[CASL-L] Nutmeg Timing

[Shannon McNeice]

As former Nutmeg Chair, I sent my thoughts privately to Joyce. Considering
the discussion, I thought I should put mine out publicly instead.

Here's what I sent:

I just wanted to say that this is something people have asked for, for
years, because new lists announced in February and then voting in January
is a very awkward timetable for many schools. For example, many of us have
students who move on and don't get the chance to vote in 9th grade. Or we
booktalk in March and then again in September for the incoming 6th graders,
who then only have 4 months to read. . . I have found it really hard to
sustain momentum from March till January in my 6-8 building. The kids have
really moved on by January, especially if I do booktalks in March. The new
timetable had to work for the public libraries as well, since so many
people focus their summer reading on it.

Now, there will be hitches. I brought up that many of us have to spend our
budgets down by the end of January and won't have money to buy multiple
copies when the lists are formally announced. That will be an issue. I
won't be able to get multiple copies until July 1.

But I personally am glad for the shift based on the way we celebrate the
books here at Sedgwick. I guess the real test will come when we live
through one year of it.

It sure will be very interesting to see what everyone says. That is one way
of throwing it out there!

Shannon McNeice
Sedgwick Middle School
West Hartford, CT

On Mon, Sep 10, 2012 at 2:21 PM, Lynch, Joyce
<lynchj at plainvilleschools.org>wrote:

> I am just curious how others feel about the change to the timing of the
> Nutmeg announcement and voting.
>
> Our school uses the Nutmegs for our summer reading program; and I've
> always appreciated how there has been enough time to order the needed
> titles, read them, and booktalk them before the end of the school year. In
> addition to the 5 copies of each title that our library purchases, the LA
> department buys 10 copies of each title as well. Those are loaned out to
> the public library to ensure that students have access to the the books
> throughout the summer.
>
> Now, I am very concerned that there will not be enough time and we will
> have to totally revamp our summer reading program.
>
> If this change remains, instead of our school buying 15 copies of each
> title, we will only buy 1 copy.
>
> I'd like to hear what others think. Do you think this is timing change
> will have a positive or a negative effect on summer reading in general and
> the Nutmegs specifically?
>
> Thanks,
>
> --
> Joyce Lynch
> Library Information Teacher
> Middle School of Plainville
> 150 Northwest Drive
> Plainville, CT 06062
> 860-793-3250
>
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-- 
Shannon McNeice
Library Media Specialist
Sedgwick Middle School
West Hartford, CT 06107
shannon_mcneice at whps.org

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