Today our grade 8 students participated in an OJCS Library workshop focused on technology use, their digital habits, and finding a healthy balance in an increasingly connected world. We began by exploring the idea of tech addiction: what it means, how it can develop, and why so many people (teens and adults alike) find it … Continue reading Talking About Tech Addiction and Addictive Design with Grade 8
This week our Grade 7 students participated in a Common Sense Education research skills workshop in the library focused on finding reliable information online. With so much information available on the internet, it’s more important than ever for students to learn how to identify trustworthy sources and avoid misinformation. During the workshop, students explored a … Continue reading Becoming Smart Online Researchers: Grade 7 Learns the Power of Lateral Reading
Today our Grade 5 students participated in a lesson about stereotypes; what they are, how they form, and how we can actively avoid stereotypical thinking in our daily lives. To begin, we explored just how easy it is to make quick assumptions by playing an interactive game. I would call out a prompt such as, … Continue reading Challenging Stereotypes: Thinking Beyond Labels in Grade 5
Grade 1 Learns Internet Safety Through Play Today, our Grade 1 students enjoyed a fun and engaging library workshop focused on an important topic: internet safety. Using the familiar game Red Light, Green Light, students learned how to make safe choices when they are online. This interactive workshop is part of the Common Sense Education … Continue reading Red Light, Green Light – Learning About Internet Safety
Dear Families, Get ready—the Scholastic Book Fair is coming to the OJCS! And just on time for Hanukkah! This is a great opportunity to connect with your child over the thrill of bringing home new books to dive into again and again. Studies show that kids read more when they choose books for themselves. Here’s everything … Continue reading The OJCS Scholastic Book Fair is Next Week!
On November 20th, the OJCS will welcome two fabulous Jewish authors who will be speaking with our grades 4-8 students about their various works. Grade 6-8 will get a presentation by author Rona Arato from 11:05 until 12:05 in the library. Our middle school students have been reading her book ‘The Last Train: A Holocaust … Continue reading Authors Day for Grades 4 through 8
Over the past few weeks, our middle schoolers have been visiting the library for a workshop on AI Chatbots. In this Common Sense Education lesson, our students learn about how these Chatbots are designed, why they are made to sound human-like, and the issues that can arise from developing personal relationships with Chatbots. This topic … Continue reading Middle School Workshop on AI Chatbots
Today, grade 4 got a library workshop on the topic of caring for their new classroom laptops. Common Sense Education has a wonderful lesson on this topic. Our students designed their own emojis to demonstrate some device care tips. This is a great topic to discuss as a family too. Feel free to download this … Continue reading Caring for Our New Devices – Grade 4
When I first started at the OJCS many many years ago, there was a completely different admin team and sadly, no commitment to the library at all. I had no budget at that time and had to rely on donations, there was no scheduled library time for classes, and I was told that I could … Continue reading Thank You For Your Commitment to Literacy…and New Wave
It can be tough to get our sometimes reluctant tweens and teens reading and off of their devices, but this list is sure to pique their interest. This list includes everything from horror to romance, addictive series, biographies on their heroes, and graphic novels and manga. Make sure to stock up on a few books … Continue reading Great Reads for Summer 2025 – Middle School