Sora

Indian River School is committed to bringing unique learning opportunities to our students and we are pleased to introduce a free reading service providing digital books through Sora, the student reading app.

Why Sora?

The collection of titles in Sora is an extension of Indian River School’s physical library, only it’s in an app with 24/7 access to ebooks and audiobooks. It’s convenient for students to check out titles at home, on the weekends or during school breaks with no worry about misplacing a book or running up late fees – these digital titles automatically return at the end of the lending period!

Sora can help students of all ages read more and improve comprehension. Struggling or reluctant readers, learning-challenged, second language learners, and gifted readers can all benefit from this service.

• Enrich vocabulary and improve comprehension and pronunciation
• Introduce students to books above their reading level
• Teach critical listening
• Help busy kids find time to read
• Incentivize reading with fun avatars and achievements
• Allow easy access to your town’s public library collection, too! (in the Sora menu select: +Add a public library)

How does it work?

Download the free Sora app from the Apple App Store, Google Play Store or visit https://soraapp.com/library/nhssdcnh, borrow with NH Schools Shared Digital Collection, and enjoy anytime, anywhere on a computer, tablet, or smartphone.

Whether a student’s interest lies in classics for required reading, or the latest popular young adult fiction, they can find it all in Sora!

Digital Citizenship Week: 10th Anniversary!

10.17 - 10.21.2022

Ten years ago, Common Sense Media started Digital Citizenship Week to highlight the importance of helping kids, families, and teachers navigate our 24/7 digital world. Over those 10 years, media and technology have changed dramatically. There have also been big shifts in the ways we teach and learn in today's classrooms.

That's why we'll continue to celebrate during the third week of October each year. During this week, digital well-being will be promoted to help our students thrive in a world of media and technology.

As part of our school celebration, teachers will be given a menu of digital citizenship activities to complete within their classrooms. Students currently taking the digital citizenship class will also work to create a school display demonstrating what they've learned.

Teen Read Week

10.9 - 10.15.2022

Teen Read Week is an initiative of the Young Adult Library Services Association (YALSA). Teen Read Week started in 1998. This year's theme is Books with Beat @ your library®, "which encourages teens to read poetry, audiobooks, books about music, and more." Libraries across the world celebrate Teen Read Week with a variety of special events and programs aimed at encouraging teens to read for pleasure and to visit their libraries for free reading materials.

Why is it important to celebrate? For a lot of reasons! Teens have so many options for entertainment, so it's important to remind them to spend time reading for pleasure: it's free, fun, and can be done anywhere! Research shows that teens who read for fun have better test scores and are more likely to succeed in the workforce.

NH Kid Governor®

New Hampshire’s Kid Governor® (NHKG) is a national award-winning civics program for 5th graders created by the Connecticut Democracy Center. This ground-breaking approach to civics education immerses students in learning about state government, elections and voting, and civic participation through a real-life election for their state’s Kid Governor.

Happening this year in the library, our 5th graders will learn about NH's state government, the history and process of voting, and active participation in civic life. In November (timed to coincide with Election Day), they will evaluate the online campaign videos of the final 7 candidates from across the state and cast their votes for the student and platform they support. The student receiving the most votes serves a one-year term of leadership and advocacy, working to fulfill their campaign platform and mobilize students to take action and make a difference on the winning campaign issue.

To learn about our current and past NHKGs, their platforms, and the achievements of their terms, visit the Hall of New Hampshire’s Kid Governors.