Rob Sandness

Librarian

Courses Taught:

Library Skills

Coach for:

Drama Club

Chess Club

Library Skills and Book Checkout Week at a Glance


After School Club Ideas

I'm thinking of starting some new after-school clubs and activities to host in the library such as:

  1. Teen Book and Graphic Novel Club
  2. Ceiling tile painting 
  3. Art Club
  4. STEAM Club
  5. Mario Kart/ Smash Bros.

If any of these sound interesting to you, stay on the lookout for more information and sign-up sheets for these activities. I'm also willing to host these activities during lunch when I'm not on lunch duty. If you have any suggestions on the kinds of activities and/or clubs you'd like to see offered in the library, feel free to let me know your suggestions. 

Rob Sandness

Special Announcments!

Resource Links

Here are some interesting resources to explore for fun reading online.
TumbleBooks
This resource has high quality children’s literature that allow the book to be read or muted, with animation, and even optional quizzes to check for comprehension.
Starfall Education

For children in PreK-3rd ,this site offers many math and reading-related games and songs. Many of the early reader stories are free with the option of following along as the story is read.

ABCYa!
This free site offers stories and fun, educational games from children in PreK-6+.
Read to Me!
Popular children’s books are featured on this free website. You’ll find them read to you by famous performers.
Storyline Online
This site offers videos on YouTube of actors reading their favorite childrens’ books. Along with each story is a Teachers’ Guide with suggested activities.
Barnes & Noble Storytime

This site by Barnes & Noble offers read-aloud videos for some of their books read by authors and celebrities.

Storynory
A collection of original stories, fairy tales, and classic children’s audio stories, and poems can be found here.
FreeChildrensStories

You’ll find meaningful stories arranged by age group. You can read the stories on the website with the option of following along while someone reads the story in a video. 


International Digital Children's Library

On this free site, students can read independently and do some extension activities that help them learn about different regions of the world. 

Oxford Owl
This free site offers access to over 250 children’s audio books. This site also offers suggested activities and advice for reading, grammar, and math.
Try some or all of these free websites with fun, educational math games.
Education.com
Create a free account and you will have access to fun games geared toward different grades from PreK to 8th for different math subjects.
ABCya!
This site offers games and other activities not only related to reading, but also to math. You’ll find games arranged by grade level from PreK to 6+.
Splashlearn
On this website, you can create a free account to access many fun math games.
Cool Math Games

Select games arranged by such topics as Strategy, Skill, Trivia, and Logic. Many games also help with memory and numbers.

Math Playground
On this site you’ll find fun games arranged by grade level from K to 6th and skill area, such as adding/ subtracting and fractions.
Math Nook
Here is another website that offers fun, free math games arranged by math subject.
Math Games
You may choose games by math subject, including money and measurement,  or  search by grade level from PreK to 8th.
MathGameTime
This site offers games for grades PreK to 7th. They are arranged by grade, or you can search by subject.
Hooda Math Games

Some more, different math games can be found here arranged by grade level from PreK through high school and by math subject.

Multiplication Tables
This is a great website to help youfocus on improving your multiplication skills.

Bio

Hello!

I am Rob Sandness,  the librarian for grades K-12 and an intervention instructor at Flasher Public School.

Bismarck is my hometown. After graduating from Bismarck High, I attended Concordia College in Moorhead, MN, where I graduated in 2010 with a Bachelor's degree in secondary English education. I've been a substitute teacher in Bismarck for several years. I also taught English in Zeeland, ND, for grades 7-12 for three years. In 2017, I earned my Master's degree online in education with a concentration on library and information technologies through Valley City State University. During the summer I'm working at Fort Lincoln State Park as a historic interpreter at the Custer House and at the On-a-Slant Village  I also serve as a creative designer and host for the Haunted Fort, which takes place on weekends in October. I still live in Bismarck, so I make the commute every morning, but listening to music, podcasts, and audiobooks during the drive helps.

When you enter the library, you can tell right away that I like Harry Potter, but I enjoy reading other kinds of books as well. I believe that reading is magic, and I hope to inspire a love of reading among the students here at Flasher. I hope to provide students with a meaningful and useful education as well as a positive and comfortable experience in the library. By doing so, I aim to make the library seem like a place for students to feel welcome anytime, especially when they need to find information and/or something fun to read.

I get to meet each grade K-6 twice a week. The first time is for Library Skills, when I teach lessons related to using the library and research skills. The second time is when they come to the library to check out books.

Q&A

Is the library still leaking? Did the janitors put new tiles in the library?

No, the library is fine now. The roofing men came and fixed the holes that caused rain water to leak onto some ceiling tiles during Labor Day weekend and caused a big mess. The library is cleaned up now. I'm still waiting on the ceiling tiles to be replaced, but it should be soon.

What's your middle name?

William

Do you have a girlfriend?

No.

 Do you have any pets?

Yes, two orange cats named Oscar and Odin.

Do you have a baby?

No.

What is your favorite book?

There are lots of books I love, but one of my favorites is The Hobbit, by J.R.R. Tolkien.

 How was your weekend?

My weekend was good, thank you.

How was your trip to Disneyland? Did you see Mickey?

My trip was very good. I went with my parents, by brother, sister-in-law, and nephew. We had a lot of fun together. Yes, we saw Mickey and many other characters. It was a blast!

Do you like Disney Movies?

Yes. I especially like some of the classic animated Disney movies. One of my favorites is The Lion King.

Do you have a brother? If so, what is his name?

Yes, I have a brother. His name is Tom.

Do you have a sister? If so, what is her name?

I do not have a sister.

Why do we have to wait 10 minutes before we can play games?

We spend the first 10 minutes of library time to look for books and/or read silently because I,m giving you time to look for good books you'll actually want to check out and read. You don't need to just grab any random book and check out right away so you can quickly get to the computers, lego tables, etc. I want you to take time to find something you'll enjoy. That's also why you should try reading the books you are thinking about checking out: So you know for sure it's something you'll enjoy.

What is the library's name?

It is the Flasher Public School Library.

 What car do you drive?

I drive a 2022 Toyota Rav 4 Hybrid.

Why do some people get to go on the computers every time?

We really should share the computers in the library; we should let others have a turn playing games on the computers. Unfortunately, I don't currently have a solid plan to make sure everyone gets a turn at the computers, but I'm open to suggestions. 

What is your favorite color?

Blue

Did you play sports in school?

I was on the swim team for a little bit during middle school at the YMCA. I also played soccer and baseball in elementary.

Why did you become a librarian?

My mom used to work as a librarian at a middle school in Bismarck. I've spent much of my time in the library while I was growing up, and I found it to be a great place to hang out and find interesting books to read. I've also started learning how important it is being a librarian, like my mom, who is not only there to encourage a love of reading but also to help you in many other ways, like many other teachers and superheros do. A librarian is not just someone who checks out books, they are also a champion for the freedom to read and access information. I like feeling like a superhero and I love helping kids learn, so that's why I became a teacher and a librarian. 

 

 

Library Skills Schedule