Middle & Senior School Libraries
Middle School Project Resources
Senior School Library Assignments & Forms
Middle School Library Events
Book Fair!
The Book Fair will be held on Wednesday, Nov. 11, and Thursday, Nov. 12. Over 500 books will be on display, including the best, new young-adult books published in the last year, short stories, biographies, sports books, poetry collections, fantasy novels, multicultural fiction, historical fiction, realistic novels, adventure stories, and teacher favorites!
Current Parents, please read the Book Fair Committee's Letter to Parents and download the Permission Form.
Pennies for Peace Project
After completing Three Cups of Tea by Greg Mortenson, the students were so moved by it that they wanted to create a plan of action. They asked if they could have a school-wide, dress-down day to raise funds to help build schools in Afghanistan and Pakistan.
The dress-down day was advertised with posters around the school, and the book club students worked hard to inform all students about the great need for schools and supplies in this region. On the day of the dress-down, the students raised a total of $909.15 in support of global literacy initiatives.
Middle School Library Book Donations
A special thank you to the families who have donated books to the library from February through April 2009. Your generosity is appreciated. View a complete list of donors and books.
African American Read-In
2009 marks the twentieth anniversary of the African American Read-In, an international event in which school and church groups recognize African American authors as part of Black History Month. The fourth annual SSA Middle School African American Read-In took place on Wednesday, February 4, 2009. Each grade's students and teachers gathered in a central location to read selected works side by side in silence, borrowing from Civil Rights-era sit-ins a sense of unity and common purpose.
After the silent reading, pairs or trios of teachers took their advisees to classrooms for discussions. The sixth grade read and discussed an excerpt from Julius Lester's novel in dialogue Day of Tears. Form I focused on part of the "Race" chapter from President Barack Obama's nonfiction book The Audacity of Hope: Thoughts on Reclaiming the American Dream. Form II read portions of the opening chapter of the President's memoir Dreams from My Father: A Story of Race and Inheritance.
The Read-In is just one of the activities the Middle School has planned to mark Black History Month; all students will also write letters to President Obama expressing their hopes for the future of the United States and attend a blues-themed musical performance by members of the Middle School community.
Senior School Library Events
Library Associates final Book Discussion of the year will be held Wednesday, April 29, at 3:05 p.m. We will discuss The Time Traveler's Wife by Audrey Niffenegger. Refreshments provided.
"Unsilence Voices" poetry discussion
In honor of Day of Silence and National Poetry Month, there will be a poetry discussion in the library at 3:05 p.m. on Wednesday, April 15, to discuss selected poems by Mark Doty. Poems are available at the library and at the time of the reading. Come and discuss!
Library Associates Book Discussion will be held Wednesday, March 11 at 3:05 to discuss Watchmen by Alan Moore. Whether you've read the book, seen the movie, or both, you are welcome to come and voice your opinions.
Senior School Library News
The Senior School library hosted the Winter Workshop of the Western Pennsylvania School Librarians Association "Love that Book: Promote Reading with Book Clubs" on Saturday, February 21. View slideshow
Slideshows of Past Events
Middle School Book Fair
Senior School Visit from Poet Terrance Hayes
Read about events at the Junior School Library
