Smithsonian Learning Lab

The Smithsonian Learning Lab is a great tool for inspiring discovery and creative use of the Smithsonian's rich digital materials, including images, recordings, and texts. Users can create and share their own collections of those materials, and personalize those collections by adding annotations, creating lessons, or building upon the collections by adding original content.

The Learning Lab was created to encourage learners of all ages to make discoveries across disciplines, create new ideas, share knowledge and creations with a global community of experts and peers, access vast collections in history, science, art, and culture, and build lasting educational networks" (learninglab.si.edu).

What is Caroline Coffey's Favorite Book?

The HHS Library is running a new series, in which we interview students and staff about their favorite books. If you are interested in participating, please see Ms. Fournier or Ms. Belcher. We'd love to know what you're reading!

This week's featured staff member is HHS senior, Caroline Coffey!

Q: "Caroline, what is your favorite book of all time?"

A: "To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee."

Q: "Why is To Kill a Mockingbird your favorite book? And when did you first read it?"

A: "I read this book when I was in 8th grade. It is my favorite book because I really liked Scout and was impressed by how strong of a character she was at such a young age. I also liked the character of Atticus, and how he stood up and defended his client when nobody else would. At the time, it made me think I might want to become a lawyer some day. Reading this book also made me feel thankful that I live in a more tolerant society than the one in which the novel is set."

Q: "Would you recommend the book to others?"

A: "Definitely, because it is a great read! All high school students should be required to read this book!"

Thank you to Caroline, for being our first student interviewee! Happy reading everyone!

What is Mr. Hanna's Favorite Book?

The HHS Library is launching a new series, in which we interview students and staff about their favorite books. If you are interested in participating, please see Ms. Fournier or Ms. Belcher. We'd love to know what you're reading!

This week's featured staff member is Assistant Principal, Mr. Hanna!

Q: "Mr. Hanna, what is your favorite book of all time?"

A: "Tuesdays with Morrie by Mitch Albom. It is a story of a student visiting a former teacher of his, years after working together. The story acts, in many ways, as an outline to what the important things in life are."

Q: "Why is Tuesdays with Morrie your favorite book? And when did you first read it?"

A: "This is my favorite book because I have revisited the messages in it regularly for the past 20 years. I read it as a freshman in college. I bought it, and read it, from start to finish at a Papa Gino's restaurant. It has served as a reminder to me to focus on the important things in life no matter how hectic things become."

Q: "Why would you recommend the book to others?"

A: "I would recommend this book to anyone as an opportunity for self-reflection, and a reminder of where to focus your attention as you work through life. Having read hundreds of books throughout my life, Tuesdays with Morrie stands alone as an experience. I looked at life a particular way before reading that book, and I believe I looked and acted in life in a more meaningful way after finishing."

Thank you to Mr. Hanna, for being our first interviewee! Happy reading everyone!

Movie Night at the HHS Library

The HHS Library is hosting another movie night, this Wednesday 12/3 @ 6:30pm. Join us for some holiday-themed movies, and a seasonal craft! All are welcome!

December Newsletter

The December issue of the library newsletter is now available!

The Makerspace in Action!

Still curious about what goes on in the Makerspace? See this video Mr. Haas put together, of HHS students Lauren and Mishti creating a masterpiece!

NaNoWriMo

November is National Novel Writing Month (NaNoWriMo)! NaNoWriMo occurs every November, and challenges aspiring writers to complete an entire novel in just 30 days. The Young Writers Program (YWP) encourages those 17-and-under participants to set reasonable, yet challenging, individual word-count goals. Think you've got what it takes? Sign up here. And don't forget to check out some of these great resources!

November's New Books

New books have arrived at the HHS Library! Don't have time to stop by and browse? Take a peek at our Pinterest boards to see some of the new titles here. See one you like? Send Mrs. Fournier or Mrs. Belcher an email and reserve your copy. With the long holiday weekend coming up, it's the perfect time to enjoy some new books!

Library Event - 10/22

Celebrate Halloween at the HHS Library on Thursday 10/22 @ 6:45pm with a fun movie night and pumpkin decorating craft! Bring your own pumpkin to decorate, or purchase a mini-pumpkin at the library that evening. Three movies will be screening at the same time: Hocus Pocus, Beetlejuice, and Twilight (it's the 10th anniversary!) - pick your favorite! Snacks will be available for purchase as well. All are welcome!

Monthly Project Series!

In the #DIY spirit, the HHS #Makerspace will be offering a monthly project series. This month's project (10/7 after school) will be a quick craft using some basic supplies. Turn those favorite Instagram photos into gifts for family and friends! With some ceramic tiles and Mod Podge, you can have personalized coasters. Can't make the workshop? Check out this tutorial and try it on your own!

Primary Source YouTube Channel

Primary Source now has their own YouTube channel which includes complete videos of past online seminars they've delivered. As an organization that works to advance global education in schools, Primary Source offers various professional development opportunities and courses for educators, the YouTube videos are just a small sample of what's available. A great resource!

Celebrate National Hispanic Heritage Month!

Check out one of these great YA titles in celebration of National Hispanic Heritage Month!

"National Hispanic Heritage Month (September 15 to October 15) celebrates the heritage and culture of Hispanic and Latino Americans. September 15th is the anniversary of independence of five Latin American countries: Costa Rica, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras and Nicaragua. Mexico, Chile and Belize also celebrate their independence days during this month.The term Hispanic or Latino refers to Puerto Rican, South or Central American, or other Spanish culture or origin regardless of race" (from YALSA.com).

New HHS Makerspace!

HHS received a grant from the Hopkinton Education Foundation to create a makerspace in the high school library. A makerspace, by definition, is a creative, DIY-space where students can gather to create, invent, learn, and discover, using a variety of materials (OEDB.org). The HHS Library makerspace will eventually contain a 3D printer, sewing machine, arduino and electronic kits, as well as numerous craft supplies.

The new makerspace is located in the former work room of the library, and is open to all students. Staff members also have the option of renting out our moveable storage unit (to arrive soon!) containing many of these supplies, in an effort to bring the "makerspace" movement into the classroom!

As shown below, HHS seniors Mark McCluskey and Billy Allen have already joined the #makermovement with their finger-knitting creations! Join them, and others, in the makerspace, and take on your own #DIY projects! #create #innovate #discover #learn

Image credits: ocm.org, ala.org

"Read" Dating Event at the Hopkinton Public Library

Looking for your next read? Stop by the Hopkinton Public Library Thursday, June 18th for a teen "Read Dating" activity, accompanied by the music of FUZE (band of HHS students Eric Olafsen, Ben Fargiano, Raj Dandekar, and Drew Lane)!

Event Details:

Thursday, June 18th

5:30 - 7:30pm

Free pizza and snacks will be served!

Music by FUZE!

Line up some beach reads for yourself while previewing some new books, enjoying some pizza and snacks, and listening to some great music (in air-conditioned comfort)! All are welcome!

Comic Book Club's New Blog!

The HHS Comic Book Club just launched their new blog! Thank you to HHS senior, and comic book club member, Caroline Mann, for using her artistic talents in the creation of our logo! This blog will be a space for members to share their knowledge of the genre, and post reviews of materials they've recently read.

If you are an HHS student with an interest in comic books or graphic novels, consider joining us at one of our meetings. We meet every Tuesday, after school in the library, from 2:00pm to 3:00pm. Can't make our meetings, but still interested? Consider submitting some of your own writing or artwork to be showcased on our blog!

Stay tuned for more information...

Author Event Recap

Thank you to everyone who attended our recent author event at the HHS Library! Members of the HPS community had a chance to meet young adult author Nancy Werlin, on Wednesday 4/29. Nancy gave a reading from her book The Rules of Survival, and then answered reader questions about her books and her writing process. It was a great evening! We’d also like to extend a special thank you to the HPTA for their generous support in making this event possible.

Library of Congress: Chronicling America

The Library of Congress grants free digital access to America's historic newspaper pages from 1836 - 1922, through the Chronicling America database. This is a great way to learn about history through the examination of primary sources. EDSITEment also has a Chronicling America portal which offers video tutorials on how to navigate the database. A great resource!

April is School Library Month!

School Library Month is the American Association os School Librarians' (AASL) celebration of school library programs. This year's spokesperson is award-winning actress and best-selling author, Julianne Moore. Check out her PSA about school libraries here.

Also, take a look at this infographic from TeachingDegree.org. Libraries are indeed forever!

Howtoons

Howtoons is a great resource for providing engaging content to teach students how to build things, combining instructions with storytelling. With its foundation of science and engineering education, Howtoons inspires creativity through art and imagination.

Howtoons has some great DIY/STEM-related educational comics for students! Check some of them out here.

April 9th Poetry Event at the HHS Library

In honor of National Poetry Month, Ms. Meyer and Mr. Haas will be hosting a poetry reading and discussion in the HHS Library on Thursday, April 9th, at 2:00pm. This event is part of Mass Poetry's Common Threads discussion series. We will also be displaying student work in the library, if you are a student poet please consider contributing some of your work!

All are welcome to the April 9th event! Please RSVP to Ms. Meyer if you are interested in attending.

Author Event!

Author Nancy Werlin will be visiting the HHS Library on Wednesday, April 29th at 7:00pm. She will be giving a reading, answering reader questions, and signing books. There will be copies of her books available for purchase as well, and light refreshments will be served.

This is a community event, and all are welcome. Please see Nancy's website for more information about her books!

March is Women's History Month

March is Women's History Month! Every March, The Library of Congress, National Archives and Records Administration, National Endowment for the Humanities, National Gallery of Art, National Park Service, Smithsonian Institution, and United States Holocaust Memorial Museum all pay tribute to the generations of women whose commitment to nature and the planet have proved invaluable to society.

To learn more about Women's History Month, check out some of the exhibits and collections listed here. And stop by the HHS Library for book displays all month.

Why You Should Read More

Enough said.

*Infographic credit: Gosnia Zimniak

Modern Retellings of Classic Stories

Interested in a more modern take on some of those classic stories and fairy tales you are familiar with? Check out this infographic from Epic Reads. Discover some new young adult literature as you celebrate Read Across America Day!

Will Eisner Week: March 1st - 7th

March 1st - 7th is Will Eisner Week. Will Eisner is considered the father of the American graphic novel and was the creator of such comics as The Spirit, John Law, Lady Luck, Mr. Mystic, and countless others. His career spanned nearly seventy years, and one of the comic industry’s most prestigious awards, The Eisner Award, is named after him. To learn more about Eisner’s life and career, take some time to browse this site.

To celebrate this week, stop by the HHS Library and check out a graphic novel!

March 2nd is Read Across America Day!

Monday, March 2nd is Read Across America Day! Read Across America Day is a National Education Association sponsored event which focuses on motivating children and teens to read through events, partnerships, and reading resources. This year's book is the Seuss classic, Oh the Places You'll Go!

March 2nd is also Dr. Seuss's birthday! Read more about him here. And don't forget to check out the Seussville website for kid and family friendly activities, projects, and events related to Dr. Seuss and Read Across America Day.

And...to help us celebrate Dr. Seuss week, the HHS Library will also be screening the movie The Lorax after school in the library. Relive a childhood favorite! All are welcome!

You are never too old to read and enjoy Dr. Seuss!

Instagrok Tutorial

For those of you interested in using Instagrok, here is a step-by=step tutorial to get you started. Instagrok is a great tool for helping students narrow a search topic for research assignments. Instagrok also maintains bibliographic lists of information returned in searches, and exports those citations to EasyBib in proper MLA format. No more guesswork in creating those research citations!

National Readathon Day - January 24th!

January 24th is National Readathon Day! Celebrate by stopping by the HHS Library to pick up some new books to add to your weekend pile of reading!

Shakespeare Uncovered

Friday, January 30th at 9:00pm, starts the second season of Shakespeare Uncovered, to be aired on PBS. The series continues to combine history, biography, iconic performances, scholarly discussion, and the personal interests of its celebrity hosts, to tell the stories behind the stories of Shakespeare's greatest plays. A great way to amp up your Shakespeare knowledge!

The Public Domain Project

Looking for copyright-friendly images to use for a class project or lesson plan? Try The Public Domain Project. Images and audio clips found in this repository can be used freely, shared and remixed. A great resource!

Citizenship in the digital age

Wondering which characteristics comprise a positive digital citizen? Check out this infographic from ISTE.

8 Things to Look for in Today's Classroom

Great infographic from educator Sylvia Duckworth!