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Welcome Back!

8/31/2012

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We are so excited to be back for the 2012-2013 school year! As we begin our seventh year, we would like to remind you of some of the services we regularly provide that you may need for a great start to the school year.

-          Calculator permission forms are available on this website and in the library. Permission will need to be signed by a parent or guardian and returned to the library for a student to check out a calculator. Starting this year, once a permission form is received, students will be able to keep the calculator until they graduate! We may need to collect calculators before state testing but they will be reissued to the student the following week.

-          Fall required reading is available for sale here in the library. You can find all the information about the books under the “Required Reads” tab on this website. We accept cash and checks.

-          You can access our digital library using the “Overdrive” tab on this website.

-          All educational databases are also available under the “Databases” tab.

-          We always welcome gently used books and magazines. If you have a student who no longer needs their required reading from a previous year, we welcome copies to share with our disadvantaged population.

 

As always, we strive to provide a safe, educational and nurturing environment for students. If you have any suggestions on how we can serve the Boyd community better, please email or visit any time.

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Are We There Yet?

8/1/2012

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You know that question that your child asks, 45 minutes into your 12 hour summer vacation drive? You know the one..."Are we there yet?" Taking children on long car trips can test your patience and dampen the spirits of everyone involved. We found a simple solution to this problem with a visit to the McKinney Public Library before the trip. My 16 year old son and I were scheduled to drive to Florida together and keeping a teenage boy cramped up in a car for 16 hours was a daunting task. Before the trip, I decided to check out a book on CD at the library. I found a recently released story for young adults called "Ready Player One" by Earnest Cline and decided to give it a try. We started the CDs as soon as we hit I-20...16 hours later, we were about 10 minutes from the end of the story when we arrived at our Florida destination. My son made me drive around the block a few times so that we could finish it! Rarely does a book provide an interesting story line for both teen and adult. This story is about an 18 year old boy, maneuvering his way through a futuristic world where almost every aspect of life is conducted online, through a personal avatar that you create. This is not what led me to choose this book. The part that caught my attention and gave me 16 hours of entertainment, were continual references to the '80's created in the mind of a mad genius who created the video game in which this boy lived and worked. This book turned out to be a fantastic distraction and actually made it difficult to want to stop for breaks on the road! Next time you have a long car ride planned, choose a book on CD to share with your family. The right story can turn a long, boring car trip into a memorable experience!

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SPCA Donations Needed!

5/4/2012

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The Boyd Library is happy to partner with the SPCA of Texas, by providing a collection box in the library to gather MUCH NEEDED donations. Our community has a very nice SPCA and if you haven’t been there for a visit recently, you should check it out. They allow families to come in and visit with the animals, spend time with them in special rooms and volunteer for the center. If you can’t take a pet home, you can still help by donating items, including things that you might normally throw away. The list includes:

-          Large bath towels
-          Toilet paper or empty rolls
-          Paper towels or empty rolls
-          Old CDs with soothing music
-          Baby Wipes
-          Trash Bags
-          Pet Toys
-          Pet shampoo
-          Hand Sanitizer
-          Hand Soap
-          Liquid Laundry Detergent
-          Cat and Dog Food
-          Q-Tips
-          Cotton Balls
-          Rubbing Alcohol

For a complete list of needs, visit the SPCA website by clicking HERE.

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Sibling Broncos!

4/24/2012

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There is a welcome addition to the halls of Boyd this morning. A trophy case has been added in the rotunda and the first display is being planned. The case will showcase the history of Boyd and almost six full years of accolades and tradition. As we contemplate this display, we are reminded of the families that have grown up in our school. Six years ago, we may have had older brother and now little sister is a junior and baby brother, a freshman. We have triplets, brothers, sisters and even cousins in our school! The staff at Boyd is its own large family and we can’t wait to get to know yours!

 

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“Pendragon” Author DJ MacHale Visits Boyd

4/16/2012

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“Pendragon” Author DJ MacHale Visits Boyd

For the second time this month, the Boyd library was chosen by A Real Bookstore to receive a visit from a national author. DJ MacHale is the author of numerous children’s books including the popular series “Pendragon”. He spoke to the students about his journey into writing and reminded them that any creative endeavor is challenging. With persistence, Mr. MacHale has found success doing what he loves. As a natural born storyteller, he did a wonderful job educating the classes on what it feels like to be an author. We hope to host more authors in the future!

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Scavenger Hunt

4/10/2012

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While working one afternoon, we noticed streaks of red flying by the circulation desk. When we looked up, there were 9 or 10 sweaty boys in red tee shirts, rushing for the book section that contains sports books. Everyone knows there is no running in school but this was an exception. These boys were running all over the Boyd campus trying to locate clues hidden in different rooms, parking lots, halls and gyms.

For the past few years, wrestling coach, David Clayton has been using scavenger hunts to bring his team together. The activities force the boys to work as a team and at the end of a hunt the boys realize that they have gotten a serious workout. The scavenger hunt includes clues like “Find the staircase that overlooks the south 40”. Translation - look for the band’s spiral staircase in the middle of the south parking lot and take a photo with your cell phone. The first team to photograph all the clues is the winner.

This year alone, we have had wrestling, soccer, softball, football and volleyball players participating in scavenger hunts during the day. We enjoy watching these hard working athletes work together as they battle it out between our bookshelves!

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Winner of the "Flat Bronco" Contest

4/2/2012

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Over spring break, we sponsored a contest to take our Boyd Bronco on an adventure. We had many entries but the unanimous winner was Reed Kirkman who took Flat Bronco with him to a Revolutionary War re-enactment! Reed won dinner at Texas Roadhouse. Look for Flat Bronco to return in the future, eager for new adventures.




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The Secret Drawer Society

3/6/2012

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Over the last four years, there has been a special group of students meeting in the library each week. We have watched this dedicated group as they sit around a table discussing issues that affect teens while trying to find ways to help their peers cope with the pressures that high school can bring. The group is called The Secret Drawer Society and began back in 2008. Former Boyd student Mariah Cowley was sitting in one of our big black chairs when she curiously opened a small drawer in the table next to the chair. Inside was an inspirational letter from an anonymous writer, discussing the difficulties of high school and some of the challenges that particular student was facing. The letter went on to express hope and eventual resolution to the problems mentioned. Mariah was so moved and inspired that she decided to add her own letter to the drawer. Over the next few weeks more letters would appear, each offering inspiration and positive thoughts, all from anonymous writers. After meeting with a friend, Mariah and Erica Williams decided to start a club to discuss the letters and see if there were students just like them who would be interested in the concerns of Boyd teens. Together with another former student, Cale Sears, they named the club The Secret Drawer Society and four years later, the group is going strong. Current student organizer Gabby Vannozzi keeps the club active while planning community service projects for the club members. The Secret Drawer Society recently completed a teddy bear drive to benefit Children’s Medical Center.
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Enjoli Vincent and Kristin Zodrow deliver donated bears to Children’s Medical Center in Dallas.

Quotes from The Secret Drawer Society:


"Let nothing inhibit you, for nothing ever should." - Anonymous

"Too often we underestimate the power of a touch, a smile, a kind word...all of which have the power to change someone's life." - Anonymous

"Even if you're on the right track, you'll get run over if you just sit there." - Mr. McDaniel 

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Bronco Adventure Contest

3/5/2012

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Come to the library and pick up a Bronco to take on a Spring Break adventure!  Submit a photo of the Bronco on that adventure and enter a drawing to win a gift card to Texas Road House (generously donated by a member of our community). The drawing will be held on Monday, April 2nd.

Photos can be submitted to the library at sfrink@mckinneyisd.net or chowley@mckinneyisd.net. We will post them all to our website at boydlibrary.com.

Have a great Spring Break!
 
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New Books Arrived This Week!!

2/21/2012

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It is like a holiday around here when books arrive to add to our collection! The boxes show up and it feels like Christmas as we delve into the new titles and prepare them for the shelves. This past Monday, we received a shipment that contains some really interesting titles. After a quick review of the new books, here are some great new choices available for checkout in the Boyd library.

Small As An Elephant – Jack is forced on an adventure when he wakes up in a tent in Maine, his mom is gone and he is all alone. Can he find his way back to Boston before the authorities realize what happened? With nothing but a small toy elephant to keep him company, Jack begins the long journey south, a journey that will test his wits and his loyalties.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EKgG3b0XDD0

Clockwork Print – The recent installment of The Mortal Instruments series. As the Council attempts to strip Charlotte of her power, sixteen-year-old orphaned shapechanger Tessa Gray works with the London Shadowhunters to find the Magister and destroy his clockwork army, learning the secret of her own identity while investigating his past.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GvNQ2xLWfRI

How They Croaked – The demises of nineteen famous people, beginning with King Tut and ending with Albert Einstein, are recounted in gory detail.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HqlPxf91ORw

Flip – Sixteen-year-old Alex awakens to find that six months have gone by and he seems to be living in another boy's body, and as Alex tries to figure out what happened, he wonders if he will ever be able to return to the life he once knew.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eNcymh2QnwE

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