Media Center

The DMS Media Center (MC) provides ACCESS: Access to books, to information, to technology, to tools for students' present and future success. Our goal is to ensure that students and staff are effective users of ideas and information… accomplished through physical and intellectual access to materials, instruction, and collaboration. We believe that when students are exposed to and surrounded by tools, information, and knowledge and guided by positive influences, they will cease to resist learning. They will embrace it. 

MC also supports & promotes the use of technology and assists with its integration into all instructional programs and creates an environment where collaboration and creative problem solving thrives. It is our goal to empower students to be critical thinkers, enthusiastic readers, skillful researchers, and ethical users of information in order to create lifelong learners. 

We have literally thousands of books in the DeRenne Middle School library. Our school is named after George W. DeRenne — bibliophile, historian, and philanthropist. Shortly after the Civil War, DeRenne donated a building on Savannah's West Broad Street as a school for African American children. The school moved, but it still retains DeRenne's name today, and our school still believes in the value of reading!

Our books are "genre-fied." That means that all of our fiction is separated into specific genres like fantasy, adventure, historical fiction, horror, romance, and graphic novel. Students can look up books in Destiny, our online catalog, or they can ask the librarian or clerk for help finding their favorites. 

[Take a look at the library map to the right.]

The MC is also named after another  "champion for equality," Bob Paddison. We're named the "Bob Paddison Library."  Paddison served in WWII and then completed a career in finance and business before starting a second career as a teacher at DeRenne Middle School in 1988. (65 years old!)  

At DMS, Paddison taught and maintained a photography program for 23 years... yes, until he was 88. His students' photography spanned the gap between black and white photos and "dark rooms" to digital photography and graphic design. He was well loved and was known to love "every single student" he taught. 

The DMS Media Center (MC) is open M-F 8 AM — 2:45 PM. Our students and staff have access to the MC regularly during the school day. 

• Students who come individually or in a small group need a pass from their teacher. Students are expected to fill out the pass themselves so the teacher only has to initial it.

   

• ELA classes are invited on a rotating schedule once per month for a lesson and some time to select books. 

Outside Visitors — There are times when we schedule our space for guests. Please contact us @ (912) 395-5915 for more information.

Below are the programs we use regularly in our MC to build information and digital literacy AND to promote reading and lifelong learning. 

The Helen Ruffin Reading Bowl 

• The Helen Ruffin Reading bowl is the original reading competition created by Georgia educators to encourage students to read! (from the website)... DMS fielded our first team in 2024-25, and although we didn't win, we had a blast and learned a lot about how to compete in a competition like this. 

  • • Contestants read and study 10 books.

    • Every team competes against all the other schools at the competition (last year, there were 7 middle schools). Each round is 10 questions — one for every book.

    • The team with the most points after all rounds are complete wins. 

      • The list for 2025-26:

        • Behar, R. (2024). Across so Many Seas. Nancy Paulsen Books.

        • Bishop, J. (2023). Free Throws, Friendship, and Other Things We Fouled Up. Chronicle.

        • Fipps, L. (2024). And Then, Boom! Nancy Paulsen Books.

        • Forman, G. (2024). Not Nothing. Aladdin.

        • Higuera, D. (2023). Alebrijes. Levine Querido.

        • Hutchinson, S. D. (2024). The School for Invisible Boys. Labyrinth Road.

        • Meadows, J. (2024). Bye, Forever, I Guess. Holiday House.

        • Sterling, Z. (2023). Mabuhay! Scholastic.

        • Watson, R. (2024). Black Girl You Are Atlas. Kokila.

        • Williams, A. (2024). MidAir. Athenium.

The Annual Dolphin Reading Competition (with incentives!)

To encourage reading at DMS, we provide students with the opportunity to win prizes for just reading. To that end, we utilize Beanstack (in 2025-26) to help us track their reading more consistently.

• Students maintain a reading log.

• They earn badges for reading.

• They get more points for submitting book reviews.

• Based on point totals, they can earn prizes that encourage everyone to keep reading.

The News Team

• In 2025-26 DMS will again have a news team.

  • The team will meet each morning to 

    • • Draft content.

      • Rehearse and film.

      • Produce weekly content.

      • Do video editing to enhance the news cast.

      • Eventually, "go live" with in-the-moment news that is "pushed" to each classroom.

Our MakerSpace!

• Our makerspace is an area in the MC dedicated to creation, to being a creative outlet for students who enjoy working with their minds and hands. Right now, we have a cricut maker, a color printer, and lots of art supplies like legos, K-nex, puzzles, etc. 

• In 2025-26 the MC will have monthly "maker challenges" that ask our students to go beyond what they already know in order to make something new, such as 

  • • building a bridge with straws, strong enough to support 3 smart phones.

    • making a leprechaun trap (for St. Patty's Day).

    • construct a sticky-note fan.

    • create a lego dinosaur!

Lessons for Students

• Our librarian invites classes to the MC each month to check out books AND to receive a short lesson in information and/or digital literacy. Our goal is to grow critical thinkers who fact-check and who want to learn the truth.

  • Lessons include (but are not limited to:

    • • Orientation — how to find books using the digital card catalog and understanding the Dewey Decimal System.

      • Research Topics — information literacy, evaluating sources credibility and bias, research process, citing sources.

      • Scavenger Hunts — finding books, source materials, library literacy (and fun).

Professional Learning for Teachers

• The MC also prepares professional development opportunities for teachers, mostly in the area of technology integration. This helps teachers to enhance their lessons with exciting new technologies that build interest in students. Everyone wins!

Policies:

• Checkouts: Each student is allowed to check out a maximum of two books at a time for two weeks. These books may be renewed one time. 

• Overdue Books: There is no late penalty (fee) as long as the book is returned. However, the librarian may contact the student when a book has been missing 30 days after the due date. Also, after 60 days, the book is marked "missing" in Destiny, which incurs a replacement fine that will follow a student until graduation (if the book or resource is not returned). SCCPSS will not issue a diploma until that fine is cleared.

• Lost/Damaged Books: Lost books must be replaced, and Students are responsible for materials that they borrow. Each book has a replacement cost, and students should talk to the librarian if they know they've lost a book.

• Lost/Damaged Chromebooks & Chargers: Chargers cost $30 each, and Chromebooks are close to $250 each. 

  • Each repair has an associated cost, but the most common repairs are:

    • broken screen: $90

    • broken keyboard: $90

We do account for depreciation, so actual charges might be slightly lower.

STUDENTS AND PARENTS CAN PURCHASE AN OPTIONAL FAMILY PROTECTION PLAN (FPP). It is one-time, non-refundable fee of $25 (per student in your household up to $100). That covers ANY loss or damage of up to 2 devices for that student. The FPP can be purchased at https://schoolcashonline.com. 

Procedures:

1. Book Repair

   • When a book is returned to us in a damaged state, the librarian or clerk will 

     1. decide if a fine needs to be assessed. If so, refer to the following:

        • Spine damage or recoverable (fixable) damage to the book cover: $5 fine.

        • Water damage that makes the pages wavy or stuck together = total loss: the total cost of the book (will vary). 

        • Ripped or torn pages are a judgment call: 

          • • If they can be repaired, the fine will be $5

            • If too many pages are torn or missing, the fine will equal the value of the book.

     2. If the book is still usable but needs repair, the book will be moved to the clerk's blue cart and await repair.

2. Chromebook Repair

• When a Chromebook is returned to the MC in a damaged state, the librarian or clerk will 

  1. decide if a fine needs to be assessed. If so, refer to the following:

     • First, assess the damage. The teacher or student who returns the laptop should fill out a damage form here.

       • •  Keyboard keys missing or keys not working: 

           • Start with a visual assessment. If the keys are missing, submit a ticket to customercare@sccpss.com. 

           • If no keys are missing, start up the Chromebook and log in. Type keys to assess the problem. If keys don't register (ie. no "n" appears when you hit the "n" button), then submit the same ticket to customercare@sccpss.com. 

         • Screen damage: $90 (Start with a visual examination of the damage, and then assess the fine in Destiny.)

     • Hinge damage requires repair. Assess a $50 fine and issue another Chromebook.

     • Other repairs like broken trim, scratches, and superficial scuff marks must be gauged on a case-by-case basis.

  2. If the Chromebook shows a "Cryptohome" error, "Low Memory/Disk Space," or "No OS Found," the first step is to attempt a Powerwash. Often, a Powerwash fixes the issue. Sometimes, it doesn't. 

  3. In any case where a powerwash or a simple repair does NOT fix the issue, the librarian or clerk must submit a ticket to Customer Care by emailing customercare@sccpss.com and turning the device over to the district tech. Check the Chromebook in and issue a replacement to the student.

3. Use of the Makerspace

• When students or teachers want to sign up to use the Makerspace, they need to sign up for a time slot 1 day in advance @ our booking page.

  • Students and teachers can book in 30 minute slots.