The Imperatore Library was thrilled to host Write Night physically in the library on November 9th for the first time in two years. Write Night is a chance for student and faculty writers to get together and spend an evening sharing and listening to student and faculty writing. It's the perfect chance for middle and upper school students to introduce their writing pieces to a supportive group of peers and teachers. Thanks to everyone that participated! Check out some photos of the event below and join us in April for Write Night: Poetry Edition.
Middle and upper school students got their creativity going during Halloween week in the library. Using the theme of "Favorite Character" as inspiration, students decorated pumpkins with paint pens and other supplies. The lower school students got involved by voting on their favorite designs. Check out some action photos taken during the event and close-ups of the winning pumpkins below!
Middle School Winners
Leo G. - Among Us
Phillip H. - Pluto
Julia D. - Robot
Upper School Winners
Maiyisha U. - Coraline
Beatrice G. - Spiderman
Joe M. - Venom
Lilly T. - LillyPops
Thank you to everyone that participated! Have an idea for a library event? Reach out to Ms. Shaurette or Mr. Petkus with your ideas!
Domino Rally has returned to the Imperatore Library due to popular demand. Middle and upper school students designed a complex domino landscape using bridges, rulers, library shelves, and even library books as supports. Before the final knockdown, they all had to work together to figure out how to connect all the pieces. It was a fun afternoon full of trial and error!
Check out some photos showing students in action and a video of highlights below.
Students do a little damage repair when a section gets knocked down early.
Daniela works on a complex domino pyramid structure.
Students realized they could spell out words with the dominoes!
Students come up with creative ways to span the bookshelves.
Spirals, and bridges, and patterns!
Students place gaps in the design to protect the table of dominoes from going down too early.
Max uses the domino staircase to bridge the height difference between the shelves and tables.
Before we delve into how DE is commemorating the month this year, it's worth reading this article that breaks down what the terms "Hispanic", "Latino", and "Spanish" mean...(Thanks to Dr. Easley-Houser for sharing).
On October 6th, the Imperatore Library and the Latinx Affinity group are co-hosting an intergenerational zoom discussion and documentary screening of "Latinos Beyond Reel." The film explores some of the stereotypes of Latinx, Hispanic and Spanish peoples in our news and entertainment media and how these representations affect youth. Contact Dr. Buggs to participate in this event.
Here's a quick preview of the documentary:
In order to get this important conversation started, we asked DE Faculty and Staff to share some of their favorite books by Latinx/Hispanic/Spanish authors that were turned into movies. The books and films challenge some of the stereotypical media representations of this very diverse group of people.
Below is a sampling of their responses. (No spoilers! Links to e-books included at the bottom of this post).
Dr. Ericka Collado, LS Spanish teacher:
Recommendation for a movie based on a book: "'In the Time of the Butterflies' by Julia Alvarez, based on a true story. The book is one of my favorites. When I read it, I couldn't put it down. I laughed, cried, and cheered for the Mirabal sisters."
Favorite scene/quote: "Both in the book and in the movie, the scene that I always remember is the one where Minerva Mirabal graduates from law school. At the time, women were not allowed to attend law school yet she was granted permission by President Trujillo. On the day of the graduation, she does not get the diploma from Trujillo as he states that he allowed her to attend law school but that did not mean she could practice law."
Why it's a must read/must watch:"As a Latina woman who earned a doctorate in education, I can relate to the struggle of Minerva Mirabal to earn a higher education degree. Although, we are fortunate enough not to live in a dictatorship, educated Latinas are often faced with a similar predicament. We may be part of a group of professionals considered the elite in education, yet, we are underprivileged within that elite and as result marginalized for being women and Latinas."
Dr. Collado's suggestions for other books by Latinx/Hispanic authors:
Janet García-Levitas, LS Spanish Teacher:
Recommendation for a book: "'La casa de los Espíritus (The House of Spirits)' by Isabel Allende. I strongly recommend the novel and strongly discourage watching the movie, as the movie is pretty bad and does not reflect the novel well.
Favorite quote: "No se puede encontrar a quien no quiere ser encontrado (You can't find someone who doesn't want to be found)."
Why it's a must read/must watch:"The book tells the story of the Trueba family through four generations, while interweaving the history of Chile throughout their story. It is beautifully written, very interesting and a definite page turner."
Señora García-Levitas'suggestions for other books by Latinx/Hispanic authors:
Maria Sanchez-Gardner '71, Director of Alumni Relations:
Recommendation for movie based on a book:"Almost a Woman" based on the book "When I was Puerto Rican" by Esmeralda Santiago.
Favorite quote: "In the 21 years that I lived with my mother, we moved 23 times. Each time I packed my belongings, I left a little of myself in the rooms that sheltered me, never home, always just the places I lived. I congratulated myself on how easy it was to leave them, how well I packed everything I owned into a couple of boxes and suitcases.”
Why it's a must read/must watch: "It's an excellent coming of age memoir. The story reached me."
Maria Sanchez-Gardner's suggestions for books by Latinx/Hispanic authors:
Daniel Carragher, Chair, Human Development Department:
Recommendation for a book: "Aristotle and Dante Discover the Secrets of the Universe" byBenjamin Alire Sáenz.
Favorite part: "Too many favorite parts of the book... and don't want to spoil anything... but I did like how the boys learn to talk about themselves to each other and then with their families... and how their honesty about each other (and their love) allows other members of their family to share certain truths."
Why it's a must read: "It's a sweet love story about two Latinx teenage boys. Unlike other queer novels, here, the couple's story isn't implied, but deeply explored."
Dr. Carragher's suggestions for other books by Latinx/Hispanic authors:
Jose Miguel Moracho, MS Spanish teacher
Recommendation for movie based on a book: "Man of La Mancha" based on the book "The Adventures of Don Quixote de la Mancha" by Miguel de Cervantes.
Favorite quote: "Ladran, luego cabalgamos. (They are barking, -complaining- so we are in the right direction)."
Why it's a must read: "(The book) is based on the most famous book of Spanish literature."
Sr. Moracho's suggestions for other books by Latinx/Hispanic authors: "I mostly read new Spanish authors: Arturo Perez Reverte, Javier Marias, Rosa Montero."
Here's a sampling of a few books:
You can access the books mentioned in the post by downloading the Sora or Overdrive app to your phone, tablet, or e-reader. Access the collection through a web browser here. Don't see what you like? Send us an email and we'll pull the book for you.
If you have recommendations for must watch movies or great books that commemorate the spirit of this month, email us and let us know!
Middle school students came to the Imperatore Library on Monday, March 2 to participate in our first ever Wind Tunnel Design Workshop. In this design challenge, students were encouraged to figure out a way to sustain a flying object in the wind tunnel. They used trial as error as they explored various design issues related to aerodynamics, and were able to come up with several creative ideas.
See some of the experimentation results in the video below.
If you have an idea for a future maker event in the library, let Mrs. Shaurette, Mr. Petkus, or Mrs. Larionoff know.
The library hosted our 3rd annual Sphero Challenge for Computer Science Education Week. In order to score points, students programmed robotic Sphero balls to preform various maneuvers using block coding. Two different challenges were set up: the simple "Figure Eight" challenge worth 25 points and the tough "Maze" challenge worth a potential 200 points, which could combine to a total of 225 points. Students from both the middle and upper school participated, with the winners of the challenge spending several hours perfecting their program. Congratulations to the top prize winners - Luca in the upper school and Miles in the middle school! Check out some photos and a video of some of the action below.
Soham, Asher, Matt, Musashi, and Jonah all watch the program run with anticipation.
Luca follows the Sphero through the maze.
Orli tests out how the Sphero operates over the ramps.
Nick measures the distance to help a friend make his code more precise.
Jonah, Musashi, and Soham start with the simple challenge.
Stasiu double checks his code before testing his program out again.
