Media Center
Media Specialist
Sweetwater is fortunate to have a fantastic media specialist: Mrs. Gruenewald! Her media program includes:
- Lessons for students in grades K-5 on literature, computer skills, and researching skills.
- Assisting students in finding and checking out books.
- Training 5th grade students to be on Sweetwater's "News Crew" who run Sweetwater's WSES morning news show each day.
Media Center
The Media Center is the literacy and information center of the school for students, teachers, and the parent community. Media resources supplement and complement classroom instruction, enhance teaching and student learning, as well as satisfy social, cultural and literacy enrichment needs.
The students at Sweetwater love to visit the Media Center. We have an electronic card catalog, which makes finding books easy and fun. Students may check out two books a day and one of them may be reading counts. Even parents can have a library card and they may borrow up to 5 books checked out on their card. Our large computer lab offers students the opportunity to learn skills and perform child safe internet research.
READING COUNTS is a motivational reading program sponsored by the Media Center staff. With over 5,000 RC titles available in our library, and over 40,000 RC quizzes to choose from in the quiz bank, students can enjoy building comprehension skills and keeping track of the books they read! There are exciting prizes and honors, as well.
How Reading Counts Works:
- Students read books from the media center, classroom, public library, home, etc.
- The Reading Counts books have an easily identifiable label on the spine and cover.
- After the student reads the book, he/she can then take a quiz on the book, in the classroom or the media center.
- If the student passes the quiz, she/he is awarded the points designated for that book. A student can take the test twice, but not on the same day. If a student has already taken a quiz on a book and passed, he/she cannot take the quiz again.
- Reading Counts Quiz List A-J
- Reading Counts Quiz List K-Z
Media Center Access
The purpose of the school library media center is to encourage the love of reading and to support the school community and curriculum goals through self-selected reading materials. The media specialist collaborates with families and teachers to support students in the selection of reading materials that meet their reading interests.
Media Access Levels
Parents and guardians have the right to limit their child’s access to materials in the school library. The media access level a parent/guardian selects for their student will be in effect for the student’s academic career in Volusia County Schools. The parent/guardian may request a change in access at any time by completing the form again or contacting the school media specialist.
The default access for all students is limited.
Definitions of access levels
- Limited Access: A student may access materials in the media center except for items on the parent permission required list and Young Adult (YA) titles (middle school only).
- Unlimited Access: A student has full access to the materials in Volusia County Schools libraries including access to any titles that require parent permission. This includes permission for the student to check out Young Adult (YA) titles when the student is in middle school.
- No Access: A student is not permitted access to materials in any of the Volusia County Schools libraries without parent permission.
Process for Modifying Media Access
Parents may modify their child’s access to materials in the school library by completing the Volusia County Schools Media Access or by completing a paper-based Volusia County Schools Media Access form available from the school media specialist.
School Card Catalog (Search for Book)
Library Media Center Collection Development
Each school library media collection is developed in accordance with Volusia County School Board Policy 320 and Florida Statute 1006.28.
Each book made available to students through a school district library media center or included in a recommended or assigned school or grade-level reading list must be selected by a school district employee who holds a valid educational media specialist certificate, regardless of whether the book is purchased, donated, or otherwise made available to students.
2. Each district school board shall adopt procedures for developing library media center collections and post the procedures on the website for each school within the district. The procedures must:
a. Require that book selections meet the criteria in s. 1006.40(3)(d).
-
Free of pornography and material prohibited under s. 847.012.
-
Suited to student needs and their ability to comprehend the material presented.
-
Appropriate for the grade level and age group for which the materials are used or made available.
b. Require consultation of reputable, professionally recognized reviewing periodicals and school community stakeholders.
c. Provide for library media center collections based on reader interest, support of state academic standards and aligned curriculum, and the academic needs of students and faculty.
d. Provide for the regular removal or discontinuance of books based on, at a minimum, physical condition, rate of recent circulation, alignment to state academic standards and relevancy to curriculum, out-of-date content, and required removal pursuant to subparagraph (a)2.
Selection Process
-
The media specialist develops a recommended list of books that meet the needs of the school per the collection development guidelines.
-
The media specialist provides the school media advisory committee with professional reviews of each book prior to meeting.
-
The school media advisory committee meets to review and approve the list. The committee must come to a consensus on approvals. If the committee is unable to come to a consensus, the principal along with the media specialist is responsible for the final decision.
Challenged Materials:
Volusia County School Board Policy 320 establishes the procedures for the review of complaints concerning media materials.