Week in Review 4/22-4/26

Phew! This week in the Matthews was one for the books. We filled the week with all manner of events and activities, some tried and true and others entirely new.

First, in honor of Monday’s Earth Day, here is a picture of a student’s ladybug rescue mission in progress. Curious about the role ladybugs play in our ecosystems? Find out more here!

We dedicated much of the week to summer reading book talks for our incoming middle school classes. Ms. Melinson talked the classes through the expectations for summer reading, gave every student the opportunity to ask her about any of the nearly-100 books on their summer reading lists, and then provided free time for them to browse the books independently. Also, every kid received a piece of candy. We aren’t sure which was their favorite part, but their excitement and engagement was palpable.

A little over a month ago, Grace spoke with Ms. Melinson about an idea she’d conceived of after watching the Queer Joy Panel that Mr. Hinojosa organized. During an extended lunch on Monday, we got to enjoy the realization of this idea: The Older Siblings Panel. The panel of eight female and nonbinary graduating seniors provided insightful stories and perspectives about navigating high school as a gender marginalized person to an audience of younger female and nonbinary students.

On Tuesday, we hosted the AP Spanish Literature class during flex for a presentation in celebration of World Book Day. We learned that in Catalonia citizens celebrate the day by exchanging books and roses, which is the kind of tradition we can most certainly get behind. The students’ presentation, given entirely in Spanish, explained the importance of Don Quixote, the book widely considered to be the first modern novel.

We also got a visit from the singular Baby Z on Tuesday. Lucky us!

Ishaan and Katie hosted another leadership lunch in the library on Wednesday. They interviewed senior Grace about her experience in Mock Trial, which she likes to think of as “improv for nerds.” They also discussed her real world experience with the US legal system as a volunteer with My Sister’s House, a nonprofit that supports survivors of domestic abuse within the Asian and Pacific Islander community. Grace emphasized the juxtaposition between the playful nature of Mock Trial and the realities of how difficult it can be to navigate the legal system in actuality. She also discussed her plans for college at Claremont McKenna. We’re so excited for her next steps, but we know her incredibly mature and thoughtful presence will be missed dearly here on campus. Good thing we have so many alumni events to look forward to!

On Thursday during the Spring Showcase, Capital Books brought shelves upon shelves of books for students to peruse and purchase as part of our Summer Reading initiative. It was only the second time Country Day hosted a book fair for middle school students in our history, and the first was well over a decade ago at this point. We’re quite thrilled to bring the event back, and hope to continue it as an annual tradition moving forward.

With a sunny weekend on the horizon, we wish everyone the distraction-and-responsibility-free time necessary to get lost in a good book. If you can’t come by such time honestly, we recommend claiming you must clear your garden of White Rabbits or take your pet Cheshire Cat for a walk.

Week in Review 3/11-3/15 and 3/18-3/22

The Ides of March came and went, and we in the Matthews Library managed to avoid any backstabbing betrayal. Hopefully you’ve had the same luck!

On Monday March 11th, while our students had the day off, Ms. Melinson attended an orange-themed and exciting virtual conference hosted by the Association of Independent School Libraries (AISL). Among other excellent presentations and workshops, Jerry Craft, author and cartoonist of the New Kid series, spoke. The organizers sent out a fun package of goodies for each participant to open before each new activity throughout the day.

We hosted a leadership lunch on Wednesday March 13th. Siri spoke with Ishaan and Katie about her internship with the Green Schools Action Coalition (GSAC) which is working to help schools in the Sacramento area move toward carbon neutrality.

Thursday saw the return of donuts to Ms. Melinson’s advisory. How delicious!

That Friday, Ms. Perla hosted a C-Day meeting to help the Juniors further prepare for college application season.

On Tuesday the 19th, The Octagon hosted a roundtable discussion in the quiet room about artificial intelligence and its uses (and misuses) in education. Then on Thursday Mr. Unti, Ms. Monahan, Ms. Adams, and Ms. Melinson had their own conversation about integrating AI into education.

We got very lucky on Thursday because Ruby visited Ms. Melinson’s advisory.

Siri led a Model UN meeting on Thursday that included a Kahoot! quiz.

Jon Chad, cartoonist and author (also Ms. Kahn’s husband), visited our 3rd through 5th graders on Thursday the 21st. The Solvers, his most recent book series, follows three superhero kids who use the power of mathematics to save the day. He spoke with the students about his journey in the world of graphic novels and led them through several engaging cartooning activities around math concepts that the students have been learning. Ms. Melinson prepared a beautiful picnic lunch for him and Ms. Kahn to enjoy in between his delightful sessions with the students.

Spring has finally sprung, and we here in the Matthews Library are beyond excited for reading in the sunshine. If you’re anything like Ruby though, you might be more prepared for a nap. Either way, have a wonderful weekend Country Day!

Weeks in Review: 1/8-2/1

Happy Groundhog Day! It may be rainy and grey today, but that big ol’ rodent predicts we’ll be enjoying the sunshine soon enough. The past few weeks here in the Matthews have certainly kept us on our toes.

Ms. Melinson provided tea and cookies for students on the rainiest and dreariest days we saw.

On Monday, January 8th, we hosted a Queer Joy Panel moderated by Mr. Hinojosa. Queer students, faculty, and staff spoke up about their experiences of joy. Mr. Hinojosa has organized a similar event for several years now in conjunction with the culmination of his Senior English class unit on The Laramie Project. Each year, he opens the event up to the community at large, and each year more of the the community attends. This year saw a positively packed audience. Next year might be standing room only! 

The Room of Requirement saw quite a bit of club action these past few weeks. The high school restarted the Among Us club and immediately got to business sussing out the imposter. We promise it wasn’t us; in fact, we definitely saw red vent by electrical. Model UN has continued to convene as well. These *model* students sure do impress us! The Glass Knife Staff are ramping up their efforts to complete the school’s literary magazine in time for the Seniors’ last day here at Country Day.

During Finals week, the library pendulum swung between chaos and crickets faster than we could say “good luck!” to those on their way to examinations. Congratulations to the entire upper school for making it through the first semester!

Ms. Perla led several C-Day meetings to help prepare our Juniors for the ever-encroaching college application and high school graduation process. At one such meeting, she asked the students to literally visualize themselves at college through a drawing exercise. How incredible is it that the students have such a helpful guide through this grueling process?

We hosted the Sophomores for another moratorium related to the Sophomore Project. With their research papers in the rearview mirror, they are now embarking on the exciting journey to turn these papers into presentations. Students who did well on their presentations last year stopped by to offer a few tricks of the trade, including Grace who gave presenting tips from Mock Trial. In order to prepare for making the best presentations they could, Ms. Leavy had the students prepare precisely the inverse. These purposefully-horrendous projects gave everyone a good laugh.

The Leadership Lunch series continued on Wednesday, January 31st. Katie and Ishaan conducted an interview with Jenny about her semester spent at Oxbow art school.

Ms. Melinson’s advisory broke from their donut tradition; they had all kinds of other sweet treats. On February 1st, Dr. Pam attended to discuss microagressions and how to respond to them with the group.

Ms. Frandrup’s 6th grade science classes have begun their science careers research projects. They came in on several days to learn how to perform research using databases, websites, and books from Ms. Melinson and Ms. Z-S. They made sure to emphasize proper citation in their research, so these students should be well prepared for academic integrity moving forward. They also got to listen to a real life biology professor from Sac State present to them about the life of a science researcher and professor.

Next week, we’ll have three different authors visiting, and that’s just the tip of the iceberg! Stay tuned for updates on all our adventures here at the Matthews Library. Cheers and happy Friday! We hope you find some good dogs to pet, beautiful art to enjoy, and a cozy book to read soon 🙂

Weeks in Review: November 27th-December 15th

We’ve hosted and accomplished quite a lot during these weeks between the Fall and Winter breaks here at the Matthews Library.

Upon return from our week off, the Sophomores delved right into work on their research projects. With support from Ms. Melinson and Ms. Leavy, many made remarkable progress, with a few seeming to finally understand that they would indeed need to both research and write in order to produce a research paper.

Ms. Melinson organized a beautiful and sweet birthday celebration for Ms. Z-S, complete with a delicious berry pie, several adorable mushroom-themed gifts, and matching aprons for the whole library department.

Ms. Perla met with the Juniors at lunch to preview what will come for them with the post-Country Day planning that senior year entails.

That Tuesday, alumni Kaeleigh and Alyssa Valverde met with the BFFs over a tasty lunch. The sisters talked about life after Country Day, the importance of finding a college that works for you over getting the name brand experience, and the challenge of balancing work with school.

Mr. Comer’s Latin classes performed a Toga Walk on Wednesday. If fashion really is cyclical then we can’t wait for these bad boys to come back into vogue.

We hosted a leadership lunch on Wednesday as well. Imani and Jackie presented about their internship with Breakthrough Sacramento’s Substance Abuse Awareness and Policy program. They gave a similar presentation about the dangers of drugs and alcohol on teens at the Elevate Youth California Conference in October.

Ms. Melinson’s advisory returned to their traditional delicious donuts for their meeting on the last day of November.

For Be a Banana Week students and staffulty filled a kindness box with positive anecdotes, vibes, and experiences.

On Monday December 4th we got a visit from Ruby absolutely rocking a new sweater. Some students hunkered down and got a lot of homework done while others spent a bit more of their unstructured time in the library socializing. Students also weighed in on the topic of favorite meals on the Room of Requirement’s whiteboard. Did they miss any noteworthy meals?

English 10 performed scenes from the play Twilight by Anna Deavere Smith on Tuesday.

Also on Tuesday, Octagon lead a roundtable on college admissions in the Room of Requirement, and Ms. Parrish outfitted her cubicle with absolutely incredible gingerbread house themed decorations.

We hosted High School Book Club at lunch on Wednesday. For a summary of what we talked about check out this post.

That Friday, the sophomores had a workday aimed at helping them to complete their research projects, due only a few days from then.

During the final week before winter vacation the Matthews Library remained ever-full of students, stressing and socializing alike.

On Wednesday the 13th of December the Sophomores submitted their *almost* final drafts to Turnitin, a website service which checks for plagiarized and AI-written text. The sophomores then had until Friday to correct any issues caught by Turnitin. Over the next few days, they flooded our office for support from Ms. Melinson to address the concerns Turnitin flagged. As of midnight on Friday the Sophomores should be complete with this intensive research and writing assignment. We can’t wait to read what they’ve produced! Stay tuned for updates on their progress towards presenting their research in the new year.

Ms. Perla hosted another C-Day meeting for the Seniors at lunchtime on Wednesday. As seniors complete their application submissions and those who applied Early Decision begin hearing back from schools, we wish them the best of luck. This process isn’t easy, but you’re almost there!

After school the IDEA committee convened along with students who attended the Student Diversity Leadership Conference (SDLC) and adults who went to the People of Color Conference (POCC).

On both Wednesday and Thursday Ms. Melinson prepared tea for the High School students in our offices. Jaq went a bit of an untraditional route by putting a piece of fudge in his hot water to create a “chocolate bomb,” but everyone else enjoyed our selection of teas.

The Santa Paws gift deliverers stopped by our doors on Thursday morning. Lucky us!

Ms. Melinson’s advisory enjoyed Mochi donuts and cookie decorating on Thursday. Double the treats for double the fun! Throughout the week, the students added kind notes and mysterious hints to secret envelopes addressed to another student in the advisory. The secrets were revealed on Thursday!

Mr. Comer lead his Latin classes (and a few volunteers) on a bout of Saturnalia caroling that included a much-enjoyed stop at the Matthews Library.

Both the Matthews and Winters Libraries put up some wintery displays that you can check out below! Ms. Z-S brought some chocolate treats for staffulty to enjoy, and we were honored with a visit from Baby Z. We hope you have a joyful vacation full of laughter, good food, and reading galore. We’ll see you in the 2024!

Week in Review: Leadership Lunch, The Glass Knife Meeting, Sophomore Project Introduction, and Sip ‘n Slides staffulty PD

Happy second week of classes Country Day! Here in the Matthews Library, we’ve had quite the full week.

On Wednesday, Ishaan Sekhon and Katie Espinoza put on their first Leadership Lunch as coordinators. Ishaan presented what he has learned as a volunteer with the Alzheimer’s Association of Sacramento.

The staff of the school’s literary magazine, The Glass Knife, met for the first time this year during lunch on Thursday.

Friday at lunch we hosted the entire sophomore class to introduce them to the Sophomore Project, a research project that they’ll be working on this year. Don’t worry, we distracted them with ice cream at the end so they wouldn’t get too overwhelmed.

On Friday afternoon the Secret PD Society hosted Sip ‘n Slides, a professional development event that invited staffulty to share their favorite tips and tricks for slideshow presentations. Ms. Michel told us all about her favorite movies and TV shows from different eras of her life while reminding us that interactive presentations can really increase audience attention. Ms. Melinson showed us how to use SlidesCarnival to keep our presentations clean and consistent all while tricking us with facts that seem fake and falsities that seem true. Ms. Monahan gave us important information about the upcoming solar eclipses as well as how to easily switch between tabs and access links while in the middle of a presentation.

Weeks in Review: Classes & Visitors!

This week in the library, we saw 6th, 7th, and 9th grade classes working on various research. The 9th grade was in at the beginning of the week to begin their National History Day project. They discussed topics that would fit in with the NHD theme of “Frontiers in History,” and later in the week, they learned how to find related information in the library’s databases.

On Thursday, the 6th graders had a special visitor—Jim DeBoo, Executive Secretary for Governor Newsom. DeBoo talked to the students about his perspective on leadership in government and the private sector. This tied into the 6th grader’s English project around leaders.

Ms. Melinson’s advisory got a fun lesson in time management from Learning Specialist Ms. Adams.

On Friday, the 7th graders began their library research for their Ancient Civilizations museum project. Ms. Melinson took them on a field trip out and around the library to get their blood pumping for research.

The following week saw the 7th graders return for more research fun on their Ancient Civilization projects.

The library also hosted the Leadership Lunch with seniors Amaya and Ryan interviewing members of the Asian & Pacific Islander Alliance club. Club members spoke about why they started the club and what they plan to accomplish this year.

Finally, the whiteboard in the Quiet Room is seeing some fun drawings, as evidenced by Triangle Tuesday:

Week in Review: The One with the Fireplace

This week saw the return of the library’s virtual fireplace. While eighth-grade students worked on citations for their National History Day projects, a warm (looking) fire roared on the screen to add a sense of coziness to their class time. The fire returned later in the week when tenth grade students were in the library working on their Sophomore Projects.

Leadership Lunches returned in person in the library! Craig and Ryan interviewed Samhita and Simone on their different experiences working with Breakthrough Sacramento over the summer as a volunteer and teacher, respectively.

The library also hosted its Book Club this week. Students shared what they’ve been reading and hope to read over break, while Ms. Melinson talked about several new books in the library. View our Instagram for some of the top books of the year!

On Friday, Ms. McGinnes and Mrs. Frandrup announced the results of the Scientists in the Field showcase. Congratulations to all of our scientists for their excellent work!

Week in Review: Speakeasy & Valentine’s Day Fun

This was an event-heavy week in the library. On Wednesday we had our monthly Book Club, which featured several announcements – read about it here. Also on Wednesday, the Chinese Club and Food Club shared activities and snack in celebration of the Lunar New Year.

On Thursday the Glass Knife held their second (and last) speakeasy of the year. Students and faculty (and guest, former English teacher Dr. Bell) read poems, song lyrics, and short stories in English, Spanish, and French.

During the speakeasy, the GSA sold handmade Valentine’s Day cards with the proceeds benefitting LGBTQ+ charities. Also on Thursday the library was serenaded with its now annual singing Valentine from Ms. Bennett and the second graders.

Bonus:

Who’s a good boy? It’s Gimli!

Week in Review: Week of Review

 

This week began with Mrs. Eustace’s Dystopian elective in on Monday for a Noodle Tools refresher before researching apocalyptic topics like disease, mutually assured destruction, mind control, and nuclear war. On Tuesday Mrs. Eustace was back, this time with her 8th grade English class. Students presented on topics relating to Of Mice and Men, such as the Great Depression, farm workers, Dorothea Lange, and the Dust Bowl. On Wednesday, the Dystopian elective returned for more ominous researching. During lunch, Bella presented for the Leadership Lunch series. She spoke about advocating for decriminalizing sex work, why it’s important, and how she became interested in the subject. On Wednesday and Thursday Ms. Monahan talked to the 8th graders about their Digital Portfolios. Also on Thursday, Mrs. Jacobsen held a pizza-fueled study session in preparation for next week’s finals.

Bonus:
Our friend Luigi popped in for a visit on Thursday to show off how big he’s getting!

Week in Review: Shelfie edition

We started off this week with one of our popular (and relaxing) activities – Cookies, Coloring, and Conversation. Students spent lunch coloring in a variety of coloring books from Lisa Frank to Amazing Cities to Sherlock Holmes while enjoying cookies and talking with their friends.

On Wednesday we had our monthly Leadership Lunch, with Esme and Yanele presenting. They spoke about Breakthrough, giving background for those unfamiliar with the program, explaining its importance, and how it’s a rewarding experience for those who volunteer.

On Friday the Candy Fairy delivered candy to the classes who sent in selfies during the All School Read last week. Check out our selfie gallery below!