One School, One Read

To the Editor:

Ko-hoh! Sandy Hook School has completed its second annual “One School, One Read” celebration. Principal Donna Pagé initiated the “One School, One Read” program last year as a way to build community spirit and a sense of belonging within our large school population. Over 700 students, parents, teachers, educational assistants, secretaries, custodians, cafeteria workers, and school volunteers participated in the reading of The Trumpet of the Swan by E.B. White.

Approximately 725 people attended our fun-filled culminating celebration on March 23. There were book discussion groups, a camp song sing-along, and a nonfiction video about trumpeter swans to view. The “Name the Adopted Swans” winning names, Louis and Serena, were announced and families were treated to trail mix and bug juice. All the while, former SHS student Nick Drabik performed songs on his trumpet that Louis, the swan, had played in the book. It was truly a memorable evening!

We would like to thank the following people for their invaluable help: the SHS families for reading with their children at home and for supporting our efforts at school, the SHS PTA for helping us financially, guest readers who volunteered their time to come into classrooms, Nick Drabik for playing the trumpet at the kickoff assembly and at the culminating night, the office staff for copying and taking phone calls, for the first and third graders and their teachers who worked together to act out skits for the kickoff assembly, art teacher Leslie Gunn for guiding the children through wonderful book-related art projects and decorating our halls, music teachers Mary Rose Kristopik and Dave Powers for instructing the children about brass instruments and for teaching them camp songs, PE teachers Jan Huot and Pam Lupo for transforming the gym into Camp Kookooskoos, media specialist Bev Bjorklund for making bookmarks, bookplates, vocabulary lists for each child, and cards for every attendee on March 23, as well as being a great organizing force for the culminating night, reading consultant Judie Mitten for ordering 700+ The Trumpet of the Swan books, math/science coordinator George Stockwell for setting up the website and helpfulness with committee work, third grade teacher Amber Libby for heading the Adopt-a-Swan campaign, TOTS committee members for being so willing to organize activities and to attend extra meetings, and all the enthusiastic teachers who wrote daily messages, decorated bulletin boards, doors, and windows, and helped to build excitement about reading with their children.

We especially want to thank our principal, Donna Pagé, for originating this worthwhile project, and for preparing the family homework and invitations, attending untold numbers of meetings, and for doing an incredible amount of work behind the scenes. It was her inspiration to launch the “One School, One Read” project that has provided hundreds of families with lasting memories of outstanding literature. The two chosen titles, Charlotte’s Web and The Trumpet of the Swan, have become a part of our students as readers and responders to great writing. We are all looking forward to the third annual “One School, One Read” next year! We wonder … what book could it possibly be?

Sincerely,

Patti Vitarelli & Becky Virgalla

Co-chairs of Sandy Hook School’s

“One School, One Read” project

12 Dickinson Drive, Sandy Hook                              March 24, 2004