benefits, and humbly to implore His protection and favor; and Whereas both Houses of Congress have, by their joint committee, requested me to recommend to the people of the United States a Day of Publick Thanksgiving and Prayer, to be observed by acknowledging with grateful hearts the many and signal favors of Almighty God, especially by affording them an opportunity peaceably to establish a form of government for their safety and happiness"

After that first declaration various harvest and thanksgivings were celebrated but it wasn't until 1863 when President Abraham Lincoln declared the fourth Tuesday in November a national holiday that Thanksgiving was consistently celebrated as a nation.  In 1941 President Franklin D. Roosevelt moved Thanksgiving to the third Thursday in November. He did this to give people living during the Great Depression more time to make money before Christmas.

Squanto

 We all know the story of the Pilgrims and Indians but it has become more myth than truth. Yes there were Pilgrims who struggled though a harsh winter. Yes there where the Native Americans living near by who were known as the Wampanoag. One particular Native American man named Squanto helped the Pilgrims survive. But the true story isn't really happy and peaceful. It is sad truth that the Pilgrims stole from the Native Americans. They also treated them badly and thought the Native people weren't as good as the Pilgrims. They stole to survive and believed God was on their side. It is the way people thought back then. After the harsh winter they gave thanks to God. The spirit of Thanksgiving can be seen in the actions of the Wampanoag Indians. Instead of hating the Pilgrims for their bad deeds they helped them survive.

Thanksgiving should not only be a time to give thanks for all we have but a time to remember how far we have come. Perhaps the real first Thanksgiving wasn't born from good behavior but the spirit of Thanksgiving can be found in those first events.  The Pilgrims did overcome a harsh winter. While they may have abused the Native Americans they also learned from them. Truly, the Pilgrims would not have survived without the help of their new found neighbors. It was Squanto who helped establish a peace treaty between the various Native American tribes and the Pilgrims.

How fortunate for us to be able to learn from our past, good and bad. Thanksgiving is a celebration that requires each of us to reflect on our lives and give thanks for our blessings. Let us all remember our beginnings from that first harsh winter of desperation to becoming a country to today's blessings. Living in Pasadena may not make it easy to realize where our food comes from but take the spirit of those long ago celebrations of a good harvest and rejoice in the good things to eat. Remember the Native Americans and their willingness to try peace even though they were wronged. Will you thank God for your school, family, food, shelter, friends? What else can you give thanks for?

Happy Thanksgiving Falcons!



As always, I used library resourced to search for information about Thanksgiving. Here are my citations.

1. Newman, Jason. "The Real First Thanksgiving." American History. ABC-CLIO, 2012. Web. 20 Nov. 2012
2. White, David. "The First Thanksgiving." Social Studies for Kids. 15 Nov 2010: n.p. SIRS Discoverer. Web. 20 Nov 2012.
3. "George Washington: Proclamation for a General Thanksgiving (1789)." American History. ABC-CLIO, 2012. Web. 20 Nov. 2012
4. "Squanto."  American History. ABC-CLIO, 2012. Web. 20 Nov. 2012
5. "Squanto." Image. AP/Wide World Photos. American History. ABC-CLIO, 2012. Web. 20 Nov. 2012.
6. "Thanksgiving feast." Image. Library of Congress. American History. ABC-CLIO, 2012. Web. 20 Nov. 2012.
7. "The American Thanksgiving: The Evolution of a Tradition."  Thanksgiving Primer. 1991: 4-7. SIRS Discoverer. Web. 20 Nov 2012.

Falcon Fall Reading Contest Prizes

If you can read and write, then you can WIN PRIZES!

There's only  ELEVEN more days until the Falcon Fall Reading Contest 2012 officially ends.  How many raffle tickets have you earned?  Already, over 20 students have earned mini-prizes...will you be next?

 

The GRAND PRIZE drawings for all grade groups will take place on Tuesday, Nov. 20, 2012.  

    



Additional prizes are being displayed in the St. Philip Library, including Target and Cherry on Top gift cards, candy, coloring books, and more!

Continue reading books and writing reviews, Falcons!

Saintly Suggestions

Looking for something to read for the Falcon Fall Reading Contest 2012 that will benefit the whole person, rather than just one part?  Take a look at the following titles we have here at the St. Philip's Library.

        1.  Saints and Angels by Claire Llewellyn 

• A collection of brief profiles and pictures of nearly thirty saints.  

2.  Brother Wolf, Sister Sparrow: Stories about Saints and Animals retold by Eric A. Kimmel 

o Discover stories of famous saints and the animals associated with them.

3.  Joan of Arc by Kathleen Kudlinski

o Learn about the life of Joan of Arc from her childhood to martyrdom.  Photographs, images, and definition boxes accompany the text.

4.  Let it Shine: Three Favorite Spirituals illustrated by Ashley Bryan

o Colorful illustrations and simple text introduce versions of three well-known spirituals along with a brief music score and a short history of slave songs before the Civil War.

What other spiritual books do you have at home?  Make a goal to read at least one of them before Nov. 19! 

 

Happy All Saints Day!

Thank you, Lord, for the Saints and for the opportunity to become Saints ourselves!

St. Philip the Apostle, pray for us!

"The church in this great festival honours all the saints reigning together in glory; first, to give thanks to God for the graces and crowns of all his elect: secondly, to excite ourselves to a fervent imitation of their virtues by considering the holy example of so many faithful servants of God of all ages, sexes, and conditions, and by contemplating the inexpressible and eternal bliss which they already enjoy, and to which we are invited: thirdly, to implore the divine mercy through this multitude of powerful intercessors: fourthly, to repair any failures or sloth in not having duly honoured God in his saints on their particular festivals, and to glorify him in the saints which are unknown to us, or for which no particular festivals are appointed...."(Taken from Vol. III of "The Lives of the Fathers, Martyrs and Other Principal Saints" by Rev. Alban Butler.) 

Read more on EWTN at http://www.ewtn.com/library/MARY/ALLSAINT.htm

All the angels and saints in Heaven, pray for us and for our country, that we may be made worthy of the promises of Christ!  May the hearts of this world burn with love for God!