Grand View Elementary School Library

Heidi Snively - Library Media Specialist - 310-546-8022 x5404

455 24th Street - Manhattan Beach -California 90266

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ABOUT MRS. SNIVELY . . .

 

    

I am a native Californian
(born the year before Disneyland opened)
and I grew up in nearby Carson. 
My best friend loved to read as much as I did,
and she, too, grew up to be a "library lady!"

 

 

My mother taught me to read before I started Kindergarten
by reading to me every day and talking to me about the story. 
I still have the first book I ever read all by myself,
"Little Bear" by Else Holmelund Minarik.

 

 

My father inspired me to tackle more difficult books
by reading aloud to me from Nancy Drew mystery stories,
but stopping right at the exciting parts. 
When everyone else was asleep I stayed up late
sounding out the hard words by the feeble glow of
my night light because I just had to find out
what would happen to Nancy, George, and Bess in the next chapter! 
That well-worn set of Nancy Drew mysteries
is one of my prized possessions.

 

 

       

Mrs. LaSalle was my librarian at
Leapwood Avenue Elementary School and
I used to help her straighten the shelves. 
My favorite books to check out in those early days:
"Madeline" by Ludwig Bemelmans,
"The Phantom Tollbooth" by Norton Juster,
"Peter Pan" by J.M. Barrie, and (of course!)
"Heidi" by Johanna Spyri.

 

 

In junior high I was crazy about two bands:
The Monkees and The Doors. 
In high school I stacked
Led Zeppelin, Neil Young, and
Joni Mitchell albums on my record player.

 

 

I graduated from California State University, Long Beach,
with a degree in journalism and was recognized as
"Woman Journalist of the Year,"
but after a short internship at the Daily Breeze
I realized the rough-and-ready world of the press room was not for me.

Some jobs I have had in the past include
painting billiard lamps;
training young people to be Fotomates;
reading for the blind;
and waiting tables at Bob's Big Boy and The Kettle. 

 

 


I have been the Library Media Specialist at Grand View since 1999. 
In June 2008 I was honored as MBUSD Classified Employee of the Year
due, in large part, to the extraordinary support the
Library Program receives from parent volunteers.

In addition to working for MBUSD,

I work part time at the Redondo Beach Public Library.

 

 

   
      

I have visited England, Ireland, France, Switzerland,
Holland, Canada, Mexico, Australia, and New Zealand. 
Someday, I hope to see more of the United States by
visiting some of our country's beautiful baseball stadiums. 
I belong to two book clubs and count gardening as a favorite pastime. 
I am a member of the South Bay Literacy Council
which provides free tutors to adults seeking literacy skills,
and serve on the School Site Council
at Grand View Elementary.
I am honored to serve on the board of the
Manhattan Beach Historical Society
I can play four songs on the piano
(though probably not as well as that cat above!):
"For What It's Worth," "Stairway to Heaven,"
"Fire and Rain," and "Christmas Time is Here." 
I collect music boxes and have more than fifty...
some of which are on display in the library.

 

 

           

   

My two sons, River and Rory, were Grand View Gators

and attended Manhattan Beach Middle School and
Mira Costa High School where they were members of the Badminton Team.
At Costa River was recognized as a National Merit Scholar,
and his team won the Scholar Quiz his senior year.
River is a third-year student at the University of California at Berkeley
studying physics and mathematics.
Rory played the baritone sax in the Mustang Marching Band for four years

and played in the pit for the Drama Department's productions of

"Crazy for You" and "The Wiz."

He was a member of the MCHS Comedy Sportz Team,

the Wind Ensemble, the Jazz Band,

and the Young Musicians Performance Academy,

and plays guitar and drums with friends in our garage.

Rory is a freshman at UCLA studying engineering.

 

My husband Steve
grew up in Carefree, Arizona,
where he rode his horse, BigEnough,
to his four-room schoolhouse. 

Steve is a website productivity specialist and

always manages  to beat my score when we play Hearts
(but I can hold my own when we play Gin Rummy)!

 

 I have one dog named Magic and
more than my fair share of cats . . .

 

. . . WHAT'S YOUR STORY?

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