More than a Library

    It has been a busy fall in the Vantage Media Center! All Vantage juniors and seniors visited the Media Center for orientation where they learned what services are offered. Students are able to check out books, magazines and newspapers as well as laptop computers, digital cameras and video cameras. Computers in the Media Center are available for research and class assignments. Instructors often bring their classes to the Media Center for special projects. Students also visit the Media Center during their lunch hour to read magazines, play chess and checkers, or to just “hang out.” Readers are invited to join the Media Center book club. For every five books a student reads, he or she is entered into a drawing, held at the end of each nine weeks, for a free book of their choice.
Students who require additional credits in order to graduate are enrolled in the online Virtual Learning system. Training in the use of the system takes place in early fall in the Media Center. Credits are offered in social studies, science, math, English and health. Students are able to work on these courses using any computer with internet access.
    In September the Media Center celebrated Banned Books Week, celebrating the freedom to read. Students raced to the Media Center each morning to be the first to answer the Banned Book trivia question read over the morning announcements. Nicole Agler, a Health Careers student from Crestview, was the winner of a book of her choice in the Banned Book drawing.
October brought Teen Read Week with the theme “Read Beyond Reality.” Activities were held in the Media Center including reading rewards and check-out promotions.     Many students submitted essay, short story and artwork entries for the Create Your Own Reality contest. The contest winners were Lacey Warren, Food Careers, Carrie Kitchen, Auto Technology, and Shelby Lumpkins, Health Careers. Honorable Mentions went to Building and Grounds students Darby Mohler and Michael Boyd.
    In November the annual Media Center chess and checker tournament was held. Students compete during lunchtime with daily winners progressing through a tournament bracket. The final showdown is held between the winners of the two lunch periods. Chess winners this year were Anthony Lunsford, a senior Welding student from Delphos Jefferson and Thomas Moore, a junior Network Systems student from Paulding. Checker winners were Mike Herron, a junior from Fort Jennings in Auto Technology, and Adam Miller, a Paulding junior in Interactive Media.
    Also in November, the Media Center will host one of Vantage’s “Tech Thursdays.” INFOhio resources, provided free to all students and staff by the state of Ohio, will be explained. Career/job readiness, college preparation, workplace skills, and entrance exam websites will be explored as well.
    The always popular Media Center annual holiday book fair will be held December 4th -11th. Books are delivered by Readmore/Brunner News. Staff and students have the opportunity to purchase books, magazines and calendars at 30% off and no tax. It’s a great way to encourage reading and to get some Christmas shopping done!
    During the 2008-2009 school year, individual students visited the Media Center over 15,000 times! Twenty-eight different instructors brought their class to the Media Center for 520 class periods. Print materials were checked out or used in the library over 8,000 times. Laptops and digital cameras were checked out 1,200 times. The Vantage Media Center always offers an engaging atmosphere full of activity.