School Starts!

I use two or three right shoes with stuffed socks inserted into the shoes. (You could use cut outs instead of real shoes) The shoes I use happen to be new ones that never fit me and the socks are usually a little different (Coca-Cola, Mickey Mouse, etc.) I also have cut out ads from magazines and newspapers that are large shoes and have stapled them to the background. I use books from the shelves but you could also use book jackets.

Jackie Norris, South Kipsap High School, Port Orchard, Washington

Welcome to Anywhere High

Take pictures of your new staff members and do a short interview. We did name, position, hometown, college and a sentence like I'm delighted to be here because...Quick, easy and interesting. Helps staff put names with faces.

Carolyn Wandstrat, Splendora High, Splendora, Texas

New Books for a New Year

This is a good way to highlight some new titles at the beginning of the school year with a background of fall leaves and a display of new books. [The same caption is adaptable for a fast end of winter break bulletin board in January, using snowflakes instead of leaves]

Elaine Knight, Lincoln, Illinois, eknight@abelink.com

We Do It All For You

This bulletin board is actually a show case. We placed samples of books, filmstrips, CD disks, computer disks, video boxes, laser disks, etc.

Chalk One Up To Reading

This was the easiest and most complimented bulletin board I ever had. I used black butcher block paper to cover the board to resemble a chalk board. With a variety of pastel chalks I wrote in a slanted hand, "Chalk one up to reading". I used hairspray to set the chalk so it didn't smudge. If the board is not accessible I wouldn't use anything on the chalk. I used a premade border of schoolhouses and apples around it. Simple and appealing.

Marcia Jacques, Library Media Specialist, Boulder Valley Schools, Broomfield, Co.

Appealing Words of Wisdom

For September have the caption: "Appeeling Words of Wisdom" with quotes written on apples to start the school year off right.

Barb Devore, Media Specialist Oakville High School, St. Louis, MO

Welcome to the Media Center

In the center of the bulletin board have "Welcome to the Media Center". Surrounding the English words, have the same sentiment in different languages.

Visitâ Biblioteca! (Romanian)

Visitare la bibliotecha! (Italian)

Käydä Katsomassakirjasto! (Finnish)

Visitez la bibliothèque! (French)

Besøge biblioteker! (Danish)

Besuchen Sie die Bibliothek! (German)

Ziryaretkütüphamel! (Turkish)

Bezoeken Zi de lesszaal! (Dutch)

Visiten la bibliotechaa! (Spanish)

Wizytowac biblioteka! (Polish)

Navstiviti knihorna! (Czech)

If you have students who speak different languages, they could help you add even more to this list. I was not able to add some other languages because my keyboard does not have those symbols. Let me know if I have misspelled anything or you can add to this list.

Judy Serritella, Lovejoy High School, Lovejoy, Georgia

Back to School Blues

This bulletin board has the Bobbi Katz poem "Back to school blues" in the center. The background, of course, is blue. Have student written "blues" poems surrounding the original poem or have book jackets of poetry books or biographies about poets.

"Back to School Blues"

Just wiggling my toes in my brand new shoes
Guess I've got a case of the back to school blues.
Shiny new notebook with nothing inside it
Feeling kinda scared and trying hard to hide it.
I've got 3 sharp pencils I never used before
And a teacher I don't know behind a classroom door.
Maybe she's a nice one.
Maybe she's bad news.
Just a wiggling and a jiggling to the back to school blues.

Judy Serritella, Lovejoy High, Lovejoy, Georgia

Match the Teacher with Her Pet

In order to have the students meet the faculty and staff on a different level have the faculty bring in a picture of themselves and a picture of their pet. Place the pictures on the bulletin board in a scrambled up manner and have the student decide who goes with which pet. Number the pictures and lab el the pets with a letter. Have paper available for the students to write down their answers. Add some book jackets of pet books to tie in your reading theme.

Sadie Longood, Dallas (Oregon) High School

Are we there yet?

This travel themed board serves as a transition from summer vacation to academia. The inspiration for this one came from a pile of used postcards I picked up at a thrift store.

Sadie Longood, Dallas (Oregon) High School, Librariansaintsadie@yahoo.com

Deanna Rogers, Cornerstone Christian Academy, Norcross, GA

Fall Into A Good Book

I created a tree using brown construction paper and fall leaves, fall garlands that were purchased at the dollar store. The tree went up one side and the garlands formed the branches and cascaded across the top and down the other side. I stapled loose fall leaves as they were falling from the tree. I used the letter from foam ABC puzzles also purchased at the dollar store for the caption. I printed clip art of kids reading, enlarged the pictures and stapled them around the board. I also had a pile of leaves, wheelbarrow, rake, etc.

Sharon Stone, Minerva Central School, Olmstedville, NY, stones@minervasd.org

I use black butcher paper, add some pictures of our mascot, the Monarchs, a few varsity letters, die cut shapes and then embellish with chalk. I write right on the black paper and it looks like a chalk board.

Patti Tjomsland, Library Media Specialist, Mark Morris High School, Longview, Washington