NLLA 2013 Poetry Contest Winners!

Prizes for the contest winners

This morning, NLPL Collections Librarian, Jewel Counsens, was interviewed live on CBC Radio’s St. John’s Morning Show to announce the winners of NLLA’s annual poetry contest for Canadian Library Month.

Ms. Counsens read the winning entries by students Danika Hodder (Mrs. Boyde’s grade 1 class at Eric G. Lambert School, Churchill Falls), Dillon Burden (Ms. Hancock’s grade 2 class at James Cook Memorial School, Cook’s Harbour), Paris Keats (Ms. Butler’s grade 5 class at Centreville Academy in Centreville),  Abigail MacLeod (Mrs. Stapleton’s grade 7 class at Sacred Heart Academy, Marystown) and Nicholas Power (Mrs. Stapleton’s grade 7 class at Sacred Heart Academy, Marystown).

Listen to the podcast to hear their terrific limericks! Or read them on our facebook page.

Al l five students win books generously donated by: Creative Publishing, Breakwater Books, Saunders Book Co., Library Services Centre, Raincoast Books and Baker & Taylor/YBP.

This year, we received over 200 entries from more than 15 schools across the province.

Thanks to this year’s Canadian Library Month committee members: Lorraine Jackson, Amanda Power and Beth Maddigan, and special thanks to Jewel Counsens for getting up early to do the radio show!

Canadian Library Month Limericks to be Featured on CBC Morning Show

Tune into the CBC St. John’s Morning Show bright and early (6:45), Friday November 1 to hear the winning entries in our annual poetry contest.  Special thanks to Jewel Cousens from Newfoundland and Labrador Public Libraries for resuming her broadcasting duties.

Our 2012 Poetry Contest for Canadian Library Month!

 October is Canadian Library Month! This year’s theme is “Libraries Connect”.

The NLLA distributed Canadian Library Month posters and bookmarks to schools and public libraries in the province and sponsored a province wide Haiku Poetry Contest. We received over 550 entries from students from kindergarten to grade 12 who composed haikus inspired by the theme” Libraries Connect”. A haiku is a form of traditional Japanese poetry that, when composed in English, typically consists of three lines of 5, 7, and 5 syllables respectively.

Checkout the winning poems!

K-4 Winner: Haley Peddle, Grade 3 (Southwest Arm Academy)

Imagine the words
Let the letters come alive
Read a book and see

Most likely to be a librarian: Morgan Bennett, Grade 4 (C.C. Loughlin)

I respect my books
It is a new adventure
Please respect the books

Honourable Mention: Youngest participant Mollie Walsh, Grade 2 (Fatima Academy)

I can read a book
Good book, bad book, many books
You will learn a lot

5-8 Winner: Andrew Antle, Grade 7 (G.C. Rowe)

I lay on the shelf
As confident as a king,
Waiting to be read

9-12 Winner: Gregory Lacosta, Grade 9 (G.C. Rowe)

If books were heroes
Bad grammar should keep away
Books are here to stay

Response from Minister of Education

In response to our letter in support of fellow Nova Scotia school library workers, we received the following email reply today from Ramona Jennex, Minister of Education:

“Dear Ms. Rose:

I am writing in response to your recent email correspondence concerning the announcement from the Chignecto-Central Regional School Board (the “Board’) regarding school libraries.

I appreciate you sharing your concern with me. All regional school boards are grappling with the challenges of enrolment decline and budget restraint; however, this government’s priority is to focus resources in the classroom, and we expect the Board to look at every other possible option outside of the classroom to find savings. The funding to this board is in line with enrolment which is dropping by 1.7 percent this year.

Parents and my government expect school boards to make decisions that put students first, to protect class sizes, and important services like libraries. We will continue to work with boards as they deal with these challenges. My government recently conducted a review of the Chignecto board’s budget process and has provided suggested options for the board’s consideration.

I appreciate you taking the time to provide me with the information contained in your email.”

NLLA supports fellow Nova Scotia school library workers

The Newfoundland and Labrador Library Association wishes to add its full support to the positions voiced by the Canadian Library Association, the Atlantic Provinces Library Association, and the Nova Scotia Library Association in opposing the proposed cuts to the Chignecto-Central Regional School Board’s school libraries.

Although we were relieved to learn that Nova Scotia’s Minister of Education halted the proposed cuts pending a review, we would like to remind the School Board and the Government of Nova Scotia of the importance of school libraries and urge them to reconsider the cuts.