Park Avenue college students united by two enjoyable literacy initiatives

On winter evenings throughout Park Avenue Elementary School, the identical story is unfolding in residing rooms, at kitchen tables, and through bedtime routines. From nightly chapters at residence to morning trivia bulletins in class, the One Book, One School program has turned a single ebook right into a shared expertise connecting lecture rooms, households, and the whole college group.

One Book, One School is a enjoyable and interesting literacy initiative during which each household receives a duplicate of the identical ebook and is invited to learn it collectively. Each night time, households observe a shared studying schedule, sitting right down to learn or take heed to the story, whereas college students take part in trivia and discussions that carry the ebook to life.

“It’s an important program because it brings our whole school community together through reading and books and makes important connections between what’s happening at home and what’s happening in school,” stated Library Media Specialist Matt Spicehandler, who has led this system at Park Avenue alongside the PTA for the previous three years.

This yr’s ebook choice, Zoey and Sassafras: Dragons and Marshmallows by Asia Citro, follows a curious woman named Zoey, who discovers magical animals in want of assistance on her household’s farm. With her intelligent cat Sassafras, she makes use of the scientific methodology to research and look after a mysterious creature – mixing magic, science, and problem-solving in a means that resonates with readers throughout many age ranges.

Students of all ages shortly related with the story’s imaginative components.

“My favorite part is when they go to the lake and teach [the dragon] Marshmallow how to fish, because I love fishing,” shared second grader Gus Mangold.

Students agreed that Marshmallow’s shiny blue coloring was one other relatable characteristic.

“Blue’s my favorite color, too,” fourth grader Logan Garcia shared. “Cyan, specifically.”

“It’s very shiny,” second grader Brynley LaPenna added.

The ebook is the primary of 9 in a sequence and was chosen by Mr. Spicehandler, who alternates the choice every year with the librarian at Sanfordville Elementary School. Together, they start with a curated listing of advisable titles from the nationwide One Book, One School program, then slim their alternative based mostly on a number of key components.

“It’s always tricky to find a book that’s going to be engaging for both kindergartners and fourth graders,” he defined. “So we can’t pick like a 400-page book – as much as either of us would love that.”

Length, content material, and accessibility all play a task – however so does longevity.

“I like to pick a classic and introduce kids to books that have been around a long time,” he stated. “But this year’s book is the first in a series.”

As Mr. Spicehandler defined, that sequence aspect is intentional and designed to spark continued studying lengthy after this system ends.

“It’s really easy for them to be like, ‘Oh, well, I liked this Zoey and Sassafras that I had to read for school. Now that I know I like that, I can go to the library and get book two, book three…’ It kind of hooks kids into reading past the program.”

Consider Mr. Spicehandler’s mission: achieved.

Just just lately, Mr. Spicehandler acquired a thank-you e mail from the Albert Wisner Library for giving them a heads-up on this yr’s choice.

“They ordered a bunch of the rest of the series, and they said they’ve been really flying off the shelves since the program started,” he shared.

While One Book, One School is carried out nationally, Park Avenue provides its personal artistic spin.

The program kicks off every year with both an meeting or a enjoyable, themed video designed to generate pleasure. This yr, workers helped carry the story to life via a kickoff video that launched college students to the ebook’s characters and themes.

For the previous three years, Mr. Spicehandler has additionally collaborated with lecturers, PTA members, and group volunteers to document nightly chapter read-aloud movies, giving college students the choice to pay attention alongside from residence.

These movies, together with nightly trivia questions, can be found on the Park Avenue Library Media Center web site and Google Classroom, guaranteeing each family can take part, even on busy evenings.

This yr, a Spanish-language model of the read-alouds debuted, increasing entry for Spanish-speaking households.

Following every chapter, college students reply trivia questions tied to the studying. Responses are submitted on-line, and solutions are revealed the following day throughout morning bulletins, turning literacy right into a schoolwide each day occasion.

To complement the story, contributors additionally acquired a themed reward, generously supplied by the PTA. This yr, college students got a science journal modeled after Zoey’s pocket book, full with a information outlining the scientific methodology inside the duvet.

Brynley has been utilizing hers to document her studying minutes for the Read-A-Thon, one other literacy initiative hosted by the Park Avenue PTA.

Students have embraced this system in a wide range of methods, from studying independently to sharing the expertise with relations.

Siblings Gus and Robin Mangold have been studying collectively every night time, with Gus having fun with the chance to learn to his youthful sister, who’s in kindergarten.

Meanwhile, Brynley stated she enjoys watching the movies and following together with acquainted faces from the Park Avenue group – together with Mr. Spicehandler’s daughter, Juniper, who was nominated by lecturers to learn the ultimate chapter as a fourth grader making ready for center college subsequent yr.

Fourth graders Logan Garcia and Penelope Scott shared that they like studying at their very own tempo.

“I go for the book over videos, so I can read at my own pace and go back to other parts,” Logan stated.

Both One Book, One School and the Read-A-Thon have incentivized continued studying and helped college students construct it into their each day routines.

“I read every day,” Brynley shared.

Gus stated he likes to prepare for college after which crawl again into mattress to learn till it’s time to go away.

Brynley reads for half-hour every afternoon, and much more on weekends, with each she and Gus recording greater than 1,000 minutes throughout this yr’s Read-A-Thon.

In reality, Brynley achieved a grand whole of three,148 minutes, incomes the second place spot within the second grade division. 

Penelope stated she logged greater than 1,700 minutes, exploring every little thing from nonfiction titles in regards to the world’s most harmful animals to fiction favorites like Dog Man.

The mixed influence of One Book, One School and the Read-A-Thon has been important.

This yr’s Read-A-Thon wrapped up with Park Avenue college students logging 211,429 whole minutes learn, elevating greater than $28,000, with over 75% of scholars collaborating.

Together, the applications encourage college students to construct studying into their routines whereas fostering collaboration, communication, and goal-setting. Through shared storytelling, college students join with each other, problem themselves to develop, and develop a lifelong appreciation for studying — hallmarks of Warwick Valley’s Portrait of a Graduate.

And very similar to the ebook’s protagonist, Zoey, Park Avenue college students are discovering that when curiosity and creativeness cleared the path, tales can open doorways to limitless data and risk.