Media Center
Welcome to our Media Center! We are so happy to have you visit our space!
Battle of the Books
The competition is scheduled to take place in January, during the school day, so there are no after-school, evening, or weekend pick-ups required. However, students are required to read their chosen books, which may include time outside of school. Teams must include 3, 4, or 5 students from the same grade level (if possible). Each team will receive 5 books (listed below) so that each student is responsible for reading and becoming an "expert" for their chosen 1 or 2 books. The students will have approximately 8-9 weeks to read their books before the competition. There will be six to eight rounds of competition. The first round will be a written round, with the later rounds set up in play-off style brackets, playing down until we get an overall school winner. The winning team from John F. Kennedy will compete against the other middle school champions within the district on February 27th (tentatively), during the school day at Heritage Grove Middle School.
Book Fairs Here at JFK!
Destiny Discover & Our Catalog
Destiny is new and improved with its newest update Destiny Discover! Destiny Discover is a digital content discovery interface that provides access to our school library by showcasing our titles in a new engaging way. Through Destiny Discover, you can access not only our book collection but also eBooks and audiobooks.
In the meantime, you might see some different icons in our current Destiny search engine. In the image, you can see what these three different icons mean. To access our regular Destiny catalog, you can click on the link below or login to Clever and access the link from there under Middle School Apps.
eBooks & Audiobooks through Boundless
We have some exciting news! Our district has access to eBooks and Audiobooks year-round! ERead Illinois provides this collection which can be accessed through a platform called Boundless. This platform even has a free app that you can download so that you can take your books anywhere and everywhere!
On Boundless, you can check out up to 5 books at a time, for two weeks. You can also place an additional 5 books on hold. At the end of your checkout period, books will automatically return. All you need to do is log in with your school username and password!
Here are some resources to help guide you:
If you are looking to modify your font options, audio options, bookmarking options, etc., then check out the quick guide below to help you.
Beanstack
What is Beanstack?
Beanstack is an exciting new reading app designed to make reading more engaging and fun for students. It can be accessed both on a laptop and a phone, making it convenient to use anywhere and anytime.
Getting Started with Beanstack
Sign in with Clever.
Click “Log Reading” at the top of the page.
Click the timer to time your reading, or keep track of time yourself and input your minutes.
Features of Beanstack
1. Log Reading Minutes
With Beanstack, students can keep track of the time they spend reading. This helps in setting reading goals and monitoring progress over time.
2. Post Book Reviews
Students have the opportunity to share their thoughts and opinions about the books they read by writing and posting reviews. This encourages critical thinking and improves writing skills.
3. Collect Badges
As students achieve different reading milestones, they can earn badges. This gamifies the reading experience, making it more rewarding and motivating.
4. Compete with Others
Beanstack allows students to compete against other teachers and students. This friendly competition can encourage more reading and create a community of readers.
Research Databases
You can access Ebscohost.com and Britannica School in two different ways. You can either log in to your Clever account and click on either of the apps in the District Wide Apps section or you can click on the links below. If login credentials are needed, that information is provided below.
Username: Kennedyms
Password: Falcons
School Access ID: JFKMS
School Passcode: 202
STEM Makerspaces
