MVRHS Library

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The library is phone-free. Here’s how it works.

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The Library is Phone-Free

This year, we are implementing a new system called Yondr. Yondr is used by artists, schools, organizations, and individuals to create phone-free spaces.  Here’s how it works:

yondr-steps

We’re using Yondr to eliminate cell-phone distraction, and help us concentrate, focus, read, relax and be here.  Even though it’s a school rule to put phones away, we all know how difficult, sometimes almost seemingly impossible, it is to resist the urge to check our phones.  Yondr will help.

FAQ’s

What if my Mom or Dad wants to reach me?
The school asks parents to refrain from contacting you during the school day unless it is an emergency. They can contact the main office at (508) 693-1033 to reach you.

What if there is an emergency?
In case of an emergency, we direct our students to safety first. We will be able to unlock a Yondr case in a matter of seconds for you once you are in a safe and secure location.

 

Accessing and Using Noodletools

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With the announcement that EasyBib EDU would be discontinued in August 2018, we needed to find another citation tool.  Noodletools has been around about as long as EasyBib and is a great alternative. Like Easybib, you can cite in any format (MLA, APA, Chicago), and you can take notes by creating notecards and outlines. Plus, it is fully integrated with Google Docs. Students and staff can access Noodletools with their school Google account by any of the following ways:
  • Clicking “Login” on Noodletools.com and then “Sign in with Google”,
  • Finding Noodletools under the Google ‘waffle’ menu at the top right (gsuite-waffle-menu-icon) when logged into MVRHS G-Suite, or
  • Using this direct login link (also found by clicking on Research in the menu above).
More detail and support about accessing NoodleTools through Google is here. NoodleTools works by first creating a project.  Projects may be shared with other students and the teacher.  Within the project, sources can be automatically or manually cited.  There is a notecard tool included that provides templates for taking notes and annotating sources, as well as organizing them. There are several other great features, including tools for monitoring and commenting on student progress and evaluating the balance of sources.  Overall, it’s a fantastic guide through the research process. Check out these how-to guides for help.

Over Yondr in the Library

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We’re introducing Yondr in the library 2018-19. Yondr is a system used by schools, business, artists, and organizations to create phone-free spaces.  Our goal is to simplify and facilitate our default rule at MVRHS: to put mobile devices away. The library will be a space that is a haven from hyperconnectivity, to better allow you to focus. Yondr is currently used across the world in hundreds of classrooms and schools, at concerts, comedy shows, weddings and special events of all kinds. The goal of these spaces is to encourage people to engage with each other and their surroundings.
>> Info for Parents about Yondr
Here’s how it works:  when you arrive on your own (for example, from Learning Centers), check in at the desk, just like we’ve always done.  As part of the check-in, we will ask you to shut off all mobile devices and place them in a Yondr pouch, which locks the device(s) inside.  You keep the Yondr pouch with you until the end of the period.  At that point, you’ll unlock the pouch at the desk and go on your way to your next class. (Use of devices by students visiting the library with their class continues to be up to the discretion of the teacher(s).) More about Yondr here.
Yondr allows us to open more possibilities for teaching and learning.  We are continuing to expand possibilities for learning spaces, from the innovation lab (with green screen, video editing, and audio editing capability), to group learning spaces (adjustable with multiple tech configurations, and glass boards, whiteboards, and projection options), to individual quiet areas (study carrels, comfortable seating), and large group instruction (LCR and main room for larger performance setups) that all can be adjusted according to need.  

Access The New York Times at MVRHS

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New York Times LogoThanks to our participation in a K-12 Sponsorship Program, we now have free online access to The New York Times from any device in MVRHS!  Whenever you’re at school, just go to nytimes.com and access the entire site.  No passwords or login is required. However, if you want to register for an account, you’ll then be able to build your own digital library of NYT content, by saving articles which you can access later even if you’re at home.

In addition to news articles, The New York Times also provides the following popular tools and resources :

  • The Learning Network (A daily resource for teaching & learning targeting K-12 students, educators, and parents. Includes unlimited lesson plans, ESL & ELL activities, questions for writing and discussion, weekly news quizzes, monthly contests, etc.)
  • The UpShot
  • Video Channels (spanning all content areas)
  • Alerts (sign up for emails when articles are published that match selected topics/keywords)
  • Most Popular (what articles Times readers are reading, sharing, and searching for the most)
  • Recommendations (based on what you’re recently reading, article suggestions to dig deeper)
  • Email Subscriptions (daily/weekly newsletters, important headlines, breaking news events, etc.)
  • The New York Times Espanol

There is limited access to The Restricted Archives (1923-1980) but unlimited access to all content from 1851-1922 and 1981-Present Day.

 

Recommended Summer Reading by Mr. Wilson’s 9th Grade Classes

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Here are the books chosen and presented by students in Mr. Wilson’s 9th Grade English Classes at the annual book fair in the library!  Click on the links to read about the book.

Looking for Alaska by John Green | Recommended by Emma Woods

We are the Ants by Shaun Hutchinson | Recommended by Gabby Carr

The Odyssey by Homer | Recommended by Medeline Chronister

Collapsing Empire by John Scalzi | Recommended by Sydney Brown

The Secret Life of Bees by Sue Monk Kidd | Recommended by Hope Bettencourt

Turtles All The Way Down by John Green | Recommended by Kaya Seiman

Girl, Interrupted by Susanna Kaysen | Recommended by Michaela Benefit

Shoes for Anthony by Emma Kennedy | Recommended by Danielle Oteri

My Sister’s Keeper by Jodi Picoult | Recommended by Becket Wadleigh

A Dog’s Purpose by W. Bruce Cameron | Recommended by Kylie Estrella

The Fault in Our Stars by John Green | Recommended by Desiree London

Tyler Johnson Was Here by Jay Coles | Recommended by Menasha Leport

The Siren by Kiera Cass | Recommended by Emily Anderson

We Were Liars  by E. Lockhart | Recommended by Ashtyn Watts

Bear Town by Fredrik Backman | Recommended by Colleen Carroll

The Heir by Kiera Cass | Recommended by Ana Ribeiro

This is Where it Ends by Marieke Nijkamp | Recommended by Ellie Dolby

Foul Trouble by John Feinstein | Recommended by Josh Billings

Blood and Ink by Stephen Davies | Recommended by Nicholas DePaula

Hunger by Donna Jo Napoli | Recommended by David Butkowski

Be More Chill by Ned Vizzini | Recommended by Erick Miller

Man’s Search for Meaning by Viktor Frankl | Recommended by Tatum Carreiro

And Then There Were None by Agatha Christie | Recommended by Hannah Best

Wonder by RJ Palacio | Recommended by Kate Howell

An Abundance of Katherines by John Green | Recommended by Brandon Pinelli

Sarah’s Key by Tatiana DeRosnay | Recommended by Sydney Bierman

Heir to the Empire by Timothy Zahn | Recommended by Margaret Sykes

Go Ask Alice by Anonymous | Recommended by Ava Maggi

Looking for Alaska by John Green | Recommended by Maria Uhry

Orr: My Story by Bobby Orr | Recommended by Ava Ben David

The Girl Who Fell From the Sky by Heidi Durrow | Recommended by Stella Napior

The Lord of the Flies by William Golding | Recommended by Chloe Combra

Martian by Andy Weir | Recommended by Leo Neville

The Hobbit by J.R.R. Tolkien | Recommended by Keaton Aliberti

Looking for Alaska by John Green | Recommended by Alyssa Strelecki

The Lovely Bones  by Alice Sebold | Recommended by Lydia Carlos

Sailing Alone Around the World by Joshua Slocum | Recommended by Felix Colon

Into Thin Air by Jon Krakauer | Recommended by Owen Metell

Be More Chill by Ned Vizzini | Recommended by Andrew Marchand

The Glass Castle by Jeanette Walls | Recommended by Annabelle Thomas

Simon vs. The Homo Sapiens Agenda by Becky Albertalli | Recommended by Izabella Morris

The Red Bandanna by Tom Rinaldi | Recommended by Pete Gillis

Dead End in Norvelt by Jack Gantos | Recommended by Aden Ross

All the Light We Cannot See  by Anthony Doerr | Recommended by Jorrien Ahren

The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-time by Hark Haddon | Recommended by Max Potter

Unbroken by Laura Hillenbrand | Recommended by Nate Porterfield

Band of Brothers by Stephen Ambrose | Recommended by Ethan Creato

The Hobbit by J.R.R. Tolkien | Recommended by Brooks Carroll

Speak by Laurie Halse Anderson | Recommended by Gabrielle Viera

How to Love by Katie Cotugno | Recommended by Brandyeni Ferreira

Cruel Crown by Victoria Aveyard | Recommended by Marina Nunes

The Hobbit by J.R.R. Tolkien | Recommended by Eli Gundersen

Thunderhead by Neal Shusterman | Recommended by Bella Thorpe

Crazy Messy Beautiful by Carrie Arcos | Recommended by Anna Luiza Rodrigues

Into Thin Air by Jon Krakauer | Recommended by Charlotte Packer

The Operator : Firing the Shots that Killed Osama bin Laden by Robert O’Neill | Recommended by Zach Ward

The Lord of the Flies by William Golding | Recommended by Vitor Lage

Fever 1793 by Laurie Halse Anderson | Recommended by Owen Steenkamp

The Autobiography of Gucci Mane by Gucci Mane | Recommended by Parker BenDavid