Diversity Bookbags
Information Packet for Teachers
We are excited to begin circulating the
Diversity Bookbags for the 2002-2003 school year! Each class will
receive one bag containing three to four books and other materials
such as recipes, games, and audiotapes. In addition, the bookbags
will contain: response journals, parent feedback forms, activity
choices, and list of contents.
Introducing the Bookbags
There will be a notice distributed to announce
the start of the program. Please familiarize yourself with the
contents of your bag so that you can present it to your
class.
Circulating the Bookbags
Teachers are asked to send the bookbags home on
Thursday to be returned to school the following Tuesday. Although we
ask all teachers to follow the Thursday to Tuesday schedule, there
are a variety of ways that teachers may schedule the rotation of the
bags throughout the year. (The bookbags will not be circulated
through the library.) The following are some suggestions to
consider:
- Parents sign up for their week , possibly
at parent-teacher conference.
- Teachers create a schedule for the year and
distribute it to parents.
- Teachers randomly choose one student each
week to take the bookbag home.
Maintaining the Bookbags
When the bags come back to school on Tuesday,
there are a few quick things that need to be done:
- 1) The bags need to be checked to ensure
that all contents are returned. This can be done a number of
ways:
- Teachers take on this responsibility
themselves.
- Room parents are asked to check the bag
between each rotation.
- One or two students check bags as their
classroom job for the week.
- Fifth grade student volunteers check bags
in younger grades at a designated time each week.
- 2) If a book or other item is missing from
the bag, please use the attached form to send home to the family.
If an item is lost or damaged, please inform
_______________.
- 3) Check to see whether the parent has
filled out a parent feedback form. If so, please put it in the
librarian's box.
Sharing the Bookbags in the
Classroom
Ideally, each time a student returns the
bookbag, he/she should be given the opportunity to share a part of
his/her experience with the bookbag. This could be done at morning
meeting or sharing time and could entail:
- showing the class a favorite poem,
illustration, or event from a book.
- telling about an activity he/she
enjoyed.
- sharing their own comments or drawings in
the response journal.