MOULTRIE, Ga. — April was School Library Month. Members of the Moultrie Woman’s Club honored the school library media specialists of Colquitt County Schools on National School Librarian Day, April 4.

School libraries are the largest classrooms in the school and school library media specialists promote reading, support teachers with ideas and digital learning, support curriculum with resources, and provide a welcoming environment for students, according to a press release from Colquitt County High School.

In Moultrie, librarians at Colquitt County High School and C. A. Gray Junior High both host Edible Book Festivals to promote reading.

Angie Perry at Norman Park Elementary School sponsors a pumpkin contest where teachers are in charge of decorating a pumpkin to look like a storybook character.  Pumpkins are displayed in the library and help promote reading to the students.

“They are excited about reading the books that are displayed with the pumpkins,” the press release said. “Students vote for their favorite and the winning classrooms receive prizes.”

All of the media specialists in Colquitt County Schools help with testing and special projects in addition to the duties involved in library administration.

Karen Gould, media specialist at Hamilton Elementary School, has a reading theme each year. This year, students could “Camp Out With a Good Book!” Students who meet reading goals are entered into drawings to win prizes and participate in a trip to the All-America Fun Park in Albany.

Students at Odom Elementary School are enjoying their recently renovated library. The larger space makes it easier to find the books they want to read.

Diana Weger at Willie J. Williams Middle School works to coordinate reading displays with curriculum and recreates the room the Anne Frank family lived in while in hiding in conjunction with a Holocaust          unit.

Ashley Purvis at Cox Elementary School helps fifth grade students produce, edit, and air a news show twice a month.

Sunset Elementary School celebrates reading each quarter by tying it into each subject area and having a “dress-up /celebration” day for each subject (Math, Science, Social Studies, and ELA) to help keep students motivated and excited about Reading. On Science celebration day, for instance, students dressed up as medical professionals and participated in hands-on science activities throughout the day. 

The library at RBW is STEAMy. Their maker space is full of challenging materials for young makers and engineers. Students come to the library throughout the day to imagine, research, and create. They discover, innovate, and dream through books, technology and engineering challenges. Thinkers at RBW are making characters from books with Legos, designing bridges and habitats, creating a wax museum of historical characters and much more.

Val Bell at Okapilco Elementary has worked diligently all year with Grades 2-5 using their Lexile Reading Band identified by testing  to help improve and increase students with their reading comprehension and fluency. Students visit the Okapilco media daily to locate the correct books on their Lexile Level.  

The school library media specialists of Colquitt County Schools have also earned state recognition. Cheryl Youse, Angie Perry, Karen Gould, and Susie Strange have all been named Regional Media Specialists of the Year and were honored at Georgia Library Conferences.