IRS Spelling Bee

The annual Scripps Spelling Bee takes place in the hopes of "inspiring the exploration of words, illuminating pathways to lifelong curiosity, and celebrating academic achievement. Every year, students from all walks of life have the opportunity to participate in the Scripps National Spelling Bee program. They progress from classroom to cafeteria, from auditorium to civic center, just as millions of other students have done before them." https://spellingbee.com/about

The IRS Spelling Bee was hosted in the school library this year! We had a champion from every classroom participate in the schoolwide Spelling Bee. Our judges consisted of Mrs. Fryer (Reading Specialist, Spelling Bee Coordinator), Ms. Hollander (Library Media Specialist), and Mr. Towle (School Principal).

Thanks to Seth Marrotte and the AV Club, the entire school was able to cheer on our participants as they watched via a livestream. After 11 grueling rounds, Jaiden (Grade 8) became our school champ! He will move on to the state championship round. Jaiden and our runner-up, Andrew (Grade 6), both received subscriptions to Encyclopedia Britannica. Congratulations!

Hour of Code Challenge

Computer Science Week, an annual event which seeks to inspire students to learn computer science, was celebrated in December. We postponed our celebration until this past month.

For this year's Hour of Code, students had the chance to explore, play, and create with computer science. Students were given some exciting coding options to complete. The class with the highest rate of participation will earn a pizza party!

Learn more about Hour of Code here: https://hourofcode.com/us

Word Nerd Day

As a self-proclaimed "Word Nerd," it was important that IRS celebrated this wondrous holiday! Even though the day has passed, we still have a nice stock of puzzles left. Come to the library for some fun with words!

Sora Holiday Challenge

Students, don't forget the Sora Reading App is available even when school is closed! Relax with your next favorite read over break.

Complete the Sora Holiday Challenge by 1.3.2023 and earn a small prize from the library. [Copies of the challenge page are available in the library or download here.]

Hot Cocoa and Books

Our annual tradition continues! Students will be invited to relax with a cup of cocoa and good books during the week before the winter holidays.

Library Contest: Guess How Many Pages

Students have the opportunity to guess how many pages are in the book. The winner will receive an Amazon GC.

Contest ends 1.6.2023

Hour of Code Moved to January 2023

This week was computer science week, an annual event which seeks to inspire students to learn computer science.

While we'd love to celebrate now, due to other wonderful events happening in the library and the school, we decided to postpone our Hour of Code event until January. For this year's Hour of Code, students will have the chance to explore, play, and create with computer science—and we’ve got plenty of activities to get them started. Stay tuned for more information coming in January, but for now, enjoy this special message from NASA at the International Space Station.

Learn more about Hour of Code here: https://hourofcode.com/us