In my three years in my current principal position, we have held an "All School Read" event. It is similar to the "One School, One Book" movement. It is an anticipated event by all families that includes months of planning for the book and a fun rollout for our students/families. We also work hard to try to include diversity into our book selections. We want students to experience the "mirrors, windows, and sliding doors" of the books we share with them.
Mirrors to see themselves in text, windows to see into another world, and doors to walk through alongside the book's experiences.
There are committees and multiple books read as part of our selection planning process. This year, we had selected Song for a Whale by Lynne Kelly. It is a touching story about a young girl that is Deaf. She learns of a whale that swims alone, because he cannot communicate effectively with any pod.
We create schedules and trivia questions/prizes for each week of reading. There is also a website (link to this year's) with additional information about the author/book/influences. Teachers read various chapters and video themselves, which are also housed on the website. We typically culminate this school-wide activity with a "Family Reading Night" during our "screen free week." This is an evening when families can come to the school to engage in various activities surrounding our book. We always offer a book swap (bring a book, take a book), craft activities, reader's theater, snacks, and more.
To make all of this happen, we used the Scholastic Dollars earned from our Book Fairs, and we distribute one book per household in our school, utilizing our "youngest/only" list. This year, we had over 450 books bagged up and labeled, ready for distribution.
Then, COVID-19 happened. Without warning, like so many others, our school was closed. Our students belongings still sit on tables and on coat hooks in the hallways. It's like a snapshot frozen in time in this big, empty building. Along with that closure, bags and boxes of family books sat. Waiting.
In conjunction with our amazing PTO and some strong teacher advocates/volunteers, we decided to move our All School Read to a virtual experience. What better way to connect during a time of crisis than around a great book? The big question then became "how do we get books in their hands?" Our district offers breakfast/lunch for any student under the age of 18 through our high school campus. So, I gathered all the books from our empty building and packed up my car.
I sat for two days in a freezing parking lot...it even hailed for part of my time! But the greatest gift was seeing the families and kids. We have been apart for so long, that actually getting some face to face (at an appropriate social distance) was a gift.
Instead of trivia questions, we decided to do online virtual responses. Each week, we created a Google Form that had a simple, yet thoughtful question connected to the chapters that would have been read up to that point. I then used a Name Selector Wheel (link to website I used), and the extension LOOM to create a video announcing the "winner." One was selected from each grade band each week. Our amazing PTO would then send them $5 gift cards to local businesses (ex: Culver's, Corner Bakery, MOD, etc.)
So far, it has been a huge success. We have heard from families that this time of connection has been very valuable. It helped to create a sense of "familiar" in an unfamiliar time.
What are some ways you are staying connected with your community during our shut down?
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| Based on multiple researchers. Image and more found in THIS BLOG. |
There are committees and multiple books read as part of our selection planning process. This year, we had selected Song for a Whale by Lynne Kelly. It is a touching story about a young girl that is Deaf. She learns of a whale that swims alone, because he cannot communicate effectively with any pod.
We create schedules and trivia questions/prizes for each week of reading. There is also a website (link to this year's) with additional information about the author/book/influences. Teachers read various chapters and video themselves, which are also housed on the website. We typically culminate this school-wide activity with a "Family Reading Night" during our "screen free week." This is an evening when families can come to the school to engage in various activities surrounding our book. We always offer a book swap (bring a book, take a book), craft activities, reader's theater, snacks, and more.
To make all of this happen, we used the Scholastic Dollars earned from our Book Fairs, and we distribute one book per household in our school, utilizing our "youngest/only" list. This year, we had over 450 books bagged up and labeled, ready for distribution.
Then, COVID-19 happened. Without warning, like so many others, our school was closed. Our students belongings still sit on tables and on coat hooks in the hallways. It's like a snapshot frozen in time in this big, empty building. Along with that closure, bags and boxes of family books sat. Waiting.
In conjunction with our amazing PTO and some strong teacher advocates/volunteers, we decided to move our All School Read to a virtual experience. What better way to connect during a time of crisis than around a great book? The big question then became "how do we get books in their hands?" Our district offers breakfast/lunch for any student under the age of 18 through our high school campus. So, I gathered all the books from our empty building and packed up my car.
I sat for two days in a freezing parking lot...it even hailed for part of my time! But the greatest gift was seeing the families and kids. We have been apart for so long, that actually getting some face to face (at an appropriate social distance) was a gift.
Instead of trivia questions, we decided to do online virtual responses. Each week, we created a Google Form that had a simple, yet thoughtful question connected to the chapters that would have been read up to that point. I then used a Name Selector Wheel (link to website I used), and the extension LOOM to create a video announcing the "winner." One was selected from each grade band each week. Our amazing PTO would then send them $5 gift cards to local businesses (ex: Culver's, Corner Bakery, MOD, etc.)
What are some ways you are staying connected with your community during our shut down?
