Literacy and Learning

Our Learning Commons offers students a variety of programs, clubs and services to enhance literacy and learning. Speak to a member of our staff for more information.

Name of Program or Service Description
Battle of the Books

What:  A reading program for students who love to read. Participants read approximately 30 books together as a team.  Students join other students from across Durham, at the public library to compete and share their knowledge about the books they have read.

Who:   2 teams - Junior (Grade 4-6) and Intermediate (Grade 7-8).

Coding Club

What:  Students are developing coding, stop motion animation and robotic skills once a week throughout the year in the library.  Students are using drag and drop coding skills to code their robots. 

Who:  Junior and Intermediate students.

Forest of Reading

What: Each category has 10 books. Students are expected to read a minimum of 5 books and complete a passport. On Voting Day, they vote for their favourite book. All votes count with those of similarly aged students across Ontario to elect the winning author. Blue Spruce and Prix Peuplier books are read to students by teachers and all ten books are expected to be read.

Who: Students in the following grades can participate:

  • Kindergarten to Grade 2: Blue Spruce and Prix Peuplier
  • Grades 3-4: Silver Birch Express
  • Grades 5-6: Silver Birch Fiction and Non-Fiction
  • Grades 7-8: Red Maple Fiction and Non-Fiction
Green Screen Technology

What: Students may use apps such as Green Screen by Do Ink or Touchcast (free) to create videos and slideshows for their assignments using the green screen.

Who: Students in Kindergarten to Grade 8.

Robotics

What: Learn how to code to make games, move robots and other applications.

Who: Students in Grades 3 to 8.