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Welcome to the Matthew Hunyadi Media Center! Our media center at Daniels Farm School was named after a former principal of DFS. Mr. Hunyadi was principal at DFS for 35 years before retiring in 1993. At the media center we strive to make learning fun, meaningful, and interesting. |
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The media center is open during school hours. Students at each grade level are allowed to take out a certain amount of books. Kindergarten students are allowed to take out 1 book. Grade 1 students are also allowed to take out 1 book. In January, students in Grade 1 are allowed to take out 2 books. Grade 2 students are allowed to take out 2 books. Students in Grade 3 are allowed to take out 3 items. These items can be books, videos, and/or a magazine. Students in Grades 4 and 5 are allowed to take out 4 items. All items may be kept for two weeks. The only exception is the videos. They are only taken for overnight and need to be returned in the morning. Once a month students are asked to bring in any overdue books. During that week classes try very hard to get all their overdue books in. Their reward is having their class announced on the loud speaker and a dolphin sticker placed on their class dolphin in front of the media center. Stop by and see how your child's class is doing. Students who lose a book are given a letter that is taken home. This letter states the name of the book and the price. In this way, you can help your child find the book. Monies are used to purchase new books. If a books is found after it is paid for, I will refund your money so long as the book is in good shape. Don't forget to help your child by reminding him of library day or putting the book(s) in his/her backpack. |
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The Trumbull Library has a website that is very interesting and loaded with great information for children and adults. Students will want to go to the Children's Corner. A lot of interesting features for the students to read. One excellent source of information is elibrary. This is a database that students can use for all types of research projects. Go to the Trumbull Library website and don't forget to try the elibrary. The website is : Trumbull Public Library - Children's Services |
BIRTHDAY BOOKS
If you would like to buy a book in honor of your child's birthday, stop by the media center. I have a group of books that you may choose from.. A special book plate will be placed in the inside front of the book. The book plate will have your child's name in it along with the date and what the occasion is. The book is then presented to your child when his/her class is in the media center. He/she is the first to take the book home to read! So stop by and surprise your child with a birthday book. If you prefer, you may purchase a hard-covered book that your child would like to donate to the media center. Either way your donation is always appreciated and your child will love the idea! |
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The Caldecott Medal was named in honor of nineteenth-century English illustrator Randolph Caldecott. It is awarded annually by the Association for Library Service to Children, a division of the American Library Association, to the artist of the most distinguished American picture book for children. The 2008 Caldecott Medal winner is : The Invention of Hugo Cabret by Brian Selznick.  From an opening shot of the full moon setting over an awakening Paris in 1931, this tale casts a new light on the picture book form. Hugo is a young orphan secretly living in the walls of a train station where he labors to complete a mysterious invention left by his father. In a work of more than 500 pages, the suspenseful text and wordless double-page spreads narrate the tale in turns. Neither words nor pictures alone tell this story, which is filled with intrigue. Black & white pencil illustrations evoke the flickering images of the silent films to which the book pays homage. |
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The Newbery Medal was named for eighteenth-century British bookseller John Newbery. It is awarded annually by the Association for Library Service to Children, a division of the American Library Association, to the author of the most distinguished contribution to American literature for children. The 2008 Newbery Medal winner is Good Masters! Sweet Ladies! Voices from a Medieval Village by Laura Amy Schlitz.  In “Good Masters! Sweet Ladies! Voices from a Medieval Village,” thirteenth-century England springs to life using 21 dramatic individual narratives that introduce young inhabitants of village and manor; from Hugo, the lord's nephew, to Nelly, the sniggler. Schlitz's elegant monologues and dialogues draw back the curtain on the period, revealing character and relationships, hinting at stories untold. |
 The nominees for the 2009 Connecticut Nutmeg Books have been chosen. These are great books for summer reading! These books can be found in our library, the Trumbull library, and at many bookstores. By clicking on the Nutmeg Awards below you and your child can see the choices. Nutmeg Nominees Previous Winners 1993 My Teacher is an Alien Bruce Coville 1994 Shiloh! Phyllis Reynolds Naylor 1995 The Biggest Klutz in the Fifth Grade Bill Wallace 1996 The Grand Escape Phyllis Reynolds Naylor 1997 Shape-Changer Bill Brittain 1998 The Private Notebook of Katie Roberts Amy Hest 1999 Mick Harte was Here Barbara Park 2000 Million Dollar Shot Dan Gutman 2001 101 Ways to Bug Your Parents Lee Wardlaw 2002 Among the Hidden Margaret Peterson Haddix 2003 Because of Winn Dixie Kate DiCamillo 2004 Babe and Me Dan Gutman 2005 Skelton Man Joseph Bruchac 2006 The City of Ember Jeanne DuPrau 2007 Thunder From The Sea Joan Hiatt Harlow 2008 The Lighting Thief Rick Riordan |
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Grade Four students will be learning and Grade Five students will be reviewing how to use and navigate through a children's magazine database and newspaper. This database is called SIRS. Our subscription allows students to use this database at home. To use this website type http://ars.sirs.com/discoverer.html The username is CT1113H and the Password is 06611 You then click on: Access SIRS Discover Deluxe on the Web. This will help your child with his/her research project or just help them satisfy their curiosity. Don't forget to the elibrary database through the Trumbull Public Library website!! ALSC Great Websites for Kids |
 Books, Magazines, and Newspapers to Read in the DFS Media Center: Current Fiction and Non-Fiction Children's Books Teacher Resource Books Parenting Books Books with Cassette tape Big Books Easy Reader Books Reference Books Student and Teacher Magazines Connecticut Post, USA Today, and Trumbull Times Newspaper Special Curriculum Unit Magazines |
Computers for individual use Computers for small group instruction Computers for large group instruction Computers for library catalog searches Computer software for curriculum-related material CD Roms available for classroom use |
AV EQUIPMENT!
 Cameras - Video, Still, Polaroid, Digital Slide Projectors Letter and Button Maker Book Binding Machine Listening Centers Cassette Tape Recorders and Tapes Overhead Projectors Videos for children to check out Curriculum-related videos for teachers to check out Curriculum-related DVDs for teachers to check out |
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Even though summer is over, sitting down and reading a good book is never over!! If you have trouble finding a good book to read take another look at the grade level summer reading lists and see if there is something you missed reading. You can click on Trumbull Schools below and find your grade level. All the books are great! Enjoy and keep reading! Summer Reading |
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For the month of May and June, Kindergarteners will be doing some special projects. The first big one is a surprise for all Mothers for Mother' Day. The students will also have a project in the computer lab. The Kindergarteners will have a chance to try a few programs at their own computer in the lab. What a great experience this will be. In June will be doing some projects that will round out the end of the year. Have a great summer and don't forget how important reading can be. Read to your child and with your child! Enjoy the summer! |
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May and June are busy and fun months here in the media center. First the children will be creating a project for their moms for Mother's Day. Some of this project will be done in the computer lab. During these months we will start to talk about awarding winning books. Students will have a chance to create their own award and learn why certain books are awarding winning. Students will also have the opportunity to create a story after listening to the book Aunt Isabel Tells A Good One. Of course the good one is a story. How creative we can get! As the year draws to a close please remember to read with and to your child during the summer. This is a habit that is one that should not be forgotten or broken. Enjoy the summer. |
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We just finished our Animal project and the students all loved their pop-up animal books. Students learned a lot about research and how to find information using books and websites. We now finish off second grade with a research project on Famous People. This project is part of the second grade language curriculum on Biographies. The second graders will learn where the biography section of the media center, what biographies are, and then will research a famous person. Students will also create a mask/face of this person. Reading, reading is what we do. Please make sure that your child reads this summer. This is a habit that should not be broken. Have a great summer! |
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May and June are busy months for our third graders. Students will be working on their last research project. This is a Social Studies project about a country. Students will pick a country and research many areas about their country. Students will use books and websites to find all their information. The final product will be a Country Flip Chart that students will create about their country. The students should be learning a lot about various countries. Students have learned various genres this year and have read books in each of these genres. Don't forget to remind your child to read this summer and if time allows maybe read a book with your child. Have a great summer! |
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Students have been learning about their own state--Connecticut. This project is in coordination with their Social Studies Unit on the states. Students are starting to research various aspects of the state and creatively present these facts to their classmates. Students will be creating a postcard brochure for all to see and read. A lot of work, but a lot of knowledge will be gained by the children. During this project the students will be going into the computer lab to visit various state websites to get information that they can use during their project. The students will also use books about the state of Connecticut that are in the media center. Don't forget to remind your child to read this summer. We all know how important reading can be. Have a wonderful summer! |
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Grade Five students have started their last project for fifth grade. A fun and interesting project it is! Students heard Mr. Paul Catanese., a Connecticut author, during Literature Week. Mr. Catanese writes novels that are sequels to traditional and famous fairytales. The students will read various versions of some of these traditional fairytales and create a fairytale poster that will include various poems that the students have created with a little artwork about the fairytale. Students will work with partners to create these posters. Our Fifth Graders will have a chance to share these posters with our Kindergarteners and first graders. It has been a pleasure having many of these fifth graders for six years. I hope everyone will enjoy the love of reading and the love of learning after leaving Daniels Farm School. Good luck to all of our Fifth Graders and have a great summer! |
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This is the first and last time that I will be writing in this spot. I didn't write about me before because I knew most of you knew that I have been at Daniels Farm School for 16 years. When I came to DFS the media center was 2 classrooms. (Mrs. Hunt and Mrs. Conte's rooms) We have come a long way. When the 4th and 5th grade wing was built, so was the media center. I had a very large part in the design of this room. Not many media specialists have the privilege or opportunity to do this. It was a challenge but the Matthew Hunyadi Media Center is one that the children, staff, and parents love. I hope you all agree. I have been in the Trumbull School System for 36 and 1/2 years. I have been a classroom teacher, elementary supervisor, reading consultant, and now a media specialist. All of these jobs have left me with wonderful memories, each in their own special way. Speaking of special, I have met some very special students, teachers, and parents along the way. What other profession can give one such an opportunity. I have also had the opportunity to touch thousands of children's lives. I hope this touch was a meaningful one to all of them. I would like to take this time to tell you that as of June 30, 2008, I will be retiring from the teaching profession. It is a finish to one part of my life but a beginning for many new endeavors. I will have time for my husband, Ed, my dear family,(which includes Thomas), gardening, knitting, cooking, reading(of course) and whatever other activities come along. Thank you for letting me a part of your children's lives. Wishing you all the very best. |
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