Library Word of the Week - College Application Vocabulary

Seniors are applying to colleges! Do you know the vocabulary of the application process? 

Award Letter:  This is a document sent to admitted students describing the terms of the financial aid that the college is offering them, including the types and amounts of aid offered, the conditions that govern the awards, and a deadline for accepting the awards.

Expected Family Contribution (EFC):  The EFC is the amount a student’s family can reasonably be expected to pay for one year of college.

Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA):  Submitting a FAFSA is a requirement for all students seeking federal financial aid.  Most colleges require the FAFSA, and in many states, completion of the FAFSA is also sufficient to establish eligibility for state-sponsored aid programs.

NCAA Eligibility Center:  Students who plan to play Division I or Division II sports during their freshman year of college must register with the NCAA during their senior year of high school. This registration process certifies that the student has met certain academic and other standards, as required under NCAA guidelines in order to compete and receive athletic-based financial aid. 

Find more at Tools4College!

Library Word of the Week - Censor

Next week is Banned Book Week! Every year, the American Library Association reports out on what books have been challenged or banned in libraries and schools across the country. 

Therefore, our Word of the Week is: 

censor: A censor takes out things that are objectionable 

or inappropriate, like the censors at the TV networks 

bleeping out all the bad words in a show.

*read more here*

Here is more information about the top 10 banned/challenged books of 2014: 

The ALA's Office for Intellectual Freedom (OIF) receives reports from libraries, schools, and the media on attempts to ban books in communities across the country. We compile lists of challenged books in order to inform the public about censorship efforts that affect libraries and schools. The top ten most frequently challenged books of 2014 include:

1)      The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian, by Sherman Alexie

Reasons: anti-family, cultural insensitivity, drugs/alcohol/smoking, gambling, offensive language, sex education, sexually explicit, unsuited for age group, violence. Additional reasons: “depictions of bullying”

2)      Persepolis, by Marjane Satrapi

Reasons: gambling, offensive language, political viewpoint. Additional reasons: “politically, racially, and socially offensive,” “graphic depictions”

3)      And Tango Makes Three, Justin Richardson and Peter Parnell

Reasons: Anti-family, homosexuality, political viewpoint, religious viewpoint, unsuited for age group. Additional reasons: “promotes the homosexual agenda”

4)      The Bluest Eye, by Toni Morrison

Reasons: Sexually explicit, unsuited for age group. Additional reasons: “contains controversial issues”

5)      It’s Perfectly Normal, by Robie Harris

Reasons: Nudity, sex education, sexually explicit, unsuited to age group. Additional reasons: “alleges it child pornography”

6)      Saga, by Brian Vaughan and Fiona Staples

Reasons: Anti-Family, nudity, offensive language, sexually explicit, and unsuited for age group. Additional reasons:

7)      The Kite Runner, by Khaled Hosseini

Reasons: Offensive language, unsuited to age group, violence

8)      The Perks of Being a Wallflower, by Stephen Chbosky

Reasons: drugs/alcohol/smoking, homosexuality, offensive language, sexually explicit, unsuited for age group. Additional reasons: “date rape and masturbation”

9)      A Stolen Life, Jaycee Dugard

Reasons: drugs/alcohol/smoking, offensive language, sexually explicit, and unsuited for age group

10)  Drama, by Raina Telgemeier

Reasons: sexually explicit

Library Word of the Week - Words of the MCAS

I found a great list of words most likely to be found on the MCAS test. Sometimes, when we take tests, we really do know the answer to the question, but we don't always understand the question itself.

Here are some words you should try to remember for MCAS:

Word:
Summarize

Example:
Summarize the arguments for and against offering courses in public schools.

What you need to do:
In a paragraph, briefly cover the major points presented in the selection.

More here: Mr. Whittier's MCAS words

Library Word of the Week

Politics are in the news with the candidates vying for RNC and DNC nominations. 
One of my favorite political words is:

Filibuster: An attempt by a Senator or group of Senators to obstruct the passage of a bill, favored by the majority, by talking continuously. Because there is no rule in the Senate over how long a member can speak, a Senator can prevent a bill from coming up for a vote by talking endlessly. Senator Strom Thurmond of South Carolina set the record in 1957 by speaking for more than 24 hours without stopping.

One of the most famous recent filibusters was Wendy Davis in Texas.

Word of the Week

I missed posting on Friday! I bring you a perfect (delayed) word of the week: 

1. Procrastination is the practice of carrying out less urgent tasks in preference to more urgent ones, or doing more pleasurable things in place of less pleasurable ones, and thus putting off impending tasks to a later time, sometimes to the "last minute" before a deadline. (definition from Wikipedia) 

from: http://www.seoandy.net/biz/just-quit-dilly-dallying/ 

I know I was a procrastinator when I was in high school. I would wait to finish assignments until the night before. But who needs that stress? It was horrible! I would panic the night before an assignment was due and then do poorly on it. Isn't it better to take your time, do the work, and do well on it? 

Read "Wait, But Why?" for more. 

Excerpt: 

Even for the procrastinator who does manage to eventually get things done and remain a competent member of society, something has to change. Here are the main reasons why:
1) It’s unpleasant. Far too much of the procrastinator’s precious time is spent toiling in the Dark Playground, time that could have been spent enjoying satisfying, well-earned leisure if things had been done on a more logical schedule. And panic isn’t fun for anyone.
2) The procrastinator ultimately sells himself short. He ends up underachieving and fails to reach his potential, which eats away at him over time and fills him with regret and self-loathing.
3) The Have-To-Dos may happen, but not the Want-To-Dos. Even if the procrastinator is in the type of career where the Panic Monster is regularly present and he’s able to be fulfilled at work, the other things in life that are important to him—getting in shape, cooking elaborate meals, learning to play the guitar, writing a book, reading, or even making a bold career switch—never happen because the Panic Monster doesn’t usually get involved with those things. Undertakings like those expand our experiences, make our lives richer, and bring us a lot of happiness—and for most procrastinators, they get left in the dust.

Learning Moments (and a Word of the Week)

Learning for Fun

This morning, two students printed sports statistics. Who is a better basketball player? They were talking how they're going to prove that one player was better. This was apparently a conversation that started before school and they were excited to have found the statistics.

I asked them; "You had an argument about who is a better player, and now you've printed stats to prove you are right?"

Yes.

"So, you had a thesis, got supporting documentation, and now have your argument?"

Yes.

Light dawned and they both realized that these skills are exactly what their teachers have been telling them: have an opinion, find supporting research/facts, and prove your point. Amazing! I love when connections are made.

Graduation

Last night was graduation. Congratulations to all our graduates! The HSC Library will not be the same without our interns, but you will all move on to amazing futures.

Library Word of the Week

Science MCAS is next week. Here's a biology word for those taking the Bio Exam!

food web

A food web (or food cycle) is the natural interconnection of food chains and generally a graphical representation (usually an image) of what-eats-what in an ecological community. Another name for food web is a consumer-resource system. (from http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Food_web) 



Good luck to all our test-takers next week!

Library Word of the Week ... Interchangeable

Today's Word of the Week was a student suggestion:

interchangeable

in·ter·change·a·ble

ˌin(t)ərˈCHānjəb(ə)l/

adjective

1. (of two things) able to be interchanged.

   "eyepieces are interchangeable and one can use any eyepiece with any telescope"

   synonyms:

   similar, identical, indistinguishable, alike, the same, uniform, twin,undifferentiated; More

   • apparently identical; very similar.

     "the cast includes a lot of interchangeable faces"

     synonyms:

     similar, identical, indistinguishable, alike, the same, uniform, twin,undifferentiated;

Library Word of the Week ... Interlibrary Loan Services

Sometimes, our favorite library or closest branch of the City Library might not have the book we're looking for, We can request books via a services called Interlibrary Loan.

Interlibrary lending and borrowing services provide access to materials that cannot be found in your library.

So, if you're looking for a book and the HSC library doesn't have it, we can see if any of the other schools in Springfield have it, and request it for you. If we don't have it, you can go to the City Library's website (found HERE), log in with your Springfield Library Card number and PIN, and click "Place Hold" on your desired title. Books usually come in a couple of days to your selected branch. 

Ask Ms. D if you need any help! 

Library Word of the Week ... Enigma

As my superhero fans might know, E. Nygma in Gotham will become The Riddler. Riddler is a big fan of puzzles and brain teasers. 

enigma

1.

a puzzling or inexplicable occurrence or situation:

His disappearance is an enigma that has given rise to much speculation.

2.

a person of puzzling or contradictory character:

To me he has always been an enigma, one minute completely insensitive, the next moved to tears.

3.

a saying, question, picture, etc., containing a hidden meaning; riddle.

4.

(initial capital letter) a German-built enciphering machine developed for commercial use in the early 1920s and later adapted and appropriated by German and other Axis powers for military use through World War II.

Library Word of the Week... Onomatopoeia

With Avengers: Age of Ultron out today (which Ms. D saw yesterday and if you are a fan of Avengers, go see it, it is amazing), the Library Word of the Week is a word that is very important in comics: 

Onomatopoeia 

on·o·mat·o·poe·ia

ˌänəˌmadəˈpēə,ˌänəˌmädəˈpēə/

noun

1. the formation of a word from a sound associated with what is named (e.g., cuckoo,sizzle ).
2.      the use of onomatopoeia for rhetorical effect.

So if you are creating your own comics, don't forget the benefits of onomatopoeia to portray sounds! Check out THIS LINK for more information. 

Also, remember, when you use foul language, you make Captain America unhappy... 

Library Word of the Week... Day of Silence edition

Today's Library Word of the Week is about being aware of your language. Today is the Day of Silence, a day set aside every year to help raise awareness of LGBTQ+ bullying. "The Day of Silence is a student-led national event that brings attention to anti-LGBT name-calling, bullying and harassment in schools. Students from middle school to college take a vow of silence in an effort to encourage schools and classmates to address the problem of anti-LGBT behavior by illustrating the silencing effect of bullying and harassment on LGBT students and those perceived to be LGBT."  

Did you know?:
9 out of 10 LGBT students hear the word “gay” used in a negative way often or frequently in school and nearly 3 out of 4 LGBT students report hearing their peers make homophobic remarks, such as “dyke” or “faggot,” often or frequently in school. (from Think B4 You Speak).

And, as much as I love expanding vocabulary, take the pledge to eliminate homophobic words from yours: https://takeaction.takepart.com/actions/eliminate-homophobic-words-from-your-vocabulary

Think about the voices you are not hearing today.

Library Word of the Week ... the words of Insurgent

Insurgent came out a week ago. The book series is fantastic and the movies are doing very well. They do introduce new vocabulary (see our post about the Words of Divergent)

usurp: take a position of power illegally 
pandemonium: wild and noisy disorder or confusion; uproar 
archetype: an original that had been repeated 
insurgent: rising in active revolt 
ultimatum: a final peremptory demand

More vocabulary can be found here: Insurgent Vocab

Plus, check out an interview with author Victoria Roth and how she selected her words. 

Library Word of the Week ... AND March Reading Madness ROUND 3

March Reading Madness Round 3

YOUR picks that have made it to Round 3, the SEMI-FINALS are: 

 Versus 

and 

  Versus 

Vote for your favorites and watch here to see who makes it to the finals! 

In other news: 

Our library word of the week is: Plagiarism. 

Students do a lot of research, and it is so easy to just copy & paste information without giving credit to the original author. However, this is illegal. If someone creates something (art, a paper, a book, music), that belongs to them. It is their work. 

Take a look at http://www.plagiarism.org/plagiarism-101/what-is-plagiarism/ for more information. 

Library Word of the Week... Pi Day!

Pi Day is celebrated on March 14th (3/14) around the world. Pi (Greek letter “π”) is the symbol used in mathematics to represent a constant — the ratio of the circumference of a circle to its diameter — which is approximately 3.14159.

This is especially interesting this year, since it is 3/14/15! 

Library Word of the Week ... and a few updates

Ms. D had an interesting experience today where she had to pull from her language knowledge to troubleshoot a printer. The printer had accidentally be set to French!

Did you know that a lot of our words are actually French words? Check out the Wiki page here: French Expressions In English.

One that students likely see often, especially in history class is: 

laissez-faire

lit. "let do"; often used within the context of economic policy or political philosophy, meaning leaving alone, or non-interference. The phrase is the shortcut of Laissez faire, laissez passer, a doctrine first supported by the Physiocrats in the 18th century. The motto was invented by Vincent de Gournay, and it became popular among supporters of free-trade and economic liberalism. It is also used to describe a parental style in developmental psychology, where the parent(s) does not apply rules or guiding. As per the parental style, it is now one of the major management styles.

Our other updates are...

March Reading Madness round 1 ends TONIGHT. 

Round 2 will be posted some point tomorrow. Keep an eye out. 

Funds4Books ends TODAY. Thank you to all who donated!

Library Word of the Week - March Madness Edition

March is almost here, and with it, basketball season. I know here at HSC we have some amazing players who want to play for the NBA, and I certainly hope that some of them make it.

With that in mind, not only are we doing a March Reading Madness bracket (found both in person at the library and online here: March Reading Madness Vote), but the Library Word of the Week is actually a short History of Basketball. After all, Springfield is the home of the Basketball Hall of Fame.

Basketball originated in 1891 when a future Presbyterian minister named James Naismith (1861-1939) was assigned to teach a physical education class at a Young Men's Christian Association(YMCA) training school in Springfield, Massachusetts. The class had been noted for being disorderly, and Naismith was told to invent a new game to keep the young men occupied. Since it was winter and very cold outside, a game that could be played indoors was desirable.

Naismith thought back to his boyhood in Canada, where he and his friends had played "duck on a rock," which involved trying to knock a large rock off a boulder by throwing smaller rocks at it. He also recalled watching rugby players toss a ball into a box in a gymnasium. He had the idea of nailing up raised boxes into which players would attempt to throw a ball. When boxes couldn't be found, he used peach baskets. According to Alexander Wolff, in his book 100 Years of Hoops, Naismith drew up the rules for the new game in "about an hour." Most of them still apply in some form today.

(from http://www.factmonster.com/ipka/A0875085.html) 

So enjoy some hoops, learn about the history, and follow our Reading Madness bracket. 

Library Word of the Week ... The Words of the MCAS

MCAS season is upon us. In order to help everyone prepare, here is a list of commonly used MCAS terms:

• Argue Prove your points by using facts 
• Analyze Separate into parts and explain 
• Cause & Effect Tell what happened and why it happened 
• Compare Find how two or more things are alike 
• Contrast Find how two or more things are different 
• Criticize Tell about the value of something 
• Define Give a clear meaning 
• Describe/Discuss Look at the good and bad points and give a detailed answer 
• Diagram Make a drawing or chart and label all of the parts 
• Evaluate Give the strengths and weaknesses but include more of your own opinion 
• Explain/Interpret Tell how and why about a subject 
• Identify Pinpoint and explain Illustrate Give examples OR use a drawing or chart (this depends on the subject) 
• Justify Prove your answer List Put the answer down point by point 
• Prove Show evidence or proof about something 
• Relate Compare showing similar points 
• Review Critically examine and comment on major points 
• State/Summarize Tell the main points 
• Trace Follow an event from beginning to end emphasizing the main points 

More MCAS help information can be found here: Survivor Handbook

Library Word of the Week - Code Switching

I'm a big fan of Firefly (the one season sci-fi Western by Joss Whedon). The characters all speak both English and Chinese, since "in this future, the only two surviving superpowers, the United States and China, fused to form the central federal government, called the Alliance, resulting in the fusion of the two cultures" (Wiki). 

Over the past two days, students have been taking the ACCESS test. This test is for ELL students, so I keep hearing both Spanish and English, often in the same sentence. This is called "code switching." 

"In linguistics, code-switching occurs when a speaker alternates between two or more languages, or language varieties, in the context of a single conversation. Multilinguals—speakers of more than one language—sometimes use elements of multiple languages when conversing with each other. Thus, code-switching is the use of more than one linguistic variety in a manner consistent with the syntax and phonology of each variety." (Wiki)  

Do you code switch? 

From Baldo Comics

For more information, check out: 
Code-switching to thrive

How Code-Switching Explains The World

Is your bilingual kid mixing languages? 

Library Word of the Week ... Words of the SAT

The SATs are a part of the college application process. Most of our seniors are done with them (congrats to our seniors who have applied and gotten in to colleges! Let's repeat our 100% acceptance rate!). 

Our juniors and sophomores should be practicing for SATs, and our freshmen should be thinking about it. The best way to practice is to simply read. Read books and articles that have words you don't understand. Figure out those words using either context clues or by looking them up. 

One of my favorite common SATs words comes up in vocabulary, math, and science (all around word!): 

Hypothesis 

A hypothesis (plural hypotheses) is a proposed explanation for a phenomenon. For a hypothesis to be a scientific hypothesis, the scientific method requires that one can test it. Scientists generally base scientific hypotheses on previous observations that cannot satisfactorily be explained with the available scientific theories. Even though the words "hypothesis" and "theory" are often used synonymously, a scientific hypothesis is not the same as a scientific theory. A working hypothesis is a provisionally accepted hypothesis proposed for further research.^[1]

A different meaning of the term hypothesis is used in formal logic, to denote the antecedent of a proposition; thus in the proposition "If P, then Q", P denotes the hypothesis (or antecedent); Q can be called a consequent. P is the assumption in a (possibly counterfactual) What If question.

The adjective hypothetical, meaning "having the nature of a hypothesis", or "being assumed to exist as an immediate consequence of a hypothesis", can refer to any of these meanings of the term "hypothesis".

(from Wikipedia)

For a list of common SAT words, click here: The 100 Most Common SAT Words

Don't forget about our Reading Challenge! The school library is teamed with GoodReads to bring you the 2015 Reading Challenge. Sign up on GoodReads to keep track. Check in with Ms. D to update your books! 

Library Word of the Week ... Sphenopalatine ganglioneuralgia (brain freeze)

This library word of the week is brought to you by one of our 9th grade students! 

sphenopalatine ganglioneuralgia is also known as "brain freeze" or "ice-cream headache." 

From Wikipedia: 
"An ice-cream headache, also known as brain freeze, cold-rush, cold-stimulus headache,^[1] or its given scientific namesphenopalatine ganglioneuralgia (meaning "nerve pain of the sphenopalatine ganglion"-and is also considered a misnomer since the pain nerves have nothing to do with the sphenopalatine/pterygopalatine ganglion, but travel along the trigeminal nerves described below), is a form of brief cranial pain or headache commonly associated with consumption (particularly quick consumption) of cold beverages or foods such as ice cream and ice pops. It is caused by having something cold touch the roof of the mouth (palate), and is believed to result from a nerve response causing rapid constriction and swelling of blood vessels^[2] or a "referring" of pain from the roof of the mouth to the head.^[3][4] The rate of intake for cold foods has been studied as a contributing factor.<sup>[5][6]" 

While it may be a little cold to think about ice cream, it does remind us all of the nice weather that will eventually come.</sup>