Meet Our New Members!

Parent Meeting on Digital Citizenship Education at Westwood HS
October 9, 2018
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November 6, 2018
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Meet Our New Members!

This summer, two new schools joined the BELS Consortium, bringing our total membership up to 37 schools. Maureen Carroll from Hackensack Middle School and Michelle McGreivey from Hoboken High School tell us a bit about themselves and what they’ve been doing in their media centers. Enjoy reading these new member profiles and be sure to say “hello” to our new members when you see them!
 

Michelle McGrievey – Hoboken HS

How long have you been working as a media specialist?
I started working as a media specialist in 2002, after working for twelve years in public, academic and special libraries.

 

What is your favorite kind of material to introduce to your students? 
I really enjoy creative pursuits and was making things before the “maker” movement. I like teaching them creative technology tricks and also have taught sewing and crafting after school for years.

 

What do your students do in the media center?
Students come on their own or with classes. We also have an eighty minute Personal Growth Period during the middle of the day where students finish homework, print, work in groups, or just relax in the media center.

 

What new things have you added to the media center programming since you’ve been in your school? 
I added programming like Blind Date with a Book, Book Tasting, and book-themed contests. I also added a lot of AV material, which now is being eclipsed by streaming media. I also acquired a poster maker, which we are currently using to make our own READ posters in collaboration with the photoshop art class. Last year I partnered with our engineering, computer science and biomedical teachers and students to run a Makers Day site in our building. We are looking forward to doing it again this year.

 

What do you like to read?
I love dystopian fiction and realistic fiction.

 

What do you do for fun?
My family has been fostering kittens for five years and I love to sew and do other crafts. We recently acquired a canoe built by my father in law and went canoeing last summer.

 

Do you have any big goals or plans for media center this year?
I did a major weeding and hope to remove some bookshelves to make room for some maker things.

 


 

Maureen Carroll – Hackensack MS

How long have you been working as a media specialist? 
Seven years

 

What is your favorite kind of material to introduce to your students? 
I like being able to introduce non-fiction books to the students. They are always amazed when I show them a drawing book, cook book, or animal book that they “didn’t know we had!” I love seeing that they recognize there is a greater informational world than just Google out there.

 

What do your students do in the media center? 
Students have a lot of opportunities in our library for both purpose and pleasure. Students take virtual field trips using VR headsets, borrow independent reading books, and gain the skills necessary to navigate the information at their fingertips. We also collaborate with our public library for book talks and other programs, in fact we received an NJLA Amy Job Partnership Award last year for our accomplishments together. 

 

What new things have you added to the media center programming since you’ve been in your school? 
Since I started in HMS, I’ve made it a priority to condense the collection and update the furniture to make it more flexible. This has helped make the library an inviting place that staff and students like to spend time in. We have increased our graphic novel offerings as well as our contemporary Spanish titles to give students more of what they want. We’ve added self-checkout, repurposed the card catalog into a supply cabinet, and added engaging artwork. We’ve also begun our second collaborative poster. Students get a set of stickers each time they borrow an independent reading book. Last year it took us 1.5 months and over 1,000 books before we figured out it was hot air balloons! 

 

What do you like to read? 
I enjoy reading mysteries, horror, and the classics.

 

What do you do for fun? 
I have been a volunteer at Camp Fatima of NJ, a program for special needs adults and children for the past 15 years. I also like baking, discovering new pizza, and most recently, restoring my 100-year old home!

 

Do you have any big goals or plans for media center this year? 
We are excited to host our very first author visit in May! 

 

HMS Students tossing all the lunch recess passes from one day!

HMS 5th grades getting the red carpet welcome at orientation!

 

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