Happy Banned Books Week! This week the American Library Association invited us all to celebrate our access to uncensored knowledge and #letfreedomread. There has been an alarming increase in book banning practices over the past few years, and these attempts at censorship primarily target books for teens that examine subjects relating to race & racism, gender & sexuality, and physical & mental wellbeing. As a result, young people across the country are finding it harder to access informative, affirming, and diverse titles. Here at the Matthews Library, we choose to uplift our students’ intellectual curiosity by celebrating their access to titles that have been challenged or banned by other institutions. Check out some of our Country Day staff and families enjoying their favorite banned books below!
In other exciting news, our Sophomores have progressed in their research projects. Just before leaving for their class trip to Greenhorn Ranch, the Sophomores paired up and walked the track, using the time allotted to explain their projects to their partner. Each class then convened in the garden to describe their partner’s project to the group at large. This exercise helped the students distill their own projects from nebulous mind maps into more concrete elevator pitches, promoted connection and collaboration among the students, and provided key opportunities for feedback from peers. And one class even got to enjoy some freshly harvested cantaloupe from Ms Tira.
While the rest of the Middle and High School adventured across the West Coast, our Seniors stayed local. They dedicated their mornings to the arduous (and hopefully rewarding!) college application process. With support from Ms. Perla, they made some remarkable progress!
We hope everyone who travelled this week had an excellent and enriching time! Have a lovely 3 day weekend. We’ll see you back on Tuesday for another eventful week.
Books & Bytes 
