Specialty Programs
Library
Cathedral takes great pride in its library. In 2000, when a major expansion of the school was undertaken, putting in a state-of-the-art-albeit traditional-library was of paramount importance. The school and generous donors have continued to invest in the library keeping it up-to-date and fully stocked with books and technology to be a great resource for all students and faculty and a place of calm for the children during busy school days.
All students attend library two times per week. The librarian works in cooperation with the classroom teachers to engage the children in thoughtful curriculum that complements the focus of instruction in the classrooms. In addition, the librarian helps introduce and foster aptitude in research skills both with traditional paper resources in the library and online sources through guided direction on the proper and effective use of Internet research on iPads.
Children in Fourth through Eighth Grade have the opportunity to participate in a variety of programs (for example, Battle of the Books) that complement the literature curriculum of the classroom, provide additional opportunities for independent reading for the voracious reader, and foster a sense of academic camaraderie through teamwork and competition.
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Birthday Book Program
The Cathedral Library Birthday Book Program offers parents, grandparents, and friends the opportunity to provide a lasting tribute to celebrate student birthdays. A $20 donation funds the purchase of a library book that has been selected with the honoree in mind. This book will be tailored to both the interests and reading level of the birthday celebrant, and will be presented during the student’s class. The celebrant will then have the honor of being the first student to check it out from the library.
To participate in the program, print and complete the Birthday Book form, and return it, along with the $20 donation, to the school office.
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Battle of the Books
To enhance and complement the literature curriculum in the classrooms, the library supports many programs to challenge and nurture eager readers. Led by Cathedral’s librarian, Cathedral fields two Battle of the Books (BOB) teams every year: one comprised of Middle School students and one of Fourth and Fifth Graders. BOB is made possible with funds from Cathedral’s Run for Cathedral annual fundraiser.
Cathedral bases its program on the model by the Oregon Association of School Libraries. Cathedral’s teams compete against teams from other Catholic schools in two battles in the spring. The battles consist of quiz-show type questions challenging children’s knowledge of content on sixteen selected books. All children in the selected grades are eligible for the team and to qualify, must read eight of the sixteen books and demonstrate proficiency by passing a quiz on the Accelerated Reader Program or filling out an assessment form about the books. Practices for the team are led at lunchtime and before school in the months leading up to the Battles. The mission of the Battle of the Books program is to encourage and recognize students who enjoy reading, promote academic excellence, and foster cooperative learning and teamwork among students.
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Library Catalog
The Oregon School Library Information System (OSLIS) is a database for student research. It provides access to reliable on line databases for students to guide students in in class and at home research projects. It includes encyclopedias, periodicals, opinion pieces, and many other credible sources. In addition, OSLIS works with iPads and can provide a tool for helping beginning readers master sounds and words. Cathedral students and parents may access OSLIS as follows:
OSLIS Database
User Name: cathed (case sensitive)
Password: oslis (case sensitive)