White Oak Elementary Media Center
The White Oak Elementary Media Center is the heart of our school, a welcoming space where students are encouraged to discover, imagine, create, and grow. Our goal is to help every child develop a lifelong love of reading by connecting them with books that spark their curiosity and interests. From our Everybody collection for younger readers to our full library collection for older students, we strive to provide engaging resources that inspire learning both inside and outside the classroom.
The Media Center is more than a place to check out books. It is a space where literacy, creativity, and technology come together to support our 21st-century learners through meaningful experiences that encourage exploration, innovation, and lifelong learning.
Meet Our School Library Media Specialist:
Ashley Pence
Welcome to the White Oak Elementary Media Center! I am excited to be part of the White Oak family and look forward to helping every student discover the joy of reading, creating, and learning.
I believe the media center should be the heart of the school, a place where students feel inspired to explore new books, think creatively, solve problems, and develop the technology skills they'll use throughout their lives.
My goal is to help every child discover books they love while providing meaningful opportunities to create, collaborate, and innovate through our Makerspace and technology-rich learning experiences. Whether students are searching for their next favorite series, designing a STEM project, coding, or using digital tools to showcase their learning, I want every visit to the media center to be engaging, exciting, and memorable.
I look forward to partnering with our students, families, and teachers to foster a lifelong love of reading and learning.
Media Center Information
Media Center Initiatives
Makerspace for Every Learner
Our Makerspace is more than a special event; it's an opportunity for students to create, design, explore, and problem-solve throughout the school year. Students will engage in hands-on activities that encourage creativity, collaboration, critical thinking, and innovation while connecting learning across multiple subject areas.
Whether building, coding, engineering, crafting, or designing, the Makerspace provides meaningful opportunities for students to learn by doing.
Growing Readers
Helping students discover books they can't wait to read is one of my greatest passions. Throughout the year, students will participate in engaging literacy experiences such as:
- Guess That Book challenges
- Book tastings
- Reading celebrations
- Interactive book displays
- Library scavenger hunts
- Seasonal reading activities
- Student book recommendations
These fun programs encourage students to explore new genres, discover favorite authors, and build a lifelong love of reading.
Ranch Hands
What is a Ranch Hand? A Ranch Hand is a White Oak ES service club supporting the library media center by checking in and shelving returned books, displaying books, dusting and light cleaning, and helping prepare the media center for classes. Students in grades 3-5 are welcome to apply in September each year. Ranch Hands develop leadership, responsibility, teamwork, and pride in serving the White Oak community.
