POLONIUS: WHAT DO YOU READ, MY LORD?
HAMLET: WORDS, WORDS, WORDS.
WILLIAM SHAKESPEARE. HAMLET, ACT II SCENE II
April 2015 Vol. 1 Iss. 8
Celebrate this April!
We hope April’s showers don’t get you down! This month, we encourage you to
break out your multicoloured streamers, cards filled with kindness, and maybe
some candles. Celebrate Easter, as it is a time of renewal and refreshing of your
commitment to being a kind and loving person. Celebrate the earth by planting a
vegetable garden or by helping organizations like Trees Ontario (treesontario.ca)
restore our forests. Don’t forget to celebrate the master of iambic pentameter;
Shakespeare would have been 451 this year. April is a great time to renew your
faith, your love for the earth, and your appreciation of a literary genius. We hope
your April is full of sunshine!
LIBRARY NEWS
THIS MONTH
APRIL 3 / APRIL 6
Good Friday / Easter Monday
No School
APRIL 7
WE ONLY HAVE ONE EARTH – CHERISH IT!
Staff Meeting (library closed 2:30)
Here are some super simple ways to show your love for the earth this month!
APRIL 9
Bees are one of the most important creatures on this earth. To understand how
essential to our food production they are, check out the BBC Documentary “Would
We Starve without Bees?” at http://www.bbc.co.uk/guides/zg4dwmn. Do your part
to help save the bees by planting some bee-loving flowers in your garden. Artist
Hannah Rosen’s guide at http://www.hannahrosengren.com/help-save-bees.html is
a great list. You can also try a simple vegetable garden, with tips from Gardener’s
Supply at http://www.gardeners.com/how-to/vegetable-gardening/5069.html.
Take advantage of the warming weather by turning down your air conditioning and
going outside. Play a sport, or just sit in the shade with friends and talk. Find a local
trail at http://www.brampton.ca/en/Arts-Culture-Tourism/TourismBrampton/Visitors/Pages/Trails.aspx and take a walk. Pack your reusable water
bottles (they’re cheaper for you and better for the environment). Check out the
Huffington Post’s article http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2010/01/29/the-bestreusable-water-b_n_428684.html for great water bottle recommendations.
TALL TALE UPDATES
If you want to see talented ND students share some amazing stories, make sure you
get your ticket SOON! Tickets are on sale April 13th. Food and beverages will be
served during our reception. Come out to help shape our community story!
Library closed P.4 and after school
APRIL 14
Civvies Day
APRIL 17
Lab Booking Calendar for May
released at 8 am
APRIL 22
Earth Day (Woo hoo!)
APRIL 23
Shakespeare’s Birthday
APRIL 30
U of T Biology Competition
(Library closed P. 4)
Tall Tale Evening 5:45 – 7:30 pm:
(Library closed after school)
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THE BACK PAGE
NOTES IN THE MARGIN
FEATURED REVIEW
Prisoner of Tehran by Marina Nemat
The Prisoner of Tehran is a chillingly honest memoir written by a real0life
survivor of Iran’s notorious prison, Evin. Arrested when she was sixteen
years old, Nemat narrates her experience undergoing torture, blackmail, and
imprisonment alongside contrasting glimpses of what it was like growing up
as a liberal girl in Iran in a liberal family. Nemat never sugarcoats the horrors
she went through; nevertheless, she also manages to showcase the small
things that kept her going, I think what stands out about this memoir is the
raw honesty with which it’s written. Her writing style is beautiful, while also being accessible.
I would recommend this to anyone who’s interested in gaining a perspective on freedom (or
the lack thereof) in certain parts of the world, anyone who’s interesting in social justice. I’d
give the book all five stars. Review by Kshemani Constantinescu, Grade 12 Student
ON DISPLAY THIS MONT H
Get Your Green On!
This April, we celebrate everything EARTH! Looking to start
a backyard garden? Try Community Gardens: Grow Your Own
Vegetables and Herbs by Susan b. Chong or Incredible Edibles:
43 Fun Things to Grow in the City by Sonia Day. If you want
to know more about how every creature depends on one
another, try A World without Bees by Alison Benjamin or
Save the Humans by Rob Stewart (the man behind
Sharkwater). Tips on how to be a better environmentalist can be found in Karen Christensen’s
The Armchair Environmentalist or Tom Rand’s Kick the Fossil Fuel Habit. We have plenty more
books about our earth and how to save it ready for you to read, return, and repeat!
REEL BOOKS
Hoot by Carl Hiaagen was released as a
young-adult novel in 2002, later winning a
Newberry award. The movie adaptation
was released four years later in 2006.
Hoot is a fun and light story with serious
undertones focused around saving a colony
of burrowing owls in Florida. The main
character Roy teams up with two eccentric
kids and makes an enemy out of a big-wig
land developer. The story has heart and
hilarity as the three kids go on a wild ride to
put their passion into action and save the
owl colony.
NEW BOOKS (A SMALL SELECTION)
Fiction
Whatever Life You Wear / Kennedy, Cecilia
21 Proms / Levithan, David (ed.)
Forgive Me, Leonard Peacock / Quick, Matthew
Pivot Point / West, Kasie
The Counterfeit Family Tree of Vee CrawfordWong / Holland, L. Tam
Non-Fiction
The Rebellious Life of Mrs. Rosa Parks /
Theoharis, Jeanne
The Sacred Tree: Reflections on Native
American Spirituality / Lane, Phil Jr.
Power Up! A Visual Exploration of Energy /
Paleja, Shaker and Tse, Glenda
The Future: Six Drivers of Global Change /
Gore, Al
Advertising to Children / Lusted, Marcia A.
Adapting to Climate Change / Lanser, Amanda
Barack Obama / Robinson, Tom
Pope Francis / Lanser, Amanda
BECAUSE I AM A GIRL –
GOAT CAMPAIGN
What an absolutely exceptional
cause and result! The “Because
I am a Girl” club did a
wonderful job raising support
and awareness for their goat
campaign. Together, ND raised
$1585.35 in support of families
in Kenya. Each goat costs
approximately $50, meaning
(get your math hats on) we
raised enough for nearly 32
goats! Special thanks goes to
Ms. Piechota for leading such an
amazing group.
MARCH BREAK
We hope the weather and break
was kind to you this year!
March break was a great time
to relax and enjoy the (finally)
warming weather. In the
library, we heard stories about
fun travels, lengthy books that
were finally finished, and work
experiences that have made a
lasting impression. We hope
you are well rested for the
approaching end of the year!
THINKFAST
What a compassionate and
inspiring event! 75 students
participated in the 28 hour
fasting (no food or drink!) in
solidarity with the Global
South. Congratulations go out
to Ms. Anderson who, does such
an amazing job leading these
young social justice activists. A
special thank you to all the
teachers who helped supervise
and support this amazing
event!
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