Kelli Robertson
Librarian
Email
Library name: Westbury Christian School
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The annual Wordsmith’s Guild contest helps students in 1st through 4th grades develop a genuine interest in writing while improving their relevant skills.
Scarbrough Library (Lower School)
When Westbury Christian School was charted in 1975, it only had one library, originally housed where the K3 rooms are today. It was then moved into the space now used for the Wildcat Store before eventually landing in its current location.
Services
Today the Scarbrough Library, located in the heart of the Lower School, includes about 9,000 volumes of print books for K3-6th grade students. K3 and K4 students come to the library for 20 minutes twice a week for story time and/or pre-reading activities. Kindergarten through 4th grade students come to the library once a week for a 30-minute library class and to check books in and out. In addition, intermediate students in 5th and 6th grades have access to the library during their scheduled reading classes each week, and the library is also open for drop-ins between scheduled classes. Parents may also check out books.
Namesake
The Scarbrough Library is named for popular former 1st grade teacher Jackie Scarbrough, who passed away from a heart attack during Christmas break in 1997. She was known for her Christian faith, love of children and reading, and the practice of making every moment a teachable one. For instance, she had a dream to collect one million pennies for a new playground, so she organized a drive that spanned a couple of years. When the final penny was finally collected, all three major local TV stations sent reporters and cameramen to record the celebration.
Partain Library (Upper School)
When Mundy Hall was completed in 2002, the new building included additional space for a second library. This meant half of the collection needed to be moved upstairs. During a “Book Walk” one Saturday morning, approximately 45 volunteers spent about two-and-a-half hours moving a couple of thousand volumes off the shelves of the Scarbrough Library downstairs, down the intermediate hallway, up the stairs, down the second floor hallway of Mundy Hall, inside the door of the new library, and on to the shelves in roughly the correct place in the manner of a fireman’s brigade. It was quite a sight!
Services
The Partain Library in Mundy Hall serves 5th through 12th grade students. In the fall of 2018 the library received an extensive remodeling centered around multiple collaborative spaces to allow students to incorporate technology into their research and group study. In addition, the library houses a collection of about 4,000 print books for intermediate, middle and high school students.
Namesake
The Partain Library was named for Joan Partain, retired teacher, reading specialist and lower school principal, who dedicated more than 50 years of her life to Christian education at schools throughout Texas.
Lower School Resources
Houston Public Library
The Houston Public Library offers thousands of events and programs throughout the year, and its site allows you to browse for books and research materials.
Click to visit The Houston Public Library
The Houston Area Independent Schools Library Network (HAISLN)
Independent school librarians from throughout Houston have compiled a grade-level reading list to make finding the right books for your student to read less challenging.
Click to visit the HAISLN Website
Fact Monster
Fact Monster is an ideal reference site for kids ages 8-14 that provides entertainment and educational resources. It combines the contents of an encyclopedia, a dictionary, an atlas, and several almanacs loaded with statistics, facts, and historical records.
National Geographic Kids
National Geographic Kids is an exciting site where curious kids can explore their world with videos full of amazing animals, surprising adventures and fascinating facts. The site features different people, animals, and places each month with facts, games, activities, and related links.
Click to visit National Geographic
KidzSearch.com
KidzSearch provides an easy, free solution for safe internet usage. When a search is done on KidzSearch.com, it can only return Google “strict” search results and is not dependent on any computer, cookie or browser settings. The same trusted high-quality search results you expect from Google are returned, but without adult content mixed in.
Middle & High School Resources
Houston Public Library
The Houston Public Library offers thousands of events and programs throughout the year, and its site allows you to browse for books and research materials.
Click to visit The Houston Public Library
The Houston Area Independent Schools Library Network (HAISLN)
Independent school librarians from throughout Houston have compiled a grade-level reading list to make finding the right books for your student to read less challenging.
Click to visit the HAISLN Website
American Psychological Association (APA) Style
APA Style establishes standards of written communication concerning: 1) the organization of content; 2) writing style; 3) citing references; and 4) how to prepare a manuscript for publication in certain disciplines, especially the social sciences.
Click to visit APA Style resources on Purdue OWL
Modern Language Association (MLA) Style
MLA Style is based on a general methodology that can be used to document any type of source, for any type of paper, in any field, especially within the liberal arts and humanities.
Click to visit MLA Formatting and Style resources on Purdue OWL
Chicago Manual of Style (CMOS)
The CMOS covers a variety of topics from manuscript preparation and publication to grammar, usage and documentation, and it is often referred to as the “editor’s bible.”
Click to visit Chicago Manual of Style Online
Click to visit Chicago Manual of Style resources on Purdue OWL
Moms In Prayer
The WCS chapter of Moms In Prayer — a nondenominational, international group of moms and grandmoms who meet regularly to pray for their children at school — meets in the Scarbrough Library each Wednesday during school from 8:00-9:00 a.m. We welcome new members and/or individual prayer requests any time of the year, and we pray for every teacher and student by name every year.