3rd-6th grade students are coding Interactive Digital book covers at Code.org.

In this Computer Science and ELA integrated lesson for new coders, students learned to program interactive covers that featured sprites, dialogue, and a background.  First, students analyzed existing book covers and discussed what graphic design choices were made. Next, students looked at a digital book cover example before creating several of their own.

Image Credit: Marley’s Wizard of Oz Book Cover (Original Art work). Students shared ideas and learned from each other. Below are links to several finished 5th/6th grade student projects:

Marley’s The Wizard of Oz (Click on Up arrow to see story summary and each character to see dialogue)

Ms. Despin’s 5th/6th

Bodhi’s Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone(Click on each character to see dialogue, Up, down, left and right  arrows to move characters and then the letter “A” to see book summary)

Payton’s Out of My Mind(Click on Up arrow to see story summary and each character to see dialogue)

Benjamin’s Charlie and the Chocolate Factory(Click on Up arrow to see story summary and each character to see dialogue)

Sophia’s Warriors (Click on Up arrow to see story summary and each character to see dialogue)

Levi’s The One and Only Ivan (Click on Up arrow to see story summary and each character to see dialogue)

Mr. LaRoche’s 5th/6th

Joseph’s Calvin and Hobbes (Click each character to see dialogue, tap the letter “a” to see more character action and book summary.)

Cali’s There’s a Bird n Your Head(Click on Up arrow to see story summary and each character to see dialogue)

Burkley’s Jake and the Neverland Pirates (Click on Up arrow to see story summary and each character to see dialogue)

Mrs. Lacasse’s  5th/6th

Molly’s Smile(Click on Up arrow to see story summary and each character to see dialogue)

Ada’s Harry Potter’s and teh Order of the Pheonix (Click on Up arrow to see story summary and each character to see dialogue)

Ms. Audrey’s 5th/ 6th

Malcolm’s Alice in Wonderland (Click on Up arrow to see story summary and each character to see dialogue)

Avi’s Land of Stories  (Click on Up arrow to see story summary and each character to see dialogue)

Students in 3rd/4th Grade have been reading books from the 2025-2026 Red Clover Nominees:

This week we read: I Know How to Draw an Owl  by Hilary Horder Hippley and Matt James

We discussed the main character, Belle, and how her life might change after the final words of the book:

”I’m here. I understand. I’ll keep an eye on you.”

5th and 6th graders are exploring Computer Science and Artificial Intelligence careers at Code.org.

In the first lesson, students explored CS and AI careers and created a personalized project in Sprite Lab that showed how technology is used in a job they care about.

Kindergarten-2nd grade students are exploring many beautiful picture books that are illustrated in collage. Students created their own snowy scenes. Check out 2nd grade student, Finn Cook’s, collage here:

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Common Sense Media Partnerships Overview

How can we be critical thinkers about media influence?

Students in 3rd-6th have been learning about media influence. Below are four important questions to ask yourself when identifying media influence:

1. Who made this ad, and why?
2. What did they choose to include or leave out?
3. How does this ad try to make you feel?
4. Do you think the claim is actually true?

Students created their own unique flashy ads to demonstrate how we all encounter content every day that’s designed to influence our thoughts and decisions.

Library News October 2025

What a beautiful fall we are having! It’s wonderful to be able to spend time both inside our lovely TES library and outside in our garden/reading room.

imageSource:mrsnthebookbug.blogspot.com

Students have been orienting their way around the library. We have been talking about the Dewey Decimal system and how we organize Fiction and NonFiction books. Our TES library is a mix of genre organization, “bookstore method” better known as Genrefication, and Dewey Classification.

To help student become more independent in the library, students have been working on grade-appropriate Library Book Scavenger hunts

Welcome to the Thetford Elementary School Library!  I look forward to sharing my love of reading and technology with each TES student.

-Mary Wunderlich (TES Library Media Specialist)

-iStock credit:Popmarleo

Library Hours:
The library is open 8-3:15 pm, Monday-Friday. (No librarian on Fridays)

Students in grades K-6th are scheduled for one 45 minute library class per week. During library classes students may borrow library books, hear books read aloud, and participate in a library skills lesson and/or receive technology lessons.

Over the summer we switched to a new Thetford Elementary School library catalog website! Our OPALS catalog website no longer includes books from Latham and Peabody library but TES still works with our public libraries and collaborates on shared library programming.

Library Procedures:
Students may select 1 or 2 library book(s) to bring home during their library class. All books are to be returned the following week (2 weeks for longer books/older students). Classroom teachers will provide a library return basket in the classroom to help collect books throughout the week to be returned on scheduled library days. Patrons may also use the red Return Box outside the library doors.

Students who are working on a special project or have their Teacher/Parent permission may take more books out as needed.

Below is a brief description of some of the library programs and events you may hear your child mention:

Red Clover Books
The Red Clover Award promotes the reading and discussion of the best of contemporary picture books in nearly all of Vermont’s elementary schools.

Red Clover Book Nominees 2025-2026

The Red Clover Award is co-sponsored by the Vermont Center for the Book and the Vermont Departments of Education and Libraries.

Golden Dome Reading Program
The Vermont Golden Dome Book Award (formerly the Dorothy Canfield Fisher Book Award) was created to honor excellence in children’s literature. Each year since 1957, Vermont students in grades four through eight have selected their favorite book from a list of nominees.

Golden Dome Book Award Nominees 2025-2026

TES School Library Media Program Mission Statement:
The primary objective of the school’s media center is to implement, enrich and support the educational program of the school. The responsibility of the media center is:
To provide materials that will take into consideration the varied interests, abilities, and maturity levels of the pupils served.
To provide a welcoming and enjoyable atmosphere, where a love of reading is fostered.
To provide materials that will stimulate growth in factual knowledge, aesthetic values, and ethical views.
To support the school curriculum.
To involve teachers, students, and other personnel in the development of policies, selection of materials, evaluation of instructional materials and other aspects of the media program.
To provide inservice programs for teachers and students to aid the utilization of the media center.
To subscribe to the ALA Bill of Rights.

Students have been reading and discussing:

Honey Bee the Busy Life of Apis Mellifer by Candace Fleming

Named the winner of the American Library Association’s 2021 Robert F. Sibert Medal Honeybee: The Busy Life of Apis Mellifer documents the experiences of a summer honeybee from birth to death.

Some facts about Honeybees:

• In North America, honey bees were not present in the 1800s. They were introduced from Europe by settlers, not native to the continent.
• Only female bees (worker bees) can sting: Male bees (drones) do not have stingers

• Honey is the only food that humans can consume that is produced by an insect.

• Honey never spoils: It has been found in good condition in ancient tombs

Kathy Hatch, Paraprofessional, brought in her father’s beekeeping equipment. She described how her father always tended bees and collected their honey. Her father never sold any of the honey he collected, it was always given as a gift to family and friends.

Special Library Project: 

5th/6th graders came up with the idea of searching for as many books that they can find in our TES Library with copyright dates older than 1970!

In an effort to encourage readers to enjoy books from long ago, these students hope to create a display of the oldest library books in our TES collection. The display will also include more recent publications of the same titles to see how the books have changed over the years and to find out how many of these books are still being read today!

Students have been writing Thank You notes to Rosanne Parry. They have also written to Norwich BookStore for generously providing an author visit at no cost to TES and coordinating the ordering and purchasing of Rosanne’s books.

March Book Discussion Meetings:

5th/6th Grade students will meet at 12 pm on Monday, March 24th and 3rd/4th Grade students at 12:30 pm to discuss Rosanne Parry’s latest book: A Wolf Called Fire.

This month TES students have been very busy conducting Library research for variety of projects:

1st/2nd Grade: have been using library class time to find library books on their chosen topics to complete their informational writing pieces.

3rd/4th Grade: have been finding library books for their informational writing piece on famous people. Their writing will be showcased at this month’s Wax Museum. The Wax Museum will be open to family, friends, and community on Wednesday,  February 19, at 5:30 pm. 

School-wide: Students have been using library class time to find library books on their Science Fair project topics. Projects will be presented at the Science Fair, Wednesday, March 19th open to the public (5:00-6:30 pm) Snow date: March 20th.

Rosanne Parry will be Visiting TES on Monday, February 10th to discuss with students her writing process and her new book: A Wolf Called Fire

Students are very excited to discuss Roasanne’s books and talk about the real life story of how wolves in the United States nearly became extinct. A conservation effort reintroduced Gray wolves into Yellowstone National Park. In 1995, they were thriving again in the West, much to the benefit of the ecosystem.

In library classes, students have been learning about the real life Yellowstone conservation project from Jean Craighead George’s picture book:

The Wolves are Back

Students will be able to order copies of Rosanne’s books through Norwich Bookstore.