Digital Resources from Public Libraries

 Many public libraries have digital resources (like databases) that are available to anyone, even if you don't have a library card.  The New Braunfels Public Library has an excellent collection of databases you can take a look at, if you aren't finding anything in our databases for your particular research topic--they even have one specifically dedicated to religion and theology (you can find that one under "All EBSCO" on the page below). Come see Ms. Phelan if you need help logging in or finding a database for your needs.  

https://newbraunfels.libguides.com/az.php

Happy School Library Month!

No, this is not an April Fool's joke!  School Library Month is celebrated every April, and it's a great time to remind you of all the great things the library can do for you!  You all know to come here for your computer and printing needs, but I can also help you with citing your sources, finding books or online sources for your research, formatting papers, looking at resumes, and more.  You can also come find a book to read just for fun!  April is a pretty busy month around here, but I will have fun activities and contests thrown in here and there, so keep your ears open for more information!

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Poetry Contest Winners

 Congratulations to the 2021 School Library Month/National Poetry Month winners!  

Sarah V:

The Mountain

I am in the dark,

Yet it is for the Light.

I am very plain,

But on the inside I am bright.

I am calm,

Yet on the inside I feel scared.

I am alone,

But the loneliness is shared.

I am confused,

Yet I know why this is so.

I am sometimes sad,

Though you may not know.

I am on a journey,

A journey beyond time.

I don’t know when I’ll get there;

How long this road of mine.

Yet I am content

That the road is rough and long,

For the low before the high note,

Is what makes a pretty song.

And so I am a-walking;

I’ll keep walking every day.

I will trip and stumble,

But I’ll keep going on my way.

And when I’m on the mountain,

And looking down below,

My footprints in the dust

And my tears turned into snow

I’ll sing my song forever,

With joy and not one tear,

And I’ll smile at the low notes,

That brought the high one here.

Emma A:

The Creative World of Cinema 

A world beyond imagination

where Tara meets Tatooine

A glimpse into any place past the red carpet or the mantle of the living room

where Pemberly meets Pandora

A never ending thrill of happiness or horror

where the Bates motel meets Bedrock

A mental break from school

where Wakanda meets Wayne’s World

An escape from the challenges of reality and a pandemic

Runner Up, Christine G:

Love

He said that he had loved her,

But his actions never proved it.

She had needed more than words, 

But words were all he knew.

Communication died, with the love that never would

So trapped in this reality,

They would remain, 

Lovers lost in eternal pain.

Faculty, Mrs. McDonald:

American Lit and American Dreams

 Hester Prynne walks out into the light,

Ready to illuminate her badge of shame, and

Abigail Williams lurks in the shadows,

Plotting subterfuges.

Waldo Emerson, ever the philosopher, broods on about

Individualism, while

Henry David plods and claps and shouts, “Let’s do this!”

MLK looks on, worrying America isn't quite ready.

Nick Carraway enters the scene, snobbish but hopeful,

Only to be disillusioned by the emptiness of this America.

Martin comes forward, though, reminding him that

It takes all of us to fill the bucket of promise.

“No, the people aren’t empty. They will fill the bucket,”

Whispers John Proctor, surveying from his place in the

clouds.

Library Shelfie Day "Contest"!!

 Library Shelfie Day is January 27, 2021.  Show me your bookshelfs!  Send a picture of your bookshelf to sphelan@johnpaul2chs.org by Monday, January 25.  Entries will be posted here on Wednesday the 27, and anybody who participates will get a prize!  Here's my bookshelf back in October with my Halloween decorations!

Poetry Contest Winners

As promised, the winners, by grade level, of the School Library Month poetry contest.  I had three judges who don't know any of you judge the entries, to keep things totally fair!  They said it was a really tough decision, because so many of you sent in wonderful poems!  Thank you ALL for participating!  Keep watching for more activities each week!

Freshman:
Maddie S.

Lazy

Sitting all day in bed

Not a word floating ‘round in my head

If you expect me to write

You will be waiting all night

A second more and I will be too deep

Sinking in for blessed sleep

Too far gone now to even rhyme 

Ah well, that will have to do 

Sophomore:

Mia O.

Isolation Together

As the months passed and spring grew near

Everyone thought we were in the clear

Flowers blooming left and right

But little did we know there would be a fright

At first we thought it was silly

But that was when the weather was chilly

Life went on at first

But then it got worse

First one country, then two, then three, then four

We didn’t think there would be more

Then five, and six, and seven, and eight

The world had a lot on its plate

“No more school,” Mr. Illiff said

So everyone decided to stay in bed

Weeks passed as online school began

And it was actually a little fun

But as time went on and days passed

I found myself feeling like an outcast

Things were getting lonely

I wanted to be with my friends, if only

The virus wasn’t calming down

And I felt as if I were going to drown

I was stuck inside

Almost if I had to hide

The thing keeping me sane

Texting my friends was the main

We shared a few video calls

As I was trapped within these walls

And after every text

I wondered what would happen next

Would the virus get better or worse?

It felt like we were under a curse

But I pushed those thoughts away

As I sat down to pray

When I was done I grabbed my phone

And I saw school continued to be postponed

But I knew it was for the best

As I decided to get some rest

I felt as light as a feather

Because I knew me and my friends were in isolation together

Junior:

Catey B.

The Rainstorm Prayer

The rain begins to fall

And trickle down my skin.

My hair is wet, my face is cold,

And tears well up within.

For I am still a child,

Just barely two or three,

And standing in a rainstorm

Is still too much for me.

But you can hear my cry.

You come swiftly to my aid.

You gently wipe my tears away and whisper,

“Do not be afraid.”

You lift me up, up off the ground

And hold me in your arms.

I hide within your thick, warm coat,

Where I am safe from harm.

But you still stand there in the rain,

Which pours heavily down your face.

You stand there, drenched, but for my sake,

You bear it in my place.

So please forgive my childish tears

For I am weak and small.

And I must rely on your loving care

When the rain begins to fall.

Senior: 

Emily S.

The Writing on the Pavement

As I went a’ wandering

In a lonely state,

I pondered on my walk

My unhappy covid fate.

To be forever stuck

At home with family

Then came upon the sidewalk

A message just for me.

“Forever comes a rainbow”

It said so cheerfully,

“After each and every storm.”

So it read in rainbow hues

With illustrations clear, 

Thus bringing me some happy

Within my gloomy sphere.

This chalky child’s message 

Doth inspire me to write

I set my chalk to pavement

Inspired by the light.

What I wrote, you ask

My answer makes one tear.

On that track, my gothic note,

My words for walkers’ cheer:

“Abandon ye all hope, 

All ye who enter here.”

 

Virtual Field Trips

For this week's celebration of School Library Month, I'm sending you some links to "Virtual Field Trips," since we are all stuck at home and probably ready to get "out" and see something new!  Most of these links should be fun for the whole family--especially the roller coasters at the end!  Additionally, there are THOUSANDS of similar resources out there right now--use this list as inspiration to find more fun "trips"--and let me know if you find something cool!

I miss you all!  Stay healthy and stay home!

--Ms. Phelan

Theology:

Visit the Vatican Museum and Sistine Chapel--if you went on the Rome trip last summer, you might recognize some of these places!
Vatican Museum Tours

Live Streaming from St. Peter's Square

Here is an article highlighting the times of some special events for Holy Week (remember the times posted are Rome time--7 hours ahead of Texas time!)

History/Geography:

Mr. Fagan is about to start WWII in his history classes.  Take a virtual tour of Nazi concentration camp Auschwitz .

Walk along the Great Wall of China!

Art:

Visit the Guggenheim Museum in New York City

Or the Metropolitan Museum of Art, also in New York City.

These museums are part of Google Arts and Culture.  You can "walk" around the museums, or click on different parts of the museum to explore exhibits in more detail.

Biology:

The Georgia Aquarium has live webcams of different animals.  Click here for the Sea Otters, but you can click the links at the bottom of the page to see Beluga whales, jelly fish, and more!

The San Diego Zoo has webcams for their animals too.  From this page, you can choose giraffes, elephants, koalas, and more, to see what the animals are up to!


Music/Theater:

Andrea Bocelli will be live streaming a concert, Music for Hope, on Easter Sunday at 12:00 pm Texas time from Milan, Italy.

Starting every Friday at 7:00 pm, you can stream a different Andrew Lloyd Webber musical for the entire weekend.  Last weekend I watched Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat. Others include Jesus Christ, Superstar, Cats, and the Phantom of the Opera (Note...I have not seen every ALW production, so cannot promise they are all 100% family friendly. Parents may want to preview before watching with your families).

Just for fun:

Virtual Disney World Rides

Happy School Library Month!

Happy School Library Month! To celebrate, Ms. Phelan will have some fun activities each week. We are starting off with a poetry contest. Poems can be any style and on any school-appropriate subject, they just have to be YOUR original work! Entries are due to Ms. Phelan at sphelan@johnpaul2chs.org by 5:00 pm on Wednesday, April 8. One winner from each grade will receive a Chick-Fil-A gift card and will be published on the library webpage. One entry per student, please!