January, 2006

Duanesburg Elementary School receives grant to help stock shelves of new library

Elementary students will soon have a cache of new books to read and reference thanks to Sen. Hugh Farley. Principal Katie O'Brien and Library Media Specialist Donna Wilkes sent a letter to Sen. Farley requesting grant money to purchase additional books specifically for the school's new library/media center. The senator responded with a check for $10,000.

"These funds will help us provide high-quality reading and resource materials and will increase our ability to create life-long readers and imaginative information seekers,” said O’Brien, who estimates 1,000 new books will be purchased with the grant money.

The new library/media center is 4,000 square feet, considerably larger than the former basement location. Library staff and volunteers have been busy organizing bookshelves and equipment to welcome students when they return from the holiday break in January. 
The new computer lab adjacent to the library has 30 new workstations, with large flat panel screens, that are wired to the network to allow Internet access for student research.

Project nears completion
In mid-November, the new fifth-grade classrooms and music wing opened its doors. The three fifth-grades were the first to relocate; the music and band rooms followed next. 

Principal O’Brien said students and staff have settled comfortably into their new surroundings, and fifth-graders are especially excited to have new lockers.

Teachers and students alike are eager to begin using the new Smart Boards, which were installed before the holiday break.
Smart Boards are essentially digital whiteboards that connect to a computer and projector enabling teachers and students to interact with a variety of software programs, including Microsoft Excel and PowerPoint. Teachers can write on the Smart Boards and record the day’s lesson for playback at another time.

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