Horizon 2025 - Flipbook - Page 29
National Library Week
National Library Week was April 7-11, 2025. During
the week, Shelton librarians invited students
and parents to explore and celebrate the many
adventures and opportunities the libraries offer
each day. As a special thank-you to faculty and staff
for their ongoing support, the librarians hosted a
morning treat with doughnuts and coffee before
school. It was a wonderful way to recognize the vital
role libraries play in our community.
Book Buddies
During the 2024-2025 school year, Shelton librarians
started a new cross-divisional collaboration, Book
Buddies. Several Middle School reading and English
classes were paired with Lower School Library
classes. These groups met once a month, allowing
Middle School students to read to Lower School
students.
Books covered a wide variety of topics and
monthly themes such as Black History Month,
National Poetry Month and Earth Day. Students also
participated in related crafts, formed friendships
with peers outside their division and expanded their
reading abilities.
Fifth-Grade Library Ambassadors and
Upper School Volunteers
This year, the Lower School Library was buzzing with student leadership
and collaboration. Many fifth-grade students served as library
ambassadors each morning, taking on a variety of responsibilities —
from checking books in and out, caring for the tortoise and managing
the makerspace to prepping table caddies, cleaning furniture and iPads,
curating book displays and delivering materials to classrooms.
We are also grateful for our Upper School students who volunteered
their time to assist with library maintenance, circulation, makerspace
organization and support for younger learners — all while earning
community service hours.
A Variety of Reading Activities Across Campus
From our youngest learners to our upper schoolers, students across
every grade took part in reading activities this year.
In the fall, 53 Lower School students joined the Great Pumpkin
Challenge, reading 253 books and decorating pumpkins as favorite
characters. In the spring, 94 students from Early Childhood through
second grade read 1,037 books in the Trot Into Reading challenge, then
completed projects to share what they had learned.
Early grades also joined national literacy events such as Paper Bag
Princess Day, Dot Day and Earth Day. One class tied history and reading
together with “I Survived the Molasses Flood.”
Bluebonnet Reading Challenge
Our third- through sixth-grade students
enthusiastically participated in the statewide
Bluebonnet Reading Challenge this year — and
their results were outstanding. Eighty-six third- and
fourth-grade students read an impressive 631 books,
while 98 fifth-grade students read a total of 726
books. These numbers greatly exceeded last year’s
totals.
To celebrate, students enjoyed weekly “lunch bunch”
gatherings in the library. Nineteen sixth-grade
students added to the excitement by reading 131
Bluebonnet books. We are especially proud of the
students who read at least five titles and earned the
opportunity to vote for their favorite book. It was a
fantastic accomplishment for our young readers.
By the Numbers
39,879 Total cataloged items
36 Number of books per student
books and
12,834 Elementary
cataloged items
books and
27,045 Secondary
cataloged items
421,631 Database searches
materials
22,135 Library
circulated
pages read in the
298,844 Digital
Learning Ally Program
Third- through fifth-grade students set new records in their Reading
Challenge, with 125 participants finishing 1,291 books. Twenty-one
read all 25 titles. Their efforts were celebrated with frozen treats, book
giveaways and outdoor games.
Eighth graders held a
Book Tasting to sample
and discuss new titles,
while Middle School
students shared favorite
reads in Blind Date With
a Book. Upper School
students launched a
Reading Club and visited
Lower School classrooms
to read aloud.
Library Staff
Mary Drexler
Marissa Montgomery
Morgan Richard
Library Media Specialist,
Early Childhood-Second
Grade
Library Media Specialist,
Third-Fifth Grades
Middle School Library
Media, Sixth-Eighth
Grades
SHELTON SCHOOL
THE HORIZON
NOVEMBER 2025
27
