Our last blog for the school year! There is so much to talk about and so little time. Let’s start with celebrating National AAPI Heritage month. AAPI stands for Asian American and Pacific Islander Heritage Month. Did you know that today, there are more than 300,000 Asian-American, Native Hawaiian, and Pacific Islander American veterans living in our country. The AAPI community has shaped a great deal of American History and has faced it’s share of racism and prejudice. Learn more about AAPI history this month with these resources:
Asian Pacific American Heritage Month Government Site
Granada Relocation center (Japanese Internment Camp during World War II)
Amache Remembered (Granada Internment Camp)
Asian Pacific Americans in Defense of Our Nation (DoD website)
May 19th, Culinasia: The Future of Asian Food in America-Hosted by the Smithsonian Institution. Registration Required: Link
May 19th, Japanese American Influence in Appalachian Spring-Hosted by the Library of Congress. Link
May 20th, Youth in Action: Ecological Knowledge in Pacific Coastal Communities- Hosted by the National Museum of the American Indian
Summer Reading Challenges
Remember that starting June 1st, the OMS Summer Challenge and JCPL Summer Challenge begin. Last summer, Oberon won the school contest for middle schoolers and we want to compete and win again! Oberon received $800 which we used to rebuild our Comic Graphic Novels section and purchase books students requested.
Details For both Challenges are below. Remember- participate in both and earn prizes in both. 2x the prizes for half the work.
OMS Summer Challenge Guidelines and Challenge Form
JCPL Summer Challenge Program Information
JCPL Teen Book Talks:https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=me5_yUPWDR0&t=24s
JCPL has other summer programming you might be interested in:
Are you an aspiring author? Do you want to win an iPad this summer? Jeffco Public Library is hosting a writing contest for teens going into middle school or high school in the fall of 2021. Entries of fictional prose of 5,000 words or less will be accepted June 1 to July 31st through our website: jeffcolibrary.org. Prizes will be awarded in two categories, one for middle and one for high school participants. The top 5 entries will be reviewed by a published young adult author. Winners will be announced on August 23rd. See attached document for the rules and judging rubric.
1st Prize in each category – iPad
2nd Prize in each category – Aspiring writer gift basket
More information will be posted to the library website on May 15th. Save the date for a chat with the authors who will be judging the entries
Chat with a Young Adult Author - virtual
Are you an aspiring author? Do you love to read? Join in this virtual event to meet some local authors who write for teens. This panel discussion will include a brief presentation by each author and then plenty of time for questions and answers. Some authors include: Sandhya Menon, Laura Resau, Denise Vega, Jennifer Bertman, Emily Littlejohn, Megan E. Freeman, M.J. Evans, Olivia Chadha and more.
June 29th and July 21st from 6:00 – 7:30 p.m.
Registration coming soon!
Take a Walk on the Wild Side!
Head out on a hike with a Jefferson County Open Space Ranger to discover and learn about intriguing and treacherous aspects of North Table Mountain, and the Jefferson County foothills. Dangers could be lurking around every corner of the park; but not to worry, the ranger will point out the perils and teach you how to avoid them. (Hint: rattlesnakes.)
North Table Mountain Park – June 8th 6:30 p.m.
Reynolds Park – July 14th 10:00 a.m.
West Mount Falcon Park – 2:00 p.m.
Wilderness Survival
You’ve probably heard the stories: People stranded or lost in the wilderness, and how they made it. Get the scoop from the Colorado Mountain Club on the basics of surviving an unplanned stay in a backcountry emergency. This workshop is intended to increase skills and self-confidence to improve your odds of survival, whether alone or with others.
Belmar Library, June 10th 10:00–11:00 a.m.
Columbine Library, June 21st 7:00-8:00 p.m.
Edgewater Library, July 6th 6:30-7:30 p.m.
Standley Lake Library, July 17th 4:00-5:00 p.m.
Chaos Control – Become a Dungeons and Dragons Game Master - Virtual
Do you have what it takes to craft a world and guide your friends through an adventure? Find out in this four-week series of workshops! Teens ages 12-18 will learn the art of game mastery and the skills needed to become a Dungeons and Dragons Game Master. Dungeons and Dragons is a fantasy role-playing game where a Game Master leads the players through an adventure. No previous experience is required (though some time as a player may be helpful). Registration is for all four sessions as each one will build on the previous session.
Date: Fridays in June from 2:00-4:30 p.m.
Dungeons and Dragons for Beginners - Virtual
Do you love epic fantasy adventure? Dungeons and Dragons is a table top role playing fantasy game where a roll of the dice can change your future. If you have never played before or are a brand new to questing come roll initiative with other new adventurers! Suitable for ages 12-18. This is a month-long quest, meeting each Saturday. Registration is required and is for all sessions.
Saturdays in June and July from 1:00 – 2:30 p.m.
Dungeons and Dragons for Advanced Players - Virtual
Do you love epic fantasy adventure? Dungeons and Dragons is a table top role playing fantasy game where a roll of the dice can change your future. If you have some experience questing come roll initiative with other new adventurers! Suitable for ages 12-18. This is a month-long quest, meeting each Saturday. Registration is required and is for all sessions.
Saturdays in June and July from 3:30 – 5:00 p.m
Wild Ideas Cooking - Virtual
Join Jeffco Library and Sticky Fingers Cooking, a roaming cooking school that teaches teens cooking basics. Prep wildly delicious dishes using ingredients found in your own kitchen that reflect the summer season!
- June 8th – 2:00 p.m. – Wild Fresh Summer Vegetable Spring Rolls
- June 19th – 2:00 p.m. - Go Wild! Create-Your-Own Scones
- June 30th – 2:00 p.m. – Wild Fresh Summer Vegetable Spring Rolls
- July 8th – 2:00 p.m. - Go Wild! Create-Your-Own Scones
- July 16th – 2:00 p.m. – Wild Fresh Summer Vegetable Spring Roll
- July 24th - 2:00 p.m. - Go Wild! Create-Your-Own Scones
Art for Teens - Virtual
Create a painting from your wildest imagination! Paint a picture of your pet, your favorite animal or flower, or something that inspires you! Work virtually alongside our presenter who will offer suggestions and some coaching, but most importantly, have fun and express your artistic side! Canvasses, some paint brushes, and limited paint provided by JCPL upon registration.
- June 4th – 2:00 p.m.
- June 16th – 7:00 p.m.
- July 7th – 2:00 p.m.
- July 30th – 7:00 p.m.
Learn computer programming, improve your creative problem solving and have fun at this week-long camp where we use click and drag programming such as Scratch to explore the basics of computer programming and the skills needed to pursue a career in this expanding field. Students will prepare a final project by the end of camp. No experience necessary! This camp is for ages 10-13. Registration is required for the entire series.
- June 7th to June 11th. 9:00 – 10:30 a.m.
- June 21st to June 25th 10:00 – 11:30 a.m.
Learn computer programming, improve your creative problem solving and have fun at this week long camp where we use Python to explore the basics of computer programming and the skills needed to pursue a career in this expanding field. Students will prepare simple project by the end of camp. This camp is open to students ages 13-18. No experience in coding necessary! Typing skills a must. Registration is required for the entire series.July 19th to July 23rd 10:00 – 11:30 a.m.
Podcasts to Listen To
If you are looking for some interesting listening, here are several podcasts just for you.
Check the podcasts out and see if you learn anything new.
Your Future Self
We made it! With just a couple more weeks of school, you should pat yourself on the back for going to school in the middle of a history-making world-wide pandemic. We’ve implemented a lot of healthy measures and habits which have kept us safe here at Oberon MS. As we reflect over the last year, think about the things you’ve experienced or changed in your life that you want to continue moving forward. Also, identify some things in your life you realize maybe aren’t serving the same purpose they were before and make a choice to decrease them or get rid of those things all together.
One activity you can do to help guide this process for you is writing a letter to your future self. You can use this document to give you some ideas about what to write. It may also help you decide what things you want to continue to have in your life and others you don’t. Additionally, if you want to start a ripple of kindness that has no end, please use these “Tag! You’re It!” cards to pass along kindness. Speaking of kindness, watch this video to check out ways you can continue to be mindful of the importance of kindness all summer long.
Also check out this word search and see if you can find your name!
The Hate You Give by Angie Thomas: ** YA Material. Strong language, violence. Starr Carter lives a double life. She attends a mostly white school with uniforms and a better education than her neighborhood school can afford. She also lives in a neighborhood filled with drug dealers, neighborhood markets, and family. Starr's dual existence is thrust into the spotlight after a party goes awry. Starr's friend Kahlil rushes her out of a situation and drives her home. On their way, a white police officer pulls them over. The random traffic stop turns violent, and Kahlil ends up dead with Starr as the only witness to what happened. As Starr's family tried to protect her, she begins to find her voice. A powerful, insigthful look into the current state of our country through the eyes of a young, black, woman.
Simon Vs. The Homo Sapien's Agenda by Becky Albertalli
Shout by Laurie Halse Anderson
Pure Water: Poetry of Rumi
