Health & Fitness
Jessica Callahan, Elementary Librarian
The busy world of Lynch Elementary Librarian, Jessica Callahan.
This is Jessica Callahan’s third year as a Winchester elementary librarian. It’s almost impossible to sum up the many things she’s doing at . “I became a school librarian to be sure kids learned to love to read, and to have the independence that brings. Once you’re a strong reader, you can learn whatever you need to.”
Jessica is at Lynch three days a week, handling library visits by preschool, first, fourth and fifth grade classes. On the other days, she is at .
Fourth graders are learning about figurative language, like similies and metaphors, in poetry and literature. They go on “poetry hunts” to identify and discuss figurative language they find in scavenger hunts through the poetry collection.
Fifth graders are writing Letters About Literature, part of a nationwide program of the Library of Congress’ Center for the Book. Students write personal, reflective letters to any author they choose, living or dead, about how that writer’s work has changed them or their view of the world. Not an analysis or summary, the letter is a chance to express their own thoughts and emotions. State and national winners are chosen at different age levels, and oftentimes the authors write back. http://www.lettersaboutliterature.org/
Jessica also runs a “Readers Theatre.” Groups of students choose a book, decide who will read which character, rehearse, and then perform a theatrical reading. Students build confidence and collaborate. To help students be more aware of how an author develops characterization, a skill some had trouble with on MCAS, Jessica has them try different ways to treat a character as a person they are getting to know. You get to know a character not just from what an author directly describes, but also by looking at the way the character speaks and what others say about him or her.
The town-wide annual “Winchester Reads” program is in full swing, with three Lynch students already finished reading all 25 books on this year’s list. Jessica schedules lunchtime book discussion groups several times a month.
If she had more time, Jessica would like to meet more regularly with classroom teachers, instead of “planning on the fly,” and to devote more time to choosing new books to update the library collection.
