Kaitlyn Benavides

RuCo District Library & Information Specialist |Passionate about cultivating curiosity!

[Kaitlyn Benavides @RuCoLibraries]

@scorpioteacher6 No, but we’d love to eventually do so across all grade bands!

[Kaitlyn Benavides @RuCoLibraries]

The results are in - check out the 25/26 "Braries" awards, put together by our very own Brian Seadorf. These are the most popular titles by classification across our district's high school libraries. Grab a copy and stay in the loop with our students' favorite books!

[Kaitlyn Benavides @RuCoLibraries]

Thank you to our participating middle school students and their amazing librarians. I was blown away by the enthusiasm and book knowledge! #Battleofthebooks

[Kaitlyn Benavides @RuCoLibraries]

A big congratulations goes out to @SiegelMiddle for taking home the championship at the 1st Annual RCS Battle of the Books! Thank you to @readtosucceed and @MTSU’s Library Science department for helping make this idea a reality (and hopefully a tradition) in our district!

[Kaitlyn Benavides @RuCoLibraries]

We’re so proud of Eagleville students for winning the 2nd annual March Madness reading competition 🦅 Nine middle schools went head-to-head last month, totaling 1.7 million reading minutes! Thank you to our community partners & Beanstack for your support! @beanstackapp

[Smyrna High Library @SHSLibrary37167]

Today was our SCAVENGER HUNT @ McKay’s! We scored approximately 150 new books for the SHS library. This is our favorite adventure every year! #onlyoneSHS @SmyrnaBulldog @RuCoLibraries @McKaysBooks

[Kaitlyn Benavides @RuCoLibraries]

@marianfleener @RockyForkMS Oh, this makes me so happy. Mr. Arocho is so incredible.

[Kaitlyn Benavides @RuCoLibraries]

Happy School Library Month! Check out what we've been up to this spring - we have plenty of good news to share with our community. 🌱🌱🌱

[Kaitlyn Benavides @RuCoLibraries]

Great work, Kittrell students!

[Kittrell Elementary School @KittrellSchool]

This fall, our KES students took on the Lightning Reading Challenge!
We had the HIGHEST % of students complete the challenge! 🔥

Congrats to Mrs. Gay & Mrs. Karrh, whose classes showed up w/ 100% participation!

Special thanks to @mtsuathletics for providing this opportunity!

[Kaitlyn Benavides @RuCoLibraries]

Hooray!!

[Kati Rafacz @kati_rafacz]

Huge thank you to TVA for supporting Barfield Elementary with the opportunity to purchase and start our very own hydroponics garden! 🪴 💧 Our students are growing more than plants- they’re growing knowledge and curiosity every day! #STEM #Hydroponics #ThankYou

[Alysia Pitts @AlysiaPitts4]

🐛📚 Next Book Club pick: How to Eat Fried Worms by Thomas Rockwell!
Gross? YES. Funny? ALSO YES. 😂 #BD4L

[Rutherford County Schools @rucoschools]

After a month of competitive reading among ten district middle schools, we are excited to share the results of the 2026 Beanstack March Madness Reading Challenge. A big congratulations to Eagleville School for taking the win! On average, each Eagleville student in grades 6-8 read 374 minutes during the month of March! Students will be recognized and celebrated at the Board of Education meeting, held on April 23 at 5:30pm. @RuCoLibraries @Tim_PedigoEAG

[Kaitlyn Benavides @RuCoLibraries]

So amazing!!!

[Siegel Stars Library @SiegelLibrary]

@ParnassusBooks1 and @booksxamerica made today extra special for our @SiegelHighStars readers! Personalized books were the perfect way to wrap up our Books Across America journey. Grateful for you, Mason Engel!

[Rutherford County Schools @rucoschools]

Students in the Humanities Academy and Book Club at Siegel High School recently welcomed author and filmmaker Mason Engel for a special presentation and discussion on the power of reading and storytelling.

Engel is the creator of Books Across America, a nationwide literary journey in which he traveled to all 50 states in 50 days, reading 50 books and interviewing 50 authors along the way. The project, now a documentary film, explores the importance of reading, the craft of writing, and the value of sharing our personal stories.

During his visit, Engel shared insights from his travels and offered students a preview clip of the film, including highlights from his Tennessee interview with bestselling author Ann Patchett. Students gained a behind-the-scenes look at the filmmaking process and had the opportunity to engage in meaningful conversation about literature, creativity, and the impact of stories in shaping lives.

The event provided an inspiring experience for Siegel students, reinforcing the Humanities Academy’s and Book Club's commitment to fostering a love of reading, writing, and lifelong learning.

[Kaitlyn Benavides @RuCoLibraries]

The highlight of my #ReadAcrossAmerica week has been joining Siegel High School’s Humanities students in conversation with Mason Engel, director and writer of @booksxamerica as he shared his journey across 50 states, interviewing 50 authors in 50 days! 🇺🇸

[RCS Success in the Middle @RCSMidSuccess]

Ran into Betsy Ross ⁦@SimonSprings⁩. Thanks for reading to our students today. ⁦@rucoschools⁩

[Kaitlyn Benavides @RuCoLibraries]

Thank you Andrew Maraniss for giving our students here at @rucoschools a pep talk leading into our March Madness reading challenge. Andrew's middle grade sports books are the perfect choices to log some minutes in Beanstack this month. 🏀

[Kaitlyn Benavides @RuCoLibraries]

Ruta Sepetys is rooting for you, @rucoschools middle school students. Good luck on week one of March Madness! 📚🏀 I can't wait to see the scoreboard on Friday.

[Alysia Pitts @AlysiaPitts4]

Kittrell is ready to turn the page and celebrate #ReadAcrossAmerica!#BD4L

[Kaitlyn Benavides @RuCoLibraries]

@TASLTN is in full swing with the MentorTN membership drive. For those already on board, join us for a virtual meet up - the time and place to discuss your concerns, share your ideas, and “hang out” with your colleagues!