Both are inviting places that stimulate learning and encourage the joy of reading. Each weekly visit to the Lower School Library provides students with the opportunity to explore and become life-long readers. At the Upper School, students develop the skills necessary to become researchers and independent learners. Both libraries host events throughout the year, including guest readers at the Lower School, virtual and actual author visits at the Upper School, the annual Scholastic book fair, and read-a-thons. Our students and teachers are supported by a librarian at both campuses and dedicated parent volunteers.
The mission of the St. Thomas Aquinas Libraries is to foster a love of reading and to provide activities and resources that will support students and staff in becoming effective and discriminating life-long users of information.
Madeline Schnurr, Upper School Teacher-Librarian
School librarians from across the Diocese of Dallas met at the Lower School in February to share resources and ideas. Hosted by Mary Packard, our Lower School librarian, with the help of a few of our 8th grade ambassadors, the group discussed ways to encourage middle school students to read more, what author/illustrator visits are on the horizon and plans to have a book tasting for teachers at the beginning of the school year.
Students celebrated World Read Aloud Day on Thursday, February 1st at the Upper School by skyping with Jodi Kendall, author of The Unlikely Story of a Pig in the City, Dan Gemeinhart, author of The Honest Truth and Good Dog, and Stacy McAnulty, author of Excellent Ed and Beautiful. Students also read to each other in their classrooms and dressed as their favorite book character.
On Tuesday, November 14, author Jeramey Kraatz paid a visit to STA to talk to the students and teachers about his books, The Cloak Society Series and the Space Runners Series. Mr. Kraatz talked about his childhood and how he was a big fan of comic books, especially the X-Men Series.
| Library Hours | |
|---|---|
| Monday | 7:30am-3:15pm |
| Tuesday | 7:30am-3:45pm |
| Wednesday | 7:30am-3:45pm |
| Thursday | 7:30am-3:45pm |
| Friday | 7:30am-3:15pm |
Specific Class Times can be viewed here.
Students must sign in at the front desk and have a signed pass (by Mrs. Luckey or teacher on duty in cafeteria) in order to use the library before school. All students must be accompanied by a parent or guardian after school.
Damaged/Lost Materials
Library Computers
The library has 7 computers available for student use. All students are expected to observe all library and computer/Internet Acceptable Use policies.
AR is a computer program that helps teachers and librarians manage and monitor children’s independent reading practice. Your child picks a book at his own level and reads it at his own pace. When finished, your child takes a short quiz on the computer. (Passing the quiz is an indication that your child understood what was read.) AR gives children, teachers, and librarians feedback based on the quiz results, which the teacher then uses to help your child set goals and direct ongoing reading practice.
Renaissance Home Connect is a tool that allows parents to log in to a Web site and view a snapshot of their child’s Accelerated Reader progress. That progress includes average percent correct on quizzes, number of points earned, and results on the last quiz. In addition, parents can view all the Accelerated Reader quizzes their child has taken, and can access an online search tool, AR Book Finder, to search for books using various criteria, including author, subject, or reading level. Parents also have the option to receive email notifications in English or Spanish when their child has completed an Accelerated Reader Quiz.
Access HomeconnectVolunteers can help in many ways in the library, such as:
Thank you for your interest in helping our students in the library!
