ISLMA/LBSS Endowment Fund Readers' Choice Application

2017-2018
https://www.lbssfund.org/readers-choice-grant-application-form.html

Applicants Information:
Please indicate one set of books for this application year:
Monarch Award (K-3)
*Bluestem Award
Rebecca Caudill Young Readers Award (4-8)
Abraham Lincoln Award (9-12)

Applicants Name:
Christina Weniger

Type of Library:
Public School Library
Private School Library
Public Library

Name of School Building/Public Library: Roy DeShane Elementary School

If you chose Public or Private Library, what is the official name and number of your school district?
Community Consolidated School District 93

Grade Levels served: K-5

Address:
475 Chippewa Trail

City:
Carol Stream

State:
Il

Zip Code:
60188

Telephone:
630-462-8925

Email:
wenigec@ccsd93.com

In what county is your library located: DuPage

Number of students eligible to participate in this reading program: Grades 3-5, 160 students

Annual book budget for this level: $3200.00 ($6400 whole school budget)

Your library system:

RAILS
Heartland
Chicago

Applicants Summer contact information:

Name: Christina Weniger

Address: 1331 Deer Pointe Dr

City: South Elgin

State: Il

Zip Code: 60177

Telephone: 630-251-1420

Email: wenigec@ccsd93.com

Shipping Address for Books:

School or Public Library: Roy DeShane Elementary School

Attn: Sandy McCall

Address: 475 Chippewa Trail

City: Carol Stream

State: Il

Zip Code: 60188

Explain your vision for implementing the Lincoln, Caudill, Bluestem, or Monarch program in 2017-2018
by answering the following questions:

How will the program be administered? (aspects of the planning process, special displays, voting
process, submission of student votes)
Book talks will be given by the school librarian to each class. More information will be provided to each teacher
including (if available) links to book trailer, author interviews, book Lexile level. During this initial visit, students
will learn about the program and the requirements to participate in luncheon and voting process.

How do you get students involved? Will incentives be used to promote the program? To what extent
will the students be involved? (help to plan, participate only, help with promotion and displays)
Student helpers will create posters to hang throughout the 3-5th grade hallway. Those students will also help to
create a bulletin board display to promote the Bluestem titles.
After students read a Bluestem nominee, they will complete a Google Form to prove that they have read the
book. They will be invited to a Bluestem lunch with the librarian where the books will be discussed. Students
must read 4 books in order to vote. This can include books read aloud by classroom teacher but Google Form
does need to be completed by each individual student.

How have you involved the teachers, staff, administrators, parents, community, etc.?
Teachers and other staff will have the opportunity to check out titles for themselves to read. Information
regarding the program will be sent home to parents via email and program flyers.

Are you integrating the program into the curriculum? How do you tie the program into your
librarys/schools focus or goal?
One of our school goals is to increase reading scores. Students who consistently read and discuss books with
teachers and peers are more successful on grade level assessments. Teachers may choose to read aloud
some Bluestem titles within their classrooms. Suggested activities will be provided for those teachers who
choose to participate.

How will you evaluate the impact on the program? What types of formal/informal assessments have
you given, such as statistics (number of students participating, number of books read overall, etc),
anecdotes, any special features that the program involves, the value of the Readers Choice Program
to the school/community?
Comparisons will be made based on the number of participants over the past 3 years. We hope that by having
additional copies of the titles, more students will have the opportunity to read the books, attend the luncheon,
and vote. The number of participants will be monitored through circulation data and Google Form completion.

What additional information would you like to relay about your program?
Last year, the number of students participating in Bluestem decreased from the year before. While this could
be for a number of reasons, we are not sure exactly why that decrease occurred. When discussing with
students, the concern of having to wait for the book they want to read was a frustration. We are hopeful that
this will turn this around and we will see an increase overall.