Hall-Dale School District

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Welcome to the Hall-Dale Elementary School library website!  It’s new and a work in progress.  My name is Mrs. Taylor, and I am the Media Specialist.

The Hall-Dale Elementary School library has been a busy place ever since it opened in the fall of 2006 at 26 Garden Lane.  It really is the heart of our new school.

Every week each kindergarten - 5th grade class visits the library for new reading material, storytime, and information skills lessons.  Students also come in regularly for research purposes.  Teachers come in often for curriculum support.  Over 1,000 books circulate every week to both students and staff - now that’s a lot of reading! 

Did you know that you can access our book collection right from this website?  Once you are on the Elementary School page, look to the left, under Links, and click on Elementary Library Search!  At this point you may type in a title, author, subject or keyword and be on your way to exploring the shelves of our library, 9,000 volumes worth, from your very own home! 

Hours of operation: Monday - Friday, 8:15 - 3:30.
Contact information: .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address) or call me at 623-8677 ext. 535.

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Round one of lunchtime reading groups concluded the week of November 17.

Hall-Dale ES students just can’t get enough of books, it seems.  Mrs. Taylor has organized lunchtime reading groups with grades 3 and 5.  Interested third graders just finished reading Granny Torrelli Makes Soup by Sharon Creech.  The group of eight met in the library to discuss the story which involves two friends, one of whom is blind, and a wise old granny.  The final discussion took place over a lunch of Granny’s homemade chicken soup, bread and biscotti.  The group vows to read more of Sharon Creech’s award-winning books in the future!

Six fifth graders read the historical fiction title, The Breadwinner, which takes place in Afghanistan in the mid 1990’s.  It didn’t take long for this group to read right to the finish, the story is that engrossing.  A lunch of rice pilaf, nan, date nut rolls, apricots and tea concluded the three weeks of discussion.  Many of the participants went on to read the other two stories in the series, Parvana’s Journey and Mud City. 

Round two book groups will get started after Thanksgiving.  Lunchtime book groups with grade four will get going after Christmas break.  The plan is to read the award-winning book Rules, by Maine author Cynthia Lord.  This story is about a 12-year-old girl who has an autistic younger brother.  This title was chosen to promote discussion about children with disabilities.  The Cromwell Center on Disability Awareness presented a program at the elementary school in November, and this title provides a wonderful forum for discussion about this topic.