January 7th...Open Mic during lunch waves...in the LLC

Please sign up to participate in our January Open Mic.  Music, vocal or instrumental, poetry, short story, theatrical presentation are all welcome.  The link is on the blog page.

Our last open mic in December was probably the best thus far this year.  Audiences have been more attentive and polite. Performers have been more intent on a true performance rather than being goofy.

We hope to provide a venue for those with talent to share it.

Internet Smarts...Cyberbullying...December 15th...Period 3 at 8:25

This Wednesday, December 15th, in the Library Learning Commons, SHS along with Cablevision - Power to Learn program will be hosting an Internet Smarts Event, specifically looking at the issue of Cyber Bullying. Ms. Garrity's Period 3 health class will be presenting what they have learned regarding this serious and seemingly ever growing issue. State Senator Toni Boucher will be present during the event along with additional representative from the Power to Learn program. If you would like to bring your class down to the Library we will be starting (roughly) around 8:25. Any and all are welcomed to come, please email or call to let us know if you are planning on bringing your class so we can make sure there is enough seating. Thanks and we hope you can make it!

Lunchertainment presents The KAI Trio...Friday December 17th ...During lunch waves

As the Holidays are upon us why not

come to the LLC

for some musical enjoyment.

Kate, Ian and Alex make up this fabulous jazz trio. 

They are excited to come and perform for you during the lunch waves.

Please come and make them feel welcome.

Rumor has it Mr. Honeycutt is helping them to cut their first CD.

See you Friday December 17th.

Friday December 10...Tom Henske on investing and saving...Period 1 at 10:05

Tom Henske, wealth manager by day and Staples Varsity soccer goalie coach by night, will be giving a presentation to all interested students about defining your net worth.  Come hear him talk about the basics of investing and saving.

Please call or email Mrs. Roberts or Mrs. Stiles if you would like to attend with your class during Period 1 on Friday, December 10th.

Hope to see you in the Library Learning Commons.

Don't forget...Open Mic Friday, December 3rd!

Sign up for Open Mic here!

Haiti before and after the earthquake...December 3 during Period 5 and 6

Dr. Rebecca Eleck is a family doctor who has done frequent outreach work in Haiti before and after the earthquake.  She will share her experiences, through photos and stories, of her work done to improve the quality of family medical care in Haiti.

Ms. Olbrych's Caribbean classes and Ms. Veenema's Sophomore English classes will share this in-school class trip speaker with all who are in the Library Learning Commons and with any additional classes that might like to sign up and join us.  Numbers are growing so please email Mrs. Roberts or Mrs. Stiles if you plan to bring a class.  All are welcome. 

This presentation is not during lunch waves but rather during periods 5 and 6 this Friday!

Lunchertainment...Respect and Kindness Requested...November 23rd...during lunch waves

During the upcoming busy holiday season we thought it would be great to reinforce the need to respect others, to be kind to others, and to understand the consequences of being careless with the feelings of others either in person or through social networking technology.  Kool to be Kind Kids, trained by the Anti Defamation League, and Westport Youth Commission's High School iMentors, who work with middle school students to address the social and legal ramifications of internet bullying and texting, will be hosting our program today.  These groups will address issues of bullying, respect and kindness.  They will present a snapshot of the work they do with elementary and middle school porgrams.  There will also be a Westport Police officer present to answer any specific legal questions related to cyberbullying.  This program compliments the message of empathy that was presented in the Thula Sizwe assembly this past week.  "If I were not me, I could be you."

Lunchertainment...What is it?

Part of our switch to becoming a Library Learning Commons has been trying to incorporate speakers, programs, and events for students, teachers and classes in the LLC.  The shift from library media center to library learning commons is to create a space where all types of learning can happen more often! The lunch waves are pretty much the best time to reach a greater portion of the kids at Staples.  We started out slowly last year.  Some of you may remember the whole day Poetry Slam in April and an Open Mic during lunch waves on a Friday last June. 

Some teachers invite speakers or have special programs in their classroom and share those speakers with us in the LLC to reach more students.  Some teachers just like to use the LLC as a venue for their speakers because of the space we can provide. 

This year we have had violinist Alexander Markov perform.  We have had Staples grad Connor Murphy visit to tell us about how his computer generated graphics have been part of Avatar and other movie productions.  Both of these programs came to the LLC as a request from teachers for our space.

We have two new Library Volunteers, Mrs. Ritter and Mrs. McCarthy, who have a knack for programming.  They have been working behind the scenes to invite local people of interest in to speak to our students.  They have about 6 or 7 more programs that they are working on timing, scheduling, and arranging for us right now!  We will get the news of upcoming Lunchertainment programs to you as soon as we have details in this blog.

Oh yeah!  We like the name, but Lunchertainment might happen at other times during the day just because of scheduling teachers and classes!

Lunchertainment...Open Mic...First Friday of each Month...Lunch Waves

Next Open Mic on December 3rd

**Click here to signup please**

Open Mic Rules

• Positive energy wanted!
• Be able to freestyle or bring prepared poems
• No offensive or vulgar language
• No offensive topics

Audience Rules

• Cheer on every poet, every speaker
• Don't put down any reader
• Positive energy only!

Lunchertainment...Monday November 15th...Library Learning Commons

Thula Sizwe - South African Performance Group - During Lunch Waves 2 and 3 (Not 1!)

Thula Sizwe will perform song, dance, drumming, and give an overview of some of the origins of the music, the dance moves, and the traditional Zulu costumes the performers wear during 3rd period assemblies.  Come visit them after the assemblies in the Library Learning Commons to listen to the group teach the Clicking Language of South Africa, "Zhosa," and learn a few humorous African songs.  This comes to you courtesy of the PTA Cultural Arts Committee.

Lunchertainment...Tuesday November 16th...Library Learning Commons

Skip Lane - a former NFL player for the NY Jets to Visit -During Lunch Waves
We are so excited to have Skip join us.  He was drafted out of the University of Mississippi as a corner back in 1984 for the NY Jets.  He has alos played for the Kansas City Chiefs and the Washington Redskins and played for three teams on the Canadian Football league, one in the USFL and two years in Italy!  He was a free agent when he signed with the Jets from the USFL.  Skip's Dad also coached at Staples.  Hear him talk about his experiences during this time and feel free to ask him any questions.