Mrs. Rachel McDermott
Librarian
Librarian
Library
My name is Rachel McDermott. I have been working in libraries for most of my adult life, and in the St. Ignatius library since 2017.
The goals of the St. Ignatius Library Program include:
Preschool
The Oregon Battle of the Books is an exciting tournament of reading offered for students in grades 3-8. Students form teams of four members. Among them, they read 16 books pre-selected by the state OBOB committee each year. The teams are asked trivia-style questions about the books in “battles” as they earn points to be named champion. It is a great opportunity for readers to shine and a fun way to engage books with friends!
The goals of the St. Ignatius Library Program include:
- Fostering curiosity and inquiry about the world around us
- Growing life-long readers
- Developing critical thinking
- Introducing information literacy skills for the future
Preschool
- I visit the preschool classroom once per week for thirty minutes to re-stock their classroom library shelves and read a story (or two, or three!)
- Focus is on enjoying a story! Story themes include seasonal celebrations, social-emotional learning, and community building.
- Primary grades visit the library space twice per week for thirty minutes each.
- One class period is spent on library and reading skills, such as identifying story elements, examining character development, and making connections between self and story. Library work supports classroom topics whenever possible. An example of library units at this level include:
- Kindergarten: How Plants Grow
- First grade: Animals in Winter
- Second Grade: Weather and Natural Disasters
- The other class period is check-out day! Primary students enjoy a read aloud story on the rug and are then invited to browse the library for a book to checkout and read quietly.
- Intermediate grades visit the library space twice per week for thirty minutes each.
- One class period is spent on library and reading skills, such as using the library catalog, author studies, and following the research process. Library work supports classroom topics whenever possible. An example of library units at this level include:
- Third Grade: Pacific Northwest Indian Legends
- Fourth Grade: Notable Women Biographical Research
- Fifth Grade: Social Justice Book Report
- The other class period is check-out day! Intermediate students still enjoy a read aloud sometimes, too! Then they are invited to browse the library for a book to checkout and enjoy quiet reading time.
- Middle School grades have library class once per week for 45 minutes. This time is often split between the classroom and the library space.
- In the classroom, middle school students continue to develop their library skills further by engaging deeper critical thinking, using evidence to support claims, and practicing accurate information literacy by citing sources and examining bias. Library work supports classroom topics whenever possible. An example of library units at this level include:
- Sixth Grade: Google Searching and Keywords
- Seventh Grade: Paraphrasing, Quotes, and Citations
- Eighth Grade: Personality and Career Exploration
- In the library space, middle school students are invited to browse the shelves for books to checkout and enjoy quiet reading time.
The Oregon Battle of the Books is an exciting tournament of reading offered for students in grades 3-8. Students form teams of four members. Among them, they read 16 books pre-selected by the state OBOB committee each year. The teams are asked trivia-style questions about the books in “battles” as they earn points to be named champion. It is a great opportunity for readers to shine and a fun way to engage books with friends!