Edge of Sanity

It isn't often we are able to share in the inner working of a creative mind. Edge of Sanity provides the reader with chilling stories, insightful poetry and original music. RSS student Alex Reid unleashes his thoughts and will open your mind. Check it out.

For the love of reading....

Earlier this week I read, a document called  What Kids Are Reading; The Book-Reading Habits of Students in American Schools, 2012 edition (80 page PDF). The document focuses on reading levels of the most popular young adult books out today. The list compares Suzanne Collin's The Hunger Games (reading level 5.3) and Meyer's Twilight (4.9) with classics such as Steinbeck's Of Mice and Men (4.5)  and Elie Wiesel's Night (4.8). 
What this makes clear is that a book's reading level does not take into account more than how long sentences are and the level of vocabulary. Wiesel's Night is far from an easy read, focusing on his experience as a teenager in concentration camp, while addressing the personal and psychological implications of the Holocaust. Reading is about the experience, whether fending of vampires or reliving the Great Depression through the eyes of another. Kids need the freedom to choose the books they want to read. As a teacher-librarian, I want to make sure students enjoy reading and read for pleasure. For many reluctant readers, The Hunger Games is serving as a bridge to other novels and rekindling an interest in books that they have lost over the years.

Picture from Doug Johnson's Blue Skunk Blog http://bit.ly/JezZ64

RSS Reads

Congratulations to RSS students Samanta Fleming and Sara Lapointe on obtaining a Columbia Basin Trust Youth Grant for their proposal 'RSS Reads'. The project's goals are to promote the importance of literacy to local youth and appreciation of the value of reading. The grant will create a common space for students to study and read comfortably in the RSS Library. In addition, guest authors and poets will be invited to promote a love of literacy. We will also be organizing a "Get Caught Reading" contests in the near future. Look for changes to start happening soon.

Photo: K-12 Vinalhaven School, Vinalhaven, Maine

EasyBib: your research and citation tool

Many of you have had the chance to use EasyBib for your research: whether it's to use the notebook feature or simply create your bibliography. EasyBib has now added additional features to improve your research experience. You can now share your notebooks and bibliographies to make working collaboratively that much easier. The notebook also allows you to organize your notes by colour coding them and then dragging them into your outline. Take advantage of our subscription to EasyBib. It will make researching more efficient and effective.

Fire in my belly

Photo by Kali Butler

The burning desire that resides deep within; the unexplainable force that propels one to push their limits: Fire in My Belly. Kali could not have chosen a more appropriate name for her blog. She pushes herself to be the best she can be, mentally and physically. RSS student, and Red Mountain Academy athlete, Kali Butler, is living in Panorama, BC this winter to train and ski race as a FIS athlete. She is recording her experiences on her blog, Fire in My Belly, and you can follow her journey as she experiences the highs and lows of training, racing and living independently for the first time.  Feel free to comment on her posts.

The Joy of Books

Claremont Review's Annual Writing Contest

The Claremont Review's Annual Writing Contest is on.  Submit poems, short stories or both until March 15.  The contest is open students aged 13 to 19 and the top prize is $500.  The Claremont Review is a non-profit organization supported by the Canada Council for the Arts, Canadian Magazine Fund and Heritage Canada. All entrants receive a year's subscription to The Claremont Review. For further details go to The Claremont Review's site.