By Tanjua Damon

“Salutations!”

Sandy Hook School students repeated the word after Principal Donna Page February 28 as the students learned about the book they would be reading as a school. The students had been teased all last week with barnyard animals on the walls as well as spiders with their webs decorating the office windows.

During two school assemblies, Ms Page announced to the students that the entire school community would be reading E.B. White’s classic tale of Charlotte’s Web. The students cheered with excitement hardly being able to sit still. But more excitement followed when they were told that they would each be given copy of the book to add to their personal libraries at home once the pilot program finished in approximately three weeks.

Ms Page explained to the students that Charlotte’s Web was one of her favorite books that she enjoys reading.

“The best books are the ones that you just don’t read once,” she said. “But this is more than just about reading a book. We have a whole entire school — students, parents, teachers, administrators –– reading Charlotte’s Web so we call all talk together.”

Ms Page told the students they have a very special job to do while the program takes place.

“That’s to get your teachers and your parents excited about the book,” she said. “We hope your moms and dads will do their homework and read the book.”

Teachers will incorporate the book into their lesson plans helping students to understand the message of friendship and the love of words. E.B. White gives great detail as well about farm life and animal characteristics. Specials — music, art, library, and physical education –– will also incorporate the book into their lessons.

“There were a lot of faculty decisions on how to implement for kindergarten through fourth grade,” Ms Page said. “There is enough substance to lend itself to discussions around values and character with things that fit into our school. At every level there is lots we can dig into.”

Sandy Hook School has almost 700 students. One challenge Ms Page tries to figure out is how to make a large setting like Sandy Hook feel united.

“One of the goals is to feel like a small school,” she said. “Have the students be connected to one another. It’s a meaningful way to get children excited about literacy.”

Reading and language arts consultant Judie Mitten was thrilled with the excitement the students expressed even before they started reading the books as classes and as families.

“The kids are so excited. They have been anticipating something going on,” Ms Mitten said. “I think it is so important for the students to have their own copy.”

Ms Mitten also hopes the school initiative will continue to increase the positive home discussions parents have with the children, hopefully incorporating talk at the dinner talk or reading at night together before they go to bed, and increase the home/school relationship, too.

“Books give them life lessons. How we know each other is through our actions,” Ms Mitten said. “The traits we show our friends, just like we learn about characters in books, our peers know about us by what we say and what we do.”

The school will culminate the three-week program on March 20 with a special evening celebration for parents, students, and teachers to share their experiences and what they learned from reading Charlotte’s Web.