Motto and Mission Statement

"Language is the dress of thought; every time you speak, your mind is on parade."
-- Dr. Samuel Johnson

"Learning is like rowing upstream; not to advance is to drop back."
--Chinese Proverb




The Reading Nook

  • The 2010 Newbery Medal winner is "When You Reach Me" by Rebecca Stead, published by Wendy Lamb Books, an imprint of Random House Children's Books. Twelve-year-old Miranda encounters shifting friendships, a sudden punch, a strange homeless man and mysterious notes that hint at knowledge of the future. These and other seemingly random events converge in a brilliantly constructed plot.
  • 2010 Newberry Honors Book: "Where the Mountain Meets the Moon" by Grace Lin, published by Little, Brown and Company Books for Young Readers. A rich tapestry of stories, both original and traditional, transports readers to a fantastic world where Dragon joins Minli on a fortune-changing quest.
  • 2010 Newberry Honors Book: "The Mostly True Adventures of Homer P. Figg" by Rodman Philbrick, published by The Blue Sky Press, an imprint of Scholastic, Inc. This rollicking yarn, presented through the voice of 12-year-old Homer, uses humor and pluck to mitigate the horrors of the Civil War.
  • 2010 Newberry Honors Book: "The Evolution of Calpurnia Tate" by Jacqueline Kelly, published by Henry Holt and Company. On the eve of the 20th century, 11-year-old Calpurnia awakens to new possibilities, and through her evolving relationship with her naturalist grandfather, learns to think like a scientist. Kelly’s rich, evocative language captures Callie’s distinctive voice and lively observations of the natural world.
  • 2010 Newberry Honors Book: "Claudette Colvin: Twice Toward Justice" by Phillip Hoose, published by Melanie Kroupa Books, Farrar, Straus and Giroux. Hoose reveals the true story of an unsung hero of the Montgomery bus boycott. Hoose’s work stands out for its creative approach to narrative biography. Colvin’s own recollections are merged seamlessly with the narrative voice, providing a uniquely personal view of Colvin and the Civil Rights Movement.

Tuesday, February 9, 2010

February 9, 2010 - Word of the Day

Merriam-Webster’s Word of the Day

kapellmeister \kuh-PELL-mye-ster\ (noun)

Meaning: the director of a choir or orchestra

Example Sentence: "From 1717 to 1723, Johann Sebastian Bach served as the Kapellmeister for Prince Leopold of Anhalt-Köthen of the Holy
Roman Empire."

Did you know?

As you may have guessed, "Kapellmeister" originated as a German word — and in fact, even in English it is often (though not always) used for the director of a German choir. "Kapelle" once meant "choir" in German, and "Meister" is the German word for "master." The Latin "magister" is an ancestor of both "Meister" and "master," as well as of our "maestro," meaning "an eminent composer or conductor." "Kapelle" comes from "cappella," the Medieval Latin word for "chapel." As it happens, we also borrowed "Kapelle" into English, first to refer to the choir or orchestra of a royal or papal chapel, and later to describe any orchestra. "Kapellmeister" is used somewhat more frequently than "Kapelle" in current English, though neither word is especially common.
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