For Middle Gate Elementary School, the week of April 8 to 12 was filled with celebrations for the school’s second annual Read and Grow Week.

According to Language Arts Consultant Lina Silveira, the week included presentations by author Suzy Kline on April 8, having the school’s math/science room transformed into an escape room, and dressing like favorite book characters to end the week with a parade on April 12.

Middle Gate’s student newspaper, The Middle Gate Bee, was published for the fourth year in time for the week. For the publication, students wrote stories including, “Mr Geissler’s Boyhood,” “Ask Mrs Arsenault,” and “Pets, Pets, Pets!”

Ms Silveira and Math/Science Specialist Jill Bracksieck coordinated the week’s events, according to lead teacher John Sullivan.

Grade levels rotated through hearing Ms Kline speak on April 8. The visiting author told a group of first grade students that she keeps a notebook with her to write down different observations, for “seeds” for future stories. Ms Kline, who lives in Willington, shared with the students some of her “seeds” that turned into inspirations for her Horrible Harry book series.

“You’re the best writer ever,” one student stood up to say when given the chance to ask Ms Kline questions at the end of one presentation. Another student said, “You make the funniest stories.”

During lunch periods throughout the week, students were asked trivia questions about the earth and reading. According to Ms Silveira, first graders were asked, “What do we call the person who draws the pictures for a book?” on Monday, to coincide with Ms Kline’s visit. That same day, fourth graders were asked, “How much of Earth’s water can we use?” Students were surprised to learn that the correct answer was under one percent, said Ms Silveira.

Daily morning announcements were coordinated for the week, too. One day, Ms Bracksieck read a poem about the Earth, and on another day, Ms Silveira shared the following quote from L. Frank Baum’s The Wonderful Wizard of Oz, “There is no living thing that is not afraid when it faces danger. True courage is in facing danger when you are afraid.”

Classes took turns visiting the math/science room all week to work as a team in the “escape room,” designed by Ms Bracksieck. As a classroom of kindergarten students lined up outside the room on April 10, Ms Bracksieck readied the students by saying, “We have to go in a portal in the science lab in order to get to this beautiful forest with a campground.” When the room’s door was opened, green leaves hung from a set-up archway. Students ducked, and tucked leaves behind them, laughing as they went through the “portal.”

Once in the “forest” the students found a tent and faux-campfire in the middle of the math/science room.

“We’re trying to find out what happened to the butterflies and bees,” Ms Bracksieck said. The kindergarteners then worked through clues in groups with some guidance from adults. Finally, the students worked to put the clues together to find the code to open a chest. A paper in the chest shared information about different impacts that have led to dwindling butterfly and bee populations. Each student received a packet of seeds to plant at home to help support butterflies and bees.

“That’s a wonderful thing you can do for the Earth,” Ms Bracksieck said as the seed packets were distributed.

With music playing on the loudspeaker on April 12, Ms Silveira, reading teacher Diane Dennis, and reading specialist Julie Yorty led a character parade around the school. As the reading teachers walked by classrooms, students and their teachers joined the parade. Harry Potter walked near the Cat and the Hat, Roald Dahl’s Matilda was spotted, a Disney princess marched near a ninja, and Mary Poppins made sure her hat stayed on her head when she walked by the school’s art room.