Two librarians from the Sachem Central School District recently received awards for their remarkable contributions to literacy and learning at a meet and greet of the Suffolk School Library Media Association on Oct.19 at the Walt Whitman Birthplace State Historic Site.  

Sachem High School North librarian Madelyn Haussner received the 2018 SSLMA Outstanding Contribution to the School Library Profession Award for her efforts in leading SSLMA at both the local and state level. Haussner served as the president of SSLMA for the past four years and previously held positions as the vice president and treasurer. In addition, she is on the executive board for the New York Library Association – Section of School Librarians, which represents approximately 600 Suffolk County and Nassau County school librarians. 

Her illustrious accomplishments include initiating the statewide conference with the Long Island School Media Association, the New York Library Association, the Section of School Librarians and SSLMA, held in 2018 on Long Island and attended by over 350 school librarians and administrators. Haussner also co-chaired the Knickerbocker Raffle, which raised over $3,400 in scholarships, and held an instrumental role in determining the need to establish a Subject Area Committee for School Librarians under New York State United Teachers. She participates in many professional organizations, including the American Association of School Librarians, the American Library Association, the ASCD (formerly the Association for Supervision and Curriculum Development), NYSUT and SSLMA. She continually mentors school librarians and advocates for the school librarian profession. Through her professional affiliations, she brings new teaching ideas to enhance the school library program at Sachem High School North. 

“I would like to give a huge thank-you to the Sachem High School North administration for their continued support,” Haussner said. “I am humbled and thankful for the opportunity to serve the SSLMA organization in this leadership capacity.”
 
Librarian Sandy Bucher received the 2018 SSLMA Library Technology Grant for her library program at Sagamore Middle School. Her grant application, “Simple Circuits and Computer Coding with Makey Makeys and Scratch,” provided her with $500 to spend on acquiring 12 Makey Makey kits, an electronic invention tool that allows users to connect everyday objects to computer programs. Bucher demonstrated a Makey Makey activity at the meeting along with her colleague, Carrie McGuire, Eastern Suffolk BOCES Model Schools technology integration specialist, who helps integrate technology at Sagamore.

“The Makey Makey kits are used for real-world, hands-on applications that students are very excited about,” Bucher said. “Instead of using traditional paper worksheets, they are manipulating these tools and problem-solving in an exploratory way.”