Welcome to the John F. Kennedy Catholic School Library!
Our library mascot, Bonbon
Mission statement:
The John F. Kennedy Catholic School Library collection goals are to support and enrich the school’s curriculum; to enrich the development of student’s skills in critical analysis and informed decision-making; and to discover reading for pleasure as a life-long pursuit.
Preschool through Second grade students participate in story time. Story time is an integral part of library time for this group and storytelling is presented as an art form by showing there is more than one way to tell a story. Stories are told by reading books, puppetry, oral storytelling, and cut and tell stories, flannel boards, music, videos, and stories through artwork. Our library mascot, Bonbon, has become a celebrity in his own right, and is quite popular with all of our students.
Third through Fifth grade students complete typing lessons during library time, complete homework, and then choose books to check out that captures their imagination or interest.
Link to typing: https://www.olvjfk.com/for-students/typing/
Sixth through Eighth grade students do not have a scheduled library time, but are encouraged to come to the library to check out a book for leisure reading.
Is your child doing a research project, or just wants to find out a fact about something or read a book online? JFK is partnered with the Mississippi Bend AEA, who provides us with a wealth of websites that students may access for free.
The AEA provides us with free digital resources such as American History in Videos, Bookflix and MackinVIA which provide opportunities for students to do research for projects, or to select books for leisure reading. Students have access to these resources by entering a password that they were given at the beginning of the year. If you do not have this password, please contact the library staff and we will get that information to you. On the AEA Digital Resource page, scroll down to the subheading “Need Help?” to access the databases. If you need access to the password, please contact Mrs. Baker at: julie.baker@jfk.olv.com
Looking for more resources? Our local public libraries are a great place to search! Davenport and Bettendorf Public Libraries offer a very nice homework help section. For example, both libraries have Transparent Language Online which offers instruction in over 100 languages, allowing you to either brush up on your foreign language skills or learn a new language from scratch. This would be a great way for students in Mrs. Nicoletto’s Spanish class to keep practicing their foreign language skills during our extra-long break!
The libraries are also offering digital story times and online STEM programs and Bettendorf is launching an online Summer Reading Program. Please check individual library websites for dates and times.
Don’t have a library card? You may register for online digital access at any of our local libraries. Library cards are reciprocal at any area library.
http://www.bettendorflibrary.com/
https://www.davenportlibrary.com/research-tools/educational-school-resources
https://www.scottcountyiowa.com/library
Look at what’s new in the library
Mrs. Baker and Bonbon have been working hard to get the library ready for when we come back to school. Here is a sample of some new books that have been purchased for the library.
Optical illusion books and atlases have been some of our most requested items. I love how our students are excited about learning about the world around them. These and more new books will be ready for you to read when you come back!
I hope you are having a great summer. Keep reading, or better yet, create your own short story over the summer. I would love to read your stories when you return.
Biography
Julie Baker is a graduate of Regina High School, Iowa City, Iowa and earned her BA in History with minors in Political Science and Criminal Justice from Mount Mercy College in Cedar Rapids, Iowa. She also has additional coursework in Early Childhood Education and Library and Legal Information studies. Julie has worked at JFK for 10 years, working in various positions throughout the building; ECLC, Preschool, and Aftercare and then accepted the JFK library position in 2016. She and her husband, Tracy, have a daughter, Annette, who graduated from JFK and now attends Assumption High School.