I am the sole media specialist with a 2000 or so enrollment. Since COVID all study halls have been here in a very spacious library but it has been a largely social. Teachers with scheduled "duty" to question students coming and going at 4 entry points has been lackluster at best. I have not done any collab with teachers at all, and I am the level 1 tech interventionist. 

PreCOVID freshmen had classroom study halls and the rest could either go to the cafe or stay in library. That was ideal- I could get out and about and the sanction for poor behavior was go to the cafe.

We are moving to block sch next yr... and for all the emails I've sent about safety and overcapacity and supervision (sometimes 1:150) it falls on deaf ears. I've no idea what will happen next year- seems to vary depending on who is talking about it.

Stephanie Patterson
Southington High School Library 
"Building character with critical thinking, creativity,
 collaboration and communication."

tel: 860.628.3229  at  ext 11335 or ext 11377
From: CASL-L <casl-l-bounces@mylist.net> on behalf of Hsiang, Sara <hsiangs@stratk12.org>
Sent: Friday, June 2, 2023 1:43 PM
To: Jaclyn Deloma <jdeloma@milforded.org>
Cc: CASL_L <casl-l@mylist.net>
Subject: Re: [CASL-L] High School Learning Commons and Student Use
 

CAUTION: This message has originated from an External Source. Please use proper judgment and caution when opening attachments, clicking links, or responding to this email.

Library Trac has been great here! A bit of time to set up but you can customize visitor caps per period, per day, etc.

On Fri, Jun 2, 2023 at 1:22 PM Jaclyn Deloma <jdeloma@milforded.org> wrote:
Hi All!

This is our first full year implementing our Teaching and Learning Commons as plans were derailed due to COVID.  I am the sole Media Specialist without assistance and therefore, the school placed 11th and 12th grade study halls in the TLC during each period where the adults could serve as extra sets of eyes for all students.  In addition, 9th and 10th grade students are allowed during their study hall periods, so the amount of students can become certainly overwhelming and the usage of the TLC has definitely veered away from what its multifaceted purpose should be. I've spoken with admin and they would like a plan moving forward on ways to structure the environment to be in alignment with the TLC's purpose.  

My main concern with the current environment is safety along with wear and tear of new furniture, (many freshmen are being asked to stop rolling around on the chairs), and the fact that a social hour has commenced, expunging the critical elements of our TLC space utilized for 21st century learning.  I also have varying perspectives/viewpoints on what the study hall teachers feel their role should be while in the TLC.

If you wouldn't mind sharing how your high school organizes and manages student access/numbers in the TLC, I would really appreciate it!  Feel free to reply to me off list.

Thanks in advance!
Jackie

--
Jackie DeLoma
Teacher Librarian
Foran High School
Milford Public Schools
(203)-783-3502 (x-2320)

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--
Ms. Sara Chute Hsiang (pronounced "Shang")
(she/her; mother of they/them)
Library Media Specialist
Stratford High School Library Learning Commons
INCLUDE>ENGAGE>INSPIRE
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245 King St, Stratford, CT  06615
Phone (203) 385-4245, x3054
"Google can bring you back 100,000 answers, a librarian can bring you back the right one."       --Neil Gaiman