Librarians, students honored

VERONA, N.Y. >> The MadisonOneida BOCES School Library System held its 2019 SLS Administrator Breakfast and Annual Meeting on Wednesday, May 22 and recognized outstanding students, teachers, administrators and school librarians in the region for their work.

Students in grades K-8 from six school districts were recognized for their writing and artwork, which is featured in this year’s SLS calendar. The students’ workwas selected fromentries in the fifth annual student calendar contest, which invited students to submit an original drawing, essay or poem on the theme of “Everybody Belongs @ Your School Library”.

Linda Zuber was recognized for her service as school librarian at Otto Shortell Middle School in Oneida. Zoe Hicks was recog

nized for her service as high school librarian for Oneida City School District. They both will be retiring at the end of the year.

SLS also presented a number of other awards during the breakfast:

The School Librarian of the Year award went Rome Free Academy Librarian, Zack Snow, nominated by Brian LeBaron.

The SLS Teacher of the Year award went to StephanieHughes fromMorrisvilleEaton Central School District. A third-grade teacher at E.R. Andrews Elementary School, Hughes was nominated by librarian Liz Wise for being an avid user of the school library. “She works with me constantly to bring new tools and ideas to her students,” said Wise.

The SLS Administrator of the Year award went to Tracy Durkee fromMorrisville-Eaton Central School District. A Principal at Morrisville-EatonMiddle/High School she was nominated by librarian Jessica JacobsBroedel, who said Durkee has supported the library in every way possible — from day to day activities and problems to programming and courses.

This year’s featured speaker wasWarren Drake, a Superintendent at East Baton Rouge Parish School System in Louisiana who spoke virtually, as part of the ExpandOurWorldVideoconferencing initiative. At the start of his tenure as superintendent of one of the largest school systems in the U.S., Drake reinstated school librarians in 20 schools and soon thereafter achieved the goal of a school librarian in every building. He spoke about an Evolving Vision for the 21 st Century School Library.

Student winners:

K-1 • First: Edward R. Andrews (Morrisville-Eaton Central Schools) - Charlie Pruit Hynes

• Second: John Joy (Rome City School District) - Addyson Vinci 1st grade – Piggie & E

• Third: Peterboro Street (Canastota) – Devyn Bonaventura

• Honorable Mention – John Joy – Julian Wells 2-3 • First: South Side (Canastota) – Parker Schmidt

• Second: SouthSide (Canastota) – Brelynn Halsey (poem)

• Third: Madison – Nicole Gage

• Honorable Mention – South Side (Canastota), Aiyanna Oliver 4-5 • First: Morrisville-Eaton Central Schools – Ella Griffith

• Second: Vernon- W.A. Wettel ( VVS) – Analeigh Brodt

• Third: John Joy (Rome City School District )– Spec Ed – Justin McBee 6-8 • First: VVS Middle – Mandy Chen

• Second: Camden Middle – Lillian Horton

• Third: VVS - Wettel – Gianna White

SUBMITTED PHOTO Third-grade teacher Stephanie Hughes, left, of E.R. Andrews Elementary School in Morrisville-Eaton Central School District, librarian Liz Wise and Susan LeBlanc, Director of MOBOCES SLS at the 2019SLS Administrator Breakfast and Annual Meeting on Wednesday.

SUBMITTED PHOTO Rome Free Academy librarian Zachary Snow, left, and Brian LeBaron, RFA Principal