Portland St. Patrick Catholic School

May 13, 2010  Due to the generosity of the friends and family of Curtis Schmitt, Curtis' Corner has expanded in size.  The students and I have been working all year on reorganizing the library to accommodate the new books purchased with Curtis's Corner funds.  Thank you to all who have donated, especailly Mr. and Mrs. Gordon Walkington and Craig and Cathy Schmitt.

During the process of reorganizing, we also created a section for EARLY READERS filled with books labeled to indicate reading level.  The books are categorized first by level then by fiction and nonfiction.  Now, new, struggling, and reticent readers can become more confident in selecting books that suit their reading ability.

I am grateful to all the students who have helped move books and shelving, labeled and organized books, and cleaned the library this past year.  All of the elementary students have been a great help.  In doing so, they have learned a lot about the functions of their library.

My apologies to all who have tried to use the library in its chaotic state.  Thank you for your patience and understanding.

In an ongoing effort to replace, update, and expand the book collection at St. Patrick School, the “Library Christmas Project” was started during the 2004 Christmas season and has been a huge success each year. Many school families and parishioners have donated books in memory or in honor of a grandparent, special friend, or a family member.

Book plates will be available at the bookstore for you to fill out and place in the book. Books can be brought to school and placed under the Christmas tree in the library any time beginning December 3.

In the years since this project began,  hundreds of books have been donated to our library.

• On the top, choose “Gifts and Wish Lists.”  A search box will open on the right side of the screen. 
  
• Type “Portland St. Patrick” in the search box.  A screen with the wish list will appear. 
  
• Once you purchase the books that you would like to donate, Amazon will ship them directly to the school. 
  
• You can also leave a message at checkout that will arrive with the book.  Such messages could include “In Memory of _____” or “Donated by the _____ Family.” 
  
• Remember that you can also donate to the special section of the library called “Curtis’ Corner” in loving memory of Curtis Schmitt.  This section includes an excellent collection of early elementary books and some upper level chapter books.  
• For more information, please call the school (517-647-7551) or e-mail annebennett@portlandstpats.org.