Cooley’s Corner

Spelling Bee

Monday, November 21st, 2011 | Spelling Bee | No Comments

We would like to congratulate the students that qualified to be a participant in this year’s Goochland Middle School Spelling Bee.  The GMS Spelling Bee will be Tuesday, December 6, 2011 at 9:00 a.m.

6th grade:

Cierra O., Camden H., Tessa H., Sierra M., Coleman D., Matthew G., John K.

7th grade:

Mitchell R., Zada H., Chelsey S., Troy L., Hunter W., Amelita P., Meagan F.

8th grade:

Joseph B., Kodi W., Tessa R., Bes S., Elle R., Helen G.

2012 School Spelling Bee study list

Welcome to the LMC

Thursday, August 18th, 2011 | Media Center Info | No Comments

We would like to welcome  you to the 2011-2012 school year at GMS.  We hope you have had a terrific summer and we look forward to an interesting year working with you in the Library Media Center.  This year will offer some challenges and some new faces.  Mrs. Stephanie Falconer is the new GMS Library Assistant and will be here to help you as you work on the computers and look for materials.  The computers have been upgraded and new books are on the way.  I will be sharing my time between GMS and GHS this year but will be available when needed at GMS.  It will be an exciting year for all of us as we work toward “AbSOLute Success in 2011-2012″.  See you on Monday!

The Book Fair is coming!!!

Tuesday, March 22nd, 2011 | General, Uncategorized | No Comments

We will be open March 28th through April 1st and also on Thursday night, March 31st from 5:00 – 8:30 p.m. during Math night.  Bring your parents to see our selection of great books. The Young Adult case is also going to be available during the spring fair.  Students will visit with their English classes.  The Book Fair is here just in time for you to purchase books for some fun Spring Break reading!  Volunteers are needed and welcome!  Mrs. Heather Browder is scheduling volunteers so you may contact her or Mrs. Cooley if you are able to spare some time that week.  We look forward to seeing you at the Spring Book Fair!

Reading Olympians

Tuesday, March 22nd, 2011 | Reading Olympians | No Comments

Reading Olympians is over for this year except for the After-School Wrap-up session that will be held on Monday, March 28, 2011 from 3:15 – 5:00 p.m.   I would like to congratulate the teams on a job well done at Regionals that was held at Stonewall Jackson Middle school in Hanover County.  We had a great group of students this year!   The Page Burners placed 5th and the Epic Eagles placed 8th.  They were the model of good sportsmanship and GMS Eagle spirit.  I hope 6th and 7th graders will join again next year and bring their “reading” friends with them.  We will miss the 8th graders and wish them the best as they move on to high school.

Next years’ R.O. booklist will be ready before the end of the school year and will be posted in my blog as soon as it is available. We are always looking for ways to enhance the Reading Olympian program and encourage suggestions.  Keep reading!

Reading Olympian Schedule

Thursday, December 16th, 2010 | Reading Olympians | No Comments

Just a reminder that there will be no After-school Reading Olympians today (2.7.11) and the last Pizza Party work session has been changed from Monday, Feb. 21st to Friday Feb. 25th from 3:15 – 6:30 p.m.  All Reading Olympians (Lunch-bunch and After-school) are encouraged to attend for practice with mock competitions.

This schedule was revised 2.7..11

Reading Olympian Competition:

Tell your parents and mark your calendars for:
March 10, 2011, 3:30 p.m. at Stonewall Jackson Middle School in Mechanicsville, VA. We should arrive back at GMS around 7:30 – 8:00 p.m.
In case of inclement weather the date will be March 17, 2011

After-school meetings: (8 sessions after Christmas break)
Jan. 3
Jan. 10 – Pizza work session (Monday) 3:15-7:00 p.m. CANCELED DUE TO IMPENDING BAD WEATHER
(no school – Jan. 17 MLK)
Jan. 24- Pizza work session (Monday) 3:15-7:00 p.m. THIS IS A CHANGE
Jan. 31
(no meeting – Feb. 7)
Feb. 14
Feb. 25 – Pizza work session (Monday) 3:15-6.30 p.m. – THIS IS A CHANGE!!!
Feb. 28
Mar. 7
Mar. 10 – competition
Mar. 21 – Wrap up session

Lunch-bunch: (7 regular sessions after Christmas break – 2 extended work sessions)
Jan. 7
Jan. 10 – Pizza work session (Monday) 3:15-7:00 p.m. – CANCELED DUE TO IMPENDING BAD WEATHER
Jan. 13

Jan. 21

Jan. 24- Pizza work session (Monday) 3:15-7:00 p.m. – Lunch-bunch invited and encouraged to attend – THIS IS A CHANGE
Jan. 27
Feb. 4
Feb. 10
Feb. 18 No meeting – early release

Feb. 25 – Pizza work session (Monday) 3:15-6.30 p.m. -  Lunch-bunch invited and encouraged to attend for practice in a mock competition – THIS IS A CHANGE!

Feb. 25 – Lunch-bunch will still meet today
Mar. 3
Mar. 10 Competition
Mar. 18 – Wrap-up session

Keep reading! Make sure you are always reading one book and have at least another one ready to go when you’ve finished the first. During the winter months you never know when you will have an extra day to read while enjoying the snow. March 10th will be here before you know it.

RO Title-Author Booklist

Spelling Bee Study Guides

Monday, November 22nd, 2010 | Spelling Bee | No Comments

Congratulations to those that qualified to be in this year’s Spelling Bee (list below).
6th grade participants:
Zack McCormick
Meagan Frazier
Annie Lopez
Christian Robinson
Mitchell Rosenbloom
Anthony Dougherty

7th grade participants:
Cameron Ford
Elle Rosenbaum
Clay Burton
Davis Paone
Jonathan Thrasher
Corrine Whalen
David Hazzard

8th grade participants:
Abbie Allison
Nate Ashburn
Annie Snyder
Grant Kincaid
Erin Maguire
Sara Hardy
Mark Livingston
Garneel Azor

GMS Spelling Bee will be held on Tuesday, November 30, 2010. The Bee will be broadcast from the GHS Video Studio. Guests and parents may view from the GMS Library Media Center. The first 125 words will come from one of the lists below:

2011 study words fifth grade

2011 study words sixth grade

2011 study words seventh grade

2011 study words eighth grade

More difficult words may come from the following Spell It list:

Spell It 2011

Good luck to all of the participants in this year’s GMS Spelling Bee.

Reading Olympians

Tuesday, October 26th, 2010 | Reading Olympians | No Comments

There will be no Reading Olympian meetings this week for after-school and  lunch-bunch.  No meetings this week.

There will be no After-school R.O. meeting on Nov. 1st due to Parent-teacher conferences, the next After-school meeting will be on Nov. 8th from 3:15 to 5:00.

The next lunch-bunch meeting will be Nov. 4 or 5 – Whichever date is a Day 1.

This gives you plenty of time to finish the R.O. book you are reading now.  The book we are reading for your group should be finished!  Please come to the LMC and get a new R.O. book if you have finished the one you currently have.

Don’t forget to take the AR test and do some activity with the characters and the storyline to help us remember the details for March.

All Reading Olympian books for this year are AR books, even if they don’t have the label on the spine.

Happy Reading!

No R.O. meetings the week of Oct. 4 – 8, 2010

Thursday, September 30th, 2010 | Reading Olympians | No Comments

Due to the Book Fair being in the GMS LMC next week, Oct. 4 – 8, 2010, there will be no Reading Olympian meetings.  Team members if you need a new book come on in and check one out.  We will be back on schedule the next week with After-school meeting on Oct. 11 and Lunch-bunch meeting on Oct. 15.

Keep Reading!

By Oct. 11, After-school R.O. should have read at least to page 154 in Doom Machine or page 106 in Downsiders.

Lunch-Bunch:  A lunch – Downsiders, page 106; B lunch – Downsiders, page 106 or Girl who could fly, page 128; C  lunch – Downsiders, page 106 or Tentacles, page 117; D lunch, – Downsiders, page 106 or Best bad luck I ever had, page 99.

Don’t forget to be working on something about the characters and the plot or storyline.  This is sometimes easier to do as you read the book.

Great books, great reads!

It’s not too late to join Reading Olympians!

Thursday, September 30th, 2010 | Reading Olympians | No Comments

The Reading Olympian Program is designed to promote reading, teamwork, self-confidence and enjoyment of reading. There are books on the list for all reading interests and abilities. You just need to enjoy reading!  All students in grades 6-8 are encouraged to become Reading Olympians and take part in the activities.  The Olympians will work in teams to collectively read from the list of 36 books between September and March.  Teams will be asked questions about the books during tournaments.  We may have a school competition in February; and we will compete in the Regional Competition in March.

Become a member of one of the 2010-2011 Reading Olympian Teams

There are two ways to become a Reading Olympian:

1. Join the after-school R.O. team. Meetings will be on Monday starting on September 20 from 3:15-5:00 p.m.

2. Become a member of the Lunch-bunch R.O. team. Meetings will be weekly on Thursday or Friday (whichever is a day 1) during your lunch break starting Sept. 23, 2010.

Forms for signing up may be obtained in the GMS LMC.  Contact Mrs. Cooley with any questions.

2010-2011 Booklist

Fantasy
Airman – Erin Colfer
Downsiders – Neal Schusterman
Princess Ben – Catherine Murdock
Ruins of Gorlan – John Flanagan
When the Mountain Meets the Moon – Grace Len Wildwood Dancing – Juliet Marillier

Historical Fiction
Best Bad Luck I Ever Had – Kristin Levine
Brooklyn Bridge – Karen Hesse
Fire from the Rock – Sharon Draper
Little Audrey – Ruth White
Monkey Town – Ronald Kidd
T4 – Ann Clare LeZotte

Mystery
Closed for the Season – Mary Howney Hahn
Found -  Margaret Peterson Haddix
London Eye Mystery – Siobhan Dowd
The Magic Nation Thing – Ziplha Keatley Snyder
Swindle – Gordon Korman
Tentacles – Roland Smith

Non-Fiction
Blizzard – Jim Murphy
Chasing Lincoln’s Killer – James L. Swanson
The Great and Only Barnum – Candace Fleming
Secrets of a Civil War Submarine – Sally Walker
Three Cups of Tea – Sarah Thompson
We Beat the Streets – Sampson Davis

Realistic Fiction
After Tupac and D Foster – Jacqueline Woodson
All of the Above – Shelley Pearsall
Anything but Typical – Nora Raleigh Baskin
Notes from a Dog – Gary Paulsen
Shooting the Moon – Frances O’Roark Dowell
Underneath – Kathi Appelt

Science Fiction
The Boxes – William Sleator
Breathe: A Ghost Story – Cliff McNish
The Doom Machine – Mark Teague
Girl Who Could Fly – Victoria Forester
One Small Step -  P. B. Kerr
When You Reach Me – Rebecca Stead

Date change for Reading Olympian Meeting

Monday, September 13th, 2010 | Reading Olympians | No Comments

After-School Reading Olympians will begin next Monday, September 20! When I created the R.O. brochure in June, September 13th sounded like a great day to begin, but I now have a conflict with that date. Mrs. Hood & I look forward to working with a great group of readers on September 20th from 3:15 to 5:00. As soon as the dismissal bell rings, go to your locker and obtain the items you will be taking home and then report to the Library Media Center.

At the initial meeting we will discuss the procedures for the year, check out a book and begin reading our books. Snacks will be provided at our first meeting, so please let me know if there are allergy concerns.

We will be in front of the school as a group for dismissal by 5:00 p.m. If you will be going home any other way besides having a parent pick you up, I will need a note from your parent. Please have your rides here by 5:00 p.m. If you have an issue with the pick-up time please talk to me before Friday.

We are looking forward to a great year, come to the meetings prepared to have a great time delving into the wonders of reading!

Lunch-bunch Reading Olympians - check back later for a detailed post about the meetings that will start on September 23rd.

Welcome back to the 2010 school year!

Monday, August 30th, 2010 | General | No Comments

I hope everyone had a great summer and enjoyed some summer reading.  We are waiting for the new books and AR tests that were ordered during the summer to arrive.  I am waiting as eagerly as you for the last book in the Hunger Games trilogy.  It has been ordered but hasn’t arrived yet.

The LMC is open during homeroom for those that haven’t been able to visit with your English classes.  The majority of students have been enrolled in the Accelerated Reader program, if you are ready to take a test and your name is not available let me know.  The schedule to visit the LMC during homeroom is as follows:

Students with last names beginning with:

• A-E may visit on Monday
• F-L on Tuesday
• M-P on Wednesday
• Q-U on Thursday
• V-Z on Friday

Report to homeroom for attendance and come to the LMC with a signed agenda. Happy testing!

I am still accepting suggestions for AR tests and AR books.  Students may come to the LMC with your suggestions on paper (Title and author of the book) and parents may email me.  Thanks for your interest in the AR program.

I’m looking forward to working with you in the LMC  very soon.

New Reading Olympian booklist

Monday, June 21st, 2010 | Reading Olympians | No Comments

The 2010-11 R.O. Booklist has been added to the Reading Olympian tab. Stay tune for updates throughout the summer. Take care and have a great summer!

Summer wishes!

Thursday, June 10th, 2010 | General | No Comments

I hope you all have a terrific and safe summer.  Keep reading those books and come back in the fall ready for a new exciting school year.

GMS Spring Book Fair

Tuesday, March 16th, 2010 | General | No Comments

The Spring Book Fair will be held Friday March 26th through April 2.  Come by and purchase some books for Spring Break.  Due to the economy this will be a regular Book Fair and not my typical Buy one get one free.  I’m trying to keep the Reading Olympian and Accelerated Reader programs in the black.  There will be plenty of good books available to supplement your own personal library or to use for Easter gifts or birthday presents.

I’m looking for volunteers to help man the Book Fair.  We will be using the automated cash registers so it has become easier.  We try to work in shifts from 8:30 – 12:00, or 12:00 – 3:00.  Another day, Friday, March 26th has been added because English MP3 tests will be on Monday and Tuesday (29th & 30th), so I’m thinking those will be slow days.  It will be appreciated if you are able to volunteer during one of these shifts.  Please contact Mrs. Cooley at bcooley@glnd.k12.va.us or call 556-5320 if you are able to help.  Thanks in advance for your support of the school.

Congratulations R.O. Teams

Monday, March 15th, 2010 | Reading Olympians | No Comments

Congratulations to the GMS Reading Olympians teams!  In the regional competition last Thursday, the Page Burners earned sixth place while the Rock n Readers placed eighth!  A fun time was had by all!

We will be having the wrap-up session on Friday, March 19th during each lunch, this is for all Reading Olympians; lunch-bunch, afterschool & independent readers. Stay tuned for further announcements about next year’s book selections.  Anyone interested in joining should contact Mrs. Cooley in the LMC.