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Overdue Books
In the spirit of saving our resources, we are transitioning to e-mail reminders for overdue books.
Some of you may have already noticed this switch. These reminders are not a cause for alarm. Returning or renewing the book on your child’s next library day is soon enough. However, after a couple of months we have to assume that a book is not being returned because it is lost, and then an invoice will be sent to replace it. Early reminders help prevent late books from becoming lost books!
You can check your child’s library account by signing into the e-Library from the Learning Commons/Library page on the HVS website. (See the complete instructions in January’s newsletter.) In addition, I am here to answer any questions you have, such as the titles of your child’s overdue books, if you received a notice in error, or if the book is lost and you want to know what to do next.
Thank you for your patience as we figure out how to get reminders to you efficiently and correctly, as there is still a hands-on element involved.
I also want to thank you for being so vigilant in helping your children find those overdue books. We have lost very few books so far this school year, and I hope to help students keep up this trend so that everyone has a chance to enjoy and discover everything in our collection!
Chelsea Crutchley, Library Assistant
cscrutchley@cbe.ab.ca
403-777-7236 (ext 2008)
Hidden Valley Learning Commons
Our Learning Commons is an inviting space that houses our English and French collection of fiction and nonfiction books. The students have scheduled library times and are invited to exchange their books weekly. Book exchange normally runs until the end of May. The Learning Commons houses our computer lab (Smart Boards, iPads, NEO-Boards etc.)
Learning Commons FAQs
What if we can’t find a library book that we have signed out from the library?
It’s the
most common question I’ve been asked so far. Thank you for bearing with me while
I learn our school’s policy. I thought I would share it with you all.
Lost Book Policy - Before a book can be called “lost,” several things need to
happen:
- A thorough search is made at home, and at the homes of other
caregivers.
- A thorough search is made of the library shelves. Sometimes a student
puts a book straight back on the shelf rather than checking it in, so the
computer tells me they still have it.
- Allow a couple of weeks to pass. Another student may have accidentally
signed their book out under your child’s name and has yet to return it. A
little waiting-and-seeing allows the book to possibly show up on its own.
- When we are certain a book is lost, we will send out a bill for the value of
the book. Payments can be made by your preferred method, but please
be aware we are not able to give change, so if paying in cash please bring
the exact amount.
When can borrowing privileges resume?
In most circumstances, our students
may resume borrowing from the library once it has been determined that a book has
been lost. If they are accustomed to borrowing two books, they may be limited to
one book until the bill is payed.
Bottom line: Students should never be penalized for reading. We want them to
continue to feel welcome in our learning commons. We will work with you to ensure
students can keep enjoying our books.
We thank you for all the efforts you make to look after our resources, and for being
so proactive in wanting to replace lost books!
Home Reading Program
In addition to books from the library, students will bring home books at their independent reading level for practice. This is another opportunity for parents to celebrate their child’s learning and witness the new skills they are developing at school.
We have several parent volunteers who help exchange the books on Mondays or Thursdays. See more on our Volunteer page.
Scholastic Books
Scholastic Books has a fantastic and easy new way to order and pay for your Scholastic books! Here are the steps on how to place your order:
- Go to www.scholastic.ca/canadaclubs
- Go to “First Time Here? Parents” and click “Connect To Your Teacher”
- Click “Find Your Teacher” and put in Alberta and Calgary. Then “Select A School” and pick Hidden Valley School and then for “Your Teacher’s Name” always pick “Wong, Kim”. Next you will “Create An Account” with your name and create a password. Then you can “Add A Child” and their grade. It also allows you to add more children (but it requires you to repeat the process of “Connect To Teacher” for each child)
- Once you have created your account and added all of your children that attend Hidden Valley School, it will take you to the “Scholastic Reading Club Canada” page where you can enter the item number of what you would like to purchase from the Scholastic flyers or you can search for a specific book or author. Add all of the items that you would like to purchase and when you are finished select “Go To Checkout”.
- At the “Review Your Cart” screen, you can modify your orders and if you have a coupon you can enter the code.
- Once you have added all of the items that you would like to order, and applied a coupon if you have one, you can click on “Proceed to Checkout” and you can add your Payment information and Submit Order.
- You no longer need to hand in the order forms from the flyers or the coupons, as it is already completed.
- The next time you want to order an item, you will not need to go through the above process. You will just enter your email address and your password and you will be logged in and can place the order.
