Chirp.html

Photo by Tony Nazar of Wilton, 2007	Fund Raising idea--Solicit donations from local businesses to purchase the complete Chickadee collection. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Portland's Hall Elementary School has posted an podcast of student reviews of Chickadee books. Click here and then click on the chickadee to hear the reviews.
The idea we have used for the last three years that has really worked is: We set aside two weeks after February vacation and every book on the list is read to every child in grades K-4. The principal chooses one to read and visits each class, the art teacher reads one in art class and the music teacher uses one in music class. Each teacher has a poster where the students check which ones they like as they are read. (They use math to figure out the totals.) I pass out the ballot around the middle of March and the votes are entered on the sheet.I have a display in the main hallway and I display the book covers with the number of votes beside each book so that everyone knows which is the school winner. When the state figures come, I put those there too so they can compare the two. Karen White, Librarian~Durham Elementary School	Photo by Tony Nazar of Wilton, 2007
Photo by Tony Nazar of Wilton, 2007	Debbie Meservey from Rockport Elementary School has written a Chickadee Song, sung to the tune of the Kids R Us jingle. Click on this to see the cute tune, with chords.
After the New Year, I start reading the Chickadee Award nominees to my kindergarten and first grade students. Before I introduce a Chickadee nominee, I squeeze my Audubon stuffed chickadee so it chirps. (After the first time, the students know the chirping signals a Chickadee book.) I read one per week and often do an extension activity (craft, game, etc.) after the story. I make a small "Chickadee Award" booklet for each child. The booklet measures 4 1/4 x 5 1/2" (made with half a sheet of 8 1/2 x 11" paper cut lengthwise and folded) and has 10 pages (5 sheets folded in half). The children write their name on the front cover which bears the Chickadee logo and the year. After a Chickadee nominee is read, the children glue a small black and white†image of the book's cover on a page in the booklet. When all the books are read, the children vote for their favorite by circling the cover's image in the booklet.(Since a booklet only has images of the books the individual child was present to hear,I know the child is voting for a book he/she really liked.) After I tally their votes, I return the booklets to the children and they take them home as a momento of the program. I find many children look through the booklet each week and have lively discussions†about the books with a neighbor. The booklet helps to keep all the stories fresh in the children's minds when it comes time to voting. Karen Miliano, MLIS~Carl J. Lamb Elementary School Library, Springvale	Photo by Tony Nazar of Wilton, 2007
Photo by Tony Nazar of Wilton, 2007	Chickadee Room Chart 2008-09--a small chart to keep track of students' ratings of books--use stars, stickers, grades so students will be ready to vote in the spring

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