Author Archives:
December is…
Well, folks, it is December. The last month of the year. The month of ho-ho-ho, “Dreidel, Dreidel, Dreidel,” and The Nguzo Saba. The month of Las Posadas, gingerbread cookies, candy canes, and Hanukkah gelt. It is the month of giving gifts and stealing parking spots, cold mornings and warm hearts, nights by the fire and days at the mall. So put up your feet, have a caramel latte and enjoy all the OTHER things you can celebrate!
Birthstone: Turquoise or Zircon (anybody want some tweezers?)
Flower: Holly or Narcissus
New Moon: December 9
Full Moon: December 24
Monthly observances…
Bingo’s Birthday month the game, not the dog
Colorectal Cancer Education and Awareness Month
Identity Theft Prevention and Awareness Month cut up those credit card receipts!
Learn a Foreign Language Month didn’t we just learn Chinese in November?
National Drunk & Drugged Driving (3D) Prevention Month
National Stress-Free Family Holidays Month HAH! Like that’ll ever happen…
National Sign Up For Summer Camp Month
National Write a Business Plan Month
National Tie Month buy one for all the men on your list!
Operation Santa Paws (12/1-22)
Safe Toys and Gifts Month
Spiritual Literacy Month know your religion!
Take a New Year’s Resolution to Stop Smoking (TANYRSS)
Universal Human Rights Month
Special December weeks…
12/1-7 Cookie Cutter Week gingerbread people rule!
National Aplastic Anemia Awareness Week
Tolerance Week
12/1-8 Recipe Greetings for the Holidays Week
12/2-8 National Handwriting Week download a handwriting font!
12/3-9 Clerc-Gallaudet Week
12/4-12 Hanukkah ‘oy to the World!
12/10-16 Human Rights Week
12/15-21 International Language Week talk to someone…
12/15-29 Halcyon Days ah, the golden days of holiday lights…
12/16-24 Las Posadas
12/17-23 Saturnalia
12/25-31 It’s About Time Week
12/26-1/1 Kwanzaa
Delightful Days of December…
12/1 Bifocals at the Monitor Liberation Day too late…
Day With(out) Art Day is like a day without sunshine…
Skywarn Recognition Day
World AIDS Day
12/2 International Day for the Abolition of Slavery Day
Special Education Day
12/3 International Day of Disabled Persons
12/4 Chase’s Calendar of Events Birthday
Extraordinary Work Team Recognition Day hug your coworkers!
National Dice Day
Saint Barbara’s Day
First Day of Hanukkah (at sundown)
12/5 AFL-CIO Day look for Jimmy Hoffa!
Bathtub Party Day
International Volunteer Day for Economic & Social Development
National Communicate with your Baby Day teach an infant sign language!
Special Kids Day
Thailand: National Holiday for the King’s Birthday
Second Day of Hanukkah
12/6 Miners’ Day
National Pawnbrokers Day holiday gifts at your local pawn shop!
St. Nicholas Day
Ecuador: Day of Quito
Third Day of Hanukkah
12/7 Firepup Day
National Pearl Harbor Remembrance Day
National Civil Aviation Day
National Cotton Candy Day
Fourth Day of Hanukkah
12/8 International Shareware Day download something!
Fifth Day of Hanukkah
12/9 Day of the Horse
National Childrens’ Memorial Day
Weary Willie Day who the heck is Weary Willie?
Sixth Day of Hanukkah
12/10 Human Rights Day
Nobel Prize Day
Seventh Day of Hanukkah
12/11 International Mountain Day go hiking!
UNICEF Birthday
Burkina Faso: National Day
Indiana: Admission Day
Eighth Day of Hanukkah
12/12 Gingerbread House Day as much fun to make as they are to smash on 12/31!
Mexico: Lady of Guadalupe Day
Puerto Rico: Las Mañanitas
Poinsettia Day
12/13 Ice cream and Violins Day listen to Vivaldi at Brusters!
Sweden: St. Lucia Day
12/15 Bill of Rights Day
Cat Herders Day don’t you think they deserve a special WEEK?
12/16 Barbie and Barney Backlash Day paint an old Barbie doll purple!
National Chocolate Covered Anything Day
12/17 Clean Air Day
Wright Brothers Day
12/18 International Migrants Day
Belgium: Nuts Fair food or people?
Mexico: Feast of Our Lady of Solitude
12/20 Eid-ul-Adha
Sacagawea Day
Mudd Day
12/21 Forefathers Day
Humbug Day go see A Christmas Carol & cheer every time Scrooge says it!
Phileas Fogg Win-A-Wager Day
Underdog Day there’s no need to fear!
First Day of Winter
12/22 Abilities Day
National Haiku Poetry Day write one for a Wiccan Witch (see below)
World Peace Day
Iran: Yalda
Wiccan: Yule
Forefathers’ Day
Winter Solstice (1:08am EST)
12/23 Festivus
12/25 Christmas Day
A’phabet Day or No “L” Day
Stock Exchange Holiday
Taiwan: Constitution Day
12/26 Boxing Day (Canada)
National Candy Cane Day put some in a box!
National Whiner’s Day but I wanted a Pooooonnnnnyyyyy!
Bahamas: Junkanoo sounds like fun…Red Stripe anyone?
Ireland: Day of the Wren
Luxembourg: Blessing of the Wine
St. Stephen’s Day
South Africa: Day of Goodwill
First Day of Kwanzaa
12/27 St. John, Apostle-Evangelist: Feast Day
12/28 National Chocolate Day the 2nd best day in December!
No Interruptions Day don’t bother me…I’m eating chocolate!
Australia: Proclamation Day
Nepal: National Holiday
Holy Innocents Day (Childermas)
Second Day of Kwanzaa
12/29 National Chocolate Day (#2) oh, heaven!
Tick Tock Day
Third Day of Kwanzaa
12/30 Falling Needles Family Fest Day
Fourth Day of Kwanzaa
12/31 Leap Second Time Adjustment Day I’ll never catch up on the lost sleep…
Make up Your Mind Day
New Year’s Eve
Universal Hour of Peace Day
World Peace Meditation Day
Ghana: Revolution Day
Japan: Namahage
Samoa: Fire Dance
St. Sylvester’s Day
Scotland: Hogmanay does this have anything to do with haggis?
Fifth Day of Kwanzaa
Selected Author Birthdays:
12/1 Jan Brett, 1949
12/2 William Wegman, 1943; David Macaulay, 1946
12/3 Esther Carlson, 1920; Barbara Broooks Wallace, 1922
12/4 Munro Wilbur Leaf, 1905
12/5 Ann Nolan Clark, 1896
12/6 James Arthur Kjelgaard, 1910; John Reynolds Gardiner, 1944
12/7 John Tunis, 1889
12/8 Edward Tunis, 1897; Miriam Chaikin, 1929
12/9 Joel Chandler Harris, 1848; Mary Downing Hahn, 1937
1/2/10 Mary Norton, 1903; Douglas Wood, 1951
12/11 Alexander Solzhenitsyn, 1918; William Joyce, 1957
12/12 Gustave Flaubert, 1821; Barbara Emberley, 1932
12/13 Tamora Pierce, 1954
12/14 Rosemary Sutcliff, 1920
12/15 Deborah Savage, 1955
12/16 Peter Dickinson, 1927; Bill Brittain, 1930
12/17 David Kheridan, 1931
12/18 Marilyn Sachs, 1927
12/19 Eve Bunting, 1928
12/20 Carol Farley, 1936; Dennis Brindell Fradin, 1945
12/21 Michael Berenstain, 1951
12/22 Jerry Pinkney, 1939
12/23 Avi, 1937; Keiko Kasza, 1951
12/24 John Langstaff, 1920; Mary Higgins Clark, 1931
12/25 Ann Nolan Clark, 1896; Eth Clifford, 1915
12/26 Jean Van Leeuwen, 1937
12/27 Ingir Parin d’Aulair, 1904; Diane Stanley, 1943
12/28 Carol Ryrie Brink, 1895; Cynthia DeFelice, 1951
12/29 Richard Atwater, 1892; Molly Garrett Bang, 1943
12/30 Rudyard Kipling, 1865; Mercer Mayer, 1943
12/31 Margery Cuyler, 1948
–
Susan Grigsby, Teacher-Librarian
Elkins Pointe Middle School
Alpharetta, Georgia
Media Specialist of the Year
{Update November 19: See additional story in the Gainesville Times }
From the Hall County School District website:
Ginny Sapp, Media Specialists Coordinator, has announced that Linda Martin of Sugar Hill Elementary has been selected by her peers as Media Specialist of the Year for 2006-07. “As you can see from the attached picture, Linda is a delightful storyteller at Sugar Hill Elementary. She likes to dress in character and bring stories to life!”
This year Linda has started a storytelling cohort for librarians and teachers. They meet and discuss the role of storytelling in the curriculum, how to find stories, and how to tell them. She coaches the group in performance techniques.
Linda integrates storytelling into many of her media lessons. Students hear facts, but they remember stories. For example, telling the story of how a girl convinced Abraham Lincoln to grow a beard makes Lincoln more real to second graders.
In the past year, Linda has presented at the Coastal Plains RESA library conference and the Georgia Educational Technology conference. In October she will present at the American Association of School Librarians in Reno, Nevada.
November is…
Ahh, November. The leaves turn red or gold or mixtures of yellow and green. The air is nippy with the hint of winter to come. The sweaters come out of the boxes and corduroy begins showing up in the stores. School children everywhere leave their coats at school on those warm afternoons that followed a chilly morning. It seems as if there isn’t much room for more to celebrate…but that’s where you’d be wrong, my learned friends! Read on…
Flower: Chrysanthemum
Birthstone: Topaz
New Moon: November 9
Full Moon: November 24
November is the month for…
American Diabetes Month
Aviation History Month hug a diabetic pilot!
Celebrate Empty Nester Month
Cozy Cuddles for Kids (11/1-12/20) just not at school…
Diabetic Eye Disease Month
Epilepsy Awareness Month
Family Stories Month tell them about the time you (insert crazy kid thing here)
I Am So Thankful Month
International Drum (Percussion) Month I’m thankful I don’t live with a drummer…
International Microfinance Month
Learn Chinese Month I don’t think I can get this done in one month…
Lung Cancer Awareness Month
MADD’s Tie One On for Safety Holiday Campaign (11/16-12/31)
Military Family Appreciation Month hug a military kid!
National Adoption Month if just 1% of us adopted, the world would be a better place…
National AIDS Awareness Month
National Alzheimer’s Disease Month I almost forgot to include this one…
National American Indian Heritage Month
National COPD Awareness Month love your lungs
National Family Caregivers Month
National Georgia Pecan Month make a pie, y’all!
National Home Care & Hospice Month
National Impotency Month not touching this one (no pun intended)
National Inspirational Role Models Month wait…that’s US!
National Life Writing Month no one would believe mine anyway…
National Marrow Awareness Month
National Novel Writing Month
National Peanut Butter Lovers Month love it on bananas!
National Pet Cancer Awareness Month
National Pomegranate Month just wish it wasn’t so pricey to drink the juice…
National Roasting Month where are the marshmallows!
National Scholarship Month
Prematurity Awareness Month behavior or birth?
Vegan Month did you know you can be a vegan eating potato chips and Cool Whip?
Weekly celebrations…
11/1-7 National Fig Week who gives a fig?
World Communication Week
11/3-9 National Care Week I do.
11/4-10 National Animal Shelter Appreciation Week thank you shelter people!
National Long-term Care Awareness Week
11/5-9 Dear Santa Letter Week that’s why there’s Xmas stuff in stores already!
Kids’ Goal Setting Week
11/5-11 Pursuit of Happiness Week did we have life week? Liberty week?
11/11-17 National Hunger & Homeless Awareness Week
11/11-18 Home Care Aide Week
11/12-18 American Education Week
Green Ribbon Awareness Week I can’t keep up with all these colors!
Childrens’ Book Week read to a kid!
Perioperative Nurse Week
11/16-22 National Farm-City Week keep growing & our farms will be IN the city!
11/18-24 National Family Week
National Game & Puzzle Week play games with your family!
11/18-25 National Bible Week
11/19-25 Better Conversation Week talk about the Bible.
11/25-12/2 Travelers with Disabilities Week
Try to remember these days in November….
11/1 All Saints’ Day
National Authors’ Day
National Family Literacy read, read, read, read
National Men Make Dinner Day a man, a can, and a plan!
Mexico: Day of the Dead (and 11/2)
Guatemala: Kite Festival of Santiago Sacatepequez (All Souls Day)
11/2 National Traffic Directors Day honk at one today!
Plan Your Epitaph Day there isn’t a stone big enough…
11/3 Cliché Day easy as pie, state-of-the-art, thinking outside the box
Digital Scrapbooking Day
Fala Day la la la la la la la
International Tongue Twister Day rubber baby bugger bumpers
Sadie Hawkins Day ask a man to dance!
Samoa: Arbor Day
Sandwich Day peanut butter with pecans!
11/4 Daylight Savings Ends
National Chicken Lady Day who is the chicken lady?
Use Your Common Sense Day a shrinking asset these days…
Zero Tasking Day if you get the urge to do something, lie down till it passes!
11/6 International Day for Preventing the Exploitation of the Environment in War and Armed Conflict
Election Day
Saxophone Day coincidence?
Australia: Recreation Day
11/7 National Bittersweet Chocolate with Almonds Day yum!
11/8 Abet and Aid Punsters Day punsters, not pundits…
Cook Something Bold and Pungent Day with a punster
Merchant Sailing Ship Preservation Day
National Parents as Teachers Day they’ve got the 1st five years
11/9 Diwali
Guiness World Record Day what would you try to get a record with?
National Child Safety Council
Vietnam Veterans Memorial Day it’s never too late to say thanks
11/9-10 Kristallnacht
11/9-11 National Donor Sabbath Days is this a reprieve from donating??
11/10 Area Code Day
Marine Corp Birthday simper fi!
Great American Warm Up (November 10-12) snuggle!
11/11 Death/Duty Day
Veteran’s Day (actual)
11/12 Birth of Baha’U'Llah
I Need A Patch for That Day jeans or software?
World Orphan Day adopt, adopt, adopt
Veteran’s Day (observed)
11/13 National Young Readers Day
World Kindness Day be kind and read to a child!
11/14 Loosen Up, Lighten Up Day this should be the day after T-giving!
National American Teddy Bear Day
National Educational Support Professionals Day hug your clerk!
India: Children’s Day
11/15 America Recycles Day
Great American Smokeout could we recycle all the ejected butts??
I Love to Write Day
National Bundt (Pan) Day remember the scene in “My Big Fat Greek Wedding?”
11/16 International Day for Tolerance
11/17 Homemade Bread Day love those bread machines!
National Family Volunteer
National Survivors of Suicide Day
Remembrance Day
11/18 Married to a Scorpio Support Day
Mickey Mouse Day m-i-c, see ya next month!
Push-button Phone Day remember the rotary phones?!
11/19 Have a Bad Day Day why?
11/20 African Industrialization Day
Name Your PC Day I call mine Charlie.
National Adoption Day rid the world of orphans!
Transgender Day of Remembrance
Universal Children’s Day
11/21 Pumpkin Pie Day
World Hello Day
World Television Day say hello to your pie while watching Oprah!
What Do You Love About America? Day all these “holidays”
11/22 Humane Society Anniversary Day
Thanksgiving Day
Turkey-Free Thanksgiving Day can you make a turkey out of tofu?
Lebanon: Independence Day
St. Cecilia Feast Day
11/23 Black Friday
Buy Nothing Day only crazy people go shopping today…
Flossing Day
Japan: Labor Thanksgiving Day
National Salesperson’s Day
Sinkie Day as in eating the leftovers over the sink…
You’re Welcomegiving Day
11/24 D. B. Cooper Day why do we celebrate a plane-jumping thief?
International Aura Awareness Day watch SciFi!
11/25 Alascattalo Day (About Alaska)
Blasé Day whatever…
International Day for the Elimination of Violence Against Women Day
Shopping Reminder Day as if Xmas commercials weren’t enough…
11/27 Rockefeller Center Christmas Tree Lighting Day
11/29 Electronic Greetings Day send a happy email (no forwards!)
International Day of Solidarity with the Palestinian People
11/30 Computer Security Day
National Meth Awareness Day the rotten teeth will give you away…
Stay Home Because You’re Well Day and go shopping online!
Philippines: Bonifacio Day
Selected Author/Illustrator birthdays in November
11/1 Stephen Crane, 1871
11/2 Mildred Ames, 1919; Natalie Kinsey-Warnock, 1956
11/3 Betty Bao Lord, 1938; Janell Cannon, 1957
11/4 Sterling North, 1906
11/5 Thomas Aylesworth, 1927; Raymond Bial, 1948
11/6 Michelle Magorian, 1947
11/7 Armstrong Sperry, 1897; Jan Adkins, 1944
11/8 Katherine Briggs, 1898; Willa Cather, 1873; Marianna Mayer, 1945
11/9 Lois Ehlert, 1934; Pat Cummings, 1950
11/10 Kate Seredy, 1899
11/11 Thomas Bailey Aldrich, 1907; Diane Wolkstein, 1942
11/12 Dahlov Ipcar, 1917; Marjorie Weinman Sharmat, 1928
11/13 Robert Louis Stevenson, 1850
11/14 Miska Miles, 1899; William Stein, 1907; Astrid Lindgren, 1907
11/15 Marianne Moore, 1887; Daniel Pinkwater, 1941
11/16 Jean Fritz, 1915; Robin McKinley, 1952
11/17 Andrea Spalding, 1944
11/18 Margaret Eleanor Atwood, 1939
11/19 Ann Herbert Scott, 1926; Elizabeth Cleaver, 1939
11/20 Marion Dane Bauer, 1938
11/21 Elizabeth George Speare, 1908; Leo Politi, 1908; Megan Whalen Turner, 1965
11/22 George Eliot, 1819; Jamie Lee Curtis, 1958
11/23 Marc Simont, 1915; Lois Johnson, 1936
11/24 Carlo Collodi, 1826; Frances Hodgson Burnett, 1849; Yoshiko Uchida, 1921
11/25 P. D. Eastman, 1909; Marc Brown, 1946; Crescent Dragonwagon, 1952
11/26 Doris Gates, 1901; Laurence Pringle, 1935
11/27 James Agee, 1909; Kevin Henkes, 1960
11/28 William Blake, 1757; Ed Young, 1931; Mary E. Lyons, 1947
11/29 Louisa May Alcott, 1832; C. S. Lewis, 1898; Madeleine L’Engle, 1918
11/30 Jonathan Swift, 1667; Mark Twain, 1835; Lucy Maud Montgomery, 1874
–
Susan Grigsby, Teacher-Librarian
Elkins Pointe Middle School
Alpharetta, Georgia
Anticipation of Participation
Welcome to the new GLMA blog. A central source for news on library media issues in Georgia and around the world.
If you have a school library media blog you would like to share with the GLMA community, please post a comment with the URL of your blog and check back to see the blog in the blogroll.
Check often for RSS updates on the left, better yet, add the GLMA blog to your RSS reader for continual updates.
Look around and submit suggestions with a comment if you have any ideas of what to include on the blog. This is a communication tool for the school library media specialists of Georgia. My goal is to make it a comprehensive place to receive the latest the library world has to offer.
This is a beta version of the blog until GLMA approval in January. If you would be interested in acting as a contributing blogger, please email me at mediainthemiddle@yahoo.com .
Kris Woods
