Congratulations Sheree Crandall, November Rosen Publishing Ohio School Librarian of the Month 

Sheree is the library media specialist at Portsmouth West Middle School, Washington Nile Local School District.

What is the goal of Career Day at Portsmouth West Middle School?

The goal of the program, according to Sheree, “is to excite, educate, and inform our middle school students about the many different career opportunities available in our community and beyond.  We believe that middle school is a foundation for learning how to become a successful young adult.  We want to give our students every opportunity to find a career path that will help guide them into becoming productive, happy, and successful members of society.  All career paths are vital to our community and so we invite any/all career types to participate.”

Can you give us an overview of Career Day at Portsmouth West Middle School?

According to Sheree, “Career Day is an all-encompassing program/event that the library provides each year to all students, grades 5-8. We have a wide range of career paths represented each year to educate, enrich, excite, and inform our students.”  The program takes lots of planning.  As Sheree explained, “I start by advertising the need for volunteers to share at Career Day on social media with specific times and dates for the event.  I also speak with students and send letters home to let parents know that we would love to have them participate in our event if they would be willing to attend and share their career.”  The set-up begins at 8:00 a.m. in the gymnasium. Each participant has a table and a student helper.  The students are grouped by grade - the fifth and sixth graders attend the Career Day for two hours in the morning; the seventh and eighth graders attend the Career Day for two hours in the afternoon. Sheree prepares a list of appropriate questions and the students must select twenty-five from the list and record the answers to the questions as they engage with each participant.

Why do you feel the program is a success?

The program started in 2016 with a very small group of students and twenty tables.  “Last year we had over sixty-five tables.” Sheree credits the growth of community participation in Career Day to social media. Another reason Sheree believes the program is successful is “that it allows students to learn and understand the education, finances, and overall workings of each career.  This gives the student the understanding of what classes or pathways they will need to take when registering for high school classes.  We have seen a significant increase in students going to the trade school, the military, and enrolling in the  College Credit Plus program in our area over the past several years.”

Is there any other information your would like to share?

Sheree believes that it is “very important to educate our students on the many types of career opportunities available to them in the world today, especially in our community.  The program planning starts early in the year and we ask community members, parents, businesses, colleges, trade schools, unions, etc. to volunteer their time for a whole day to bring their career knowledge to our students.”

The Rosen Publishing Ohio School Librarian of the Month recognizes one school librarian a month who designs, develops, and implements a collaborative lesson plan and/or programming that empowers student learning. This award spotlights the importance of both the school library community and librarian and the pivotal role each plays in transforming learning throughout students’ K-12 education.

Consider nominating yourself or another OELMA Library Media Specialist to be considered for Rosen Ohio School Librarian of the month!  The Rosen award nomination form can be accessedunder the Professional Recognition tab. Contact Susan Yutzey (oelma.awards@gmail.com) with any questions.

Congratulations Sheree!