Enter the Letters About Literature Competition

by guest blogger Rebekah Manley, Coordinator at Texas Center for the Book 

Has a book made you laugh, brought you to tears, or changed your life? Write a letter to the author and enter the Letters About Literature Competition.

All 4th-12th grade students are invited to participate! Winners receive $100 and travel assistance to the Texas Library Association Annual Conference for a special awards ceremony.

You may read winning entries on the Letters About Literature Texas website.

There are three categories for contestants:  

Level 1 - Grades 4-6   

Level 2 - Grades 7-8

Level 3 - Grades 9-12

Follow these steps:

READ  Select a fiction or nonfiction book, a poem, or a play you have read that you feel strongly about. (Sorry, no song lyrics!) It might be a book that helped you through a difficult time, or it

might be a book that simply touched your heart or inspired you.

REFLECT  Think before you write. How did this author’s work change you or your view of the world? How and why are you different now than you were before you read this work?

PERSUADE  Write a personal letter to the author stating how reading his or her work changed you. Be personal and persuasive! Support your ideas with specific details, including details from the work itself. This is not a fan letter, but rather a reflection on how an author’s work influenced you.

WRITE  Type your entry in letter format. All submitted letters must be typed and between 400 and 800 words.

SUBMIT  Upload your letter to the new online submission platform (opening November 4, 2019). A permission form is required for all student participants who will be younger than 13 years of age on November 4, 2019. Make sure entries are submitted by December 17, 2019.

Teachers: Please encourage your students to enter. The website has a dedicated educator resource page. Many instructors tack this program onto an already planned curriculum, like memoir, letter, and essay writing.

How are the letters judged? The letters go through four rounds of judging. Judges ask: Is the letter written to the author and does it provide reflective details to support how the author’s work changed the reader’s view of the world or self? They also rate the content, expression, structure, and grammar of the letter.

Tips: Have someone proofread your letter. Make sure you read your letter out loud to someone and have them read it back to you. This way, you will hear how your letter sounds and catch any typos.

Important: Be sure to visit the Letters About Literature page* for the submission steps, permission form and official rules set by the Texas Center for the Book at the Texas State Library and Archives Commission. This year’s contest runs from November 4, 2019, to December 17, 2019.

All contest information is available at *www.tsl.texas.gov/lettersaboutliterature

Teacher Day @ TLA - Teachers + Librarians = Dynamic Duos!

By Jennifer Eckert, Library Specialist in Northside ISD, San Antonio

Collaboration with teachers is a large part of any school librarian’s job. We are always looking for ways to inspire and encourage collaboration in order to meet all our students’ needs. Let that inspiration come from facilitating an experience at the Texas Library Association's 2020 Annual Conference!

The TLA Annual Conference – made up of books, authors, technology integration, makerspaces, curriculum connections, and supportive librarians – is the stuff of teachers’ dreams. Connect with your teachers, encourage their innovation, inspire them to greater collaboration, and impact their instruction by inviting your teachers to join you at this year’s Teacher Day @ TLA!

Teacher Day @ TLA, which will take place on Thursday, March 26, 2020, provides classroom teachers with the opportunity to experience a special one-day event during the TLA conference comprised of speakers, activities, and pricing designed just for them.

This is your chance to inspire your teachers and form a dynamic duo! You, as a sponsoring school librarian, will play a crucial role by identifying interested teachers, helping them secure permission and funding for their attendance, guiding them through the registration process, and ensuring our guest teachers have a positive experience.

The planning has begun for a fun, interactive day for the teachers who attend, as well as the librarians who sponsor them. Participants are welcome to stay for the full conference. Now is the time for interested librarians to:

a) identify motivated classroom teachers and

b) start to lay the groundwork for conference attendance and travel funding.

The focus of this program is for classroom teachers who experience a TLA conference to return to their districts as library advocates and collaborators - or perhaps become librarians themselves. Details and application information about Teacher Day @ TLA, an event that has become an annual highlight, can be found at http://www.txla.org/teacher-day. You can also follow us on social media for updates using the hashtag #TDTLA. Don’t miss this opportunity to increase collaboration on your campus!

Getting Creative: Collaborating With Your Fine Arts Department

by Nicole Cruz, Lead Librarian, Sharyland ISD

TCA Touring Artists pictured: Outspoken Bean-Slam Poet, Donna Ingham-Storyteller, and Ruby Nelda Perez-Actress. 

Sharyland High School Theatre Director Christopher Fernandez is pictured with the students in the bottom left corner.

On Thursday, September 5th, a joyous squeal was heard at the Penny Payte McLeaish LRC. A very happy librarian had just opened her email and read the following message: Congratulations! Your Arts Respond Performance Support application was reviewed by our board today and approved to receive this amount - $1,350. Grant number 85748 was funded. 

The mission of the Texas Commission on the Arts (TCA) is to advance our state economically and culturally by investing in a creative Texas. TCA supports a diverse and innovative arts community in Texas, throughout the nation and internationally by providing resources to enhance economic development, arts education, cultural tourism and artist sustainability initiatives. Even though this is not my first TCA Arts Respond Performance Support Grant, every time I read those words - grant funded, it is always a euphoric feeling. It means quality performers will be entertaining, informing, and connecting with the students and staff of the campuses that I serve. It means that successful teacher and librarian collaboration has been achieved. It means that the arts are alive and well at the school that I serve. Students will cultivate an appreciation of the arts when they are exposed to quality dancers, illustrators, musicians, storytellers, authors, and actors. The arts encourage creativity, innovation, and self-confidence—essential skills for a 21st century workforce. The Texas Commission on the Arts Touring Roster is comprised of talented and professional performers. 

The news was received in September, but the initial collaboration and planning was done in July to meet the August 1 deadline. This application was a collaborative effort between teacher and librarian. The Sharyland High School theatre director Christopher Fernandez and I have built a professional collaborative relationship over the course of four years. I credit Mr. Fernandez's successful theatre program as being the partner for the matching portion of each grant. In order to apply, applicants must commit to funding half or a little more than half of the total cost for performance fees, per diem, travel, and hotel expenses. School librarians can find partners through parent organizations like PTA or PTO; booster clubs, art department funds, principal accounts, or community organizations. I’m also grateful to have a supportive campus principal. Lori Ann Garza has provided the necessary approval and assistance with logistics, scheduling, and audience recruitment.

The fall round of grants were awarded to 111 sites across the state. Non-profit sites include community theatre programs, museums, symphonies, fine arts councils, public libraries, development boards, and schools. The total funded is just under 9 million. The TCA staff are supportive and helpful when it comes to questions during the application process, after receiving the award, and follow-up on necessary documentation at the close of the program. Anina Moore, Director of Communications for TCA, is a constant source of wisdom and support. 

How can you apply for a TCA Arts Respond Performance Support Grant? I want to encourage librarians to collaborate with art teachers, music or band directors, theatre directors, or dance instructors to bring quality performances to their campuses. The applications and attachments are due November 1, 2019. The application is straightforward and easy to complete online. Applications are for performances and activities by artists from the Texas Touring Roster occurring December 15, 2019 - March 14, 2020. Go to the TCA website to learn more or email Anina Moore at anina@arts.state.tx.us