Galena Elementary students, families, staff and faculty have all been reading The Indian in the Cupboard as a part of the One School, One Book project funded by the United Way of Kent County and Kent Forward. During the past month, everybody has been reading the book and discussing the adventures of Omri, Little Bear and Boone. Students in PreK through grade 5 have eagerly analyzed the text to find answers to daily trivia questions and posted responses to comprehension questions offered on the GALES Google Classroom website. “It has been a wonderful experience for all of our students, regardless of age or grade, to enjoy the same book,” said Amy Crowding, Principal of GALES.
This project was first introduced by the way of a brief video designed to pique students’ interest. The video, written and produced by Jessica Ribaudo – GALES 2nd grade teacher, was a big hit on social media. It received over 9,000 views! Here is a link to the video on the GALES PTA Facebook page – https://www.facebook.com/gales pta/videos/
On January 10th, the students attended a school wide assembly to discover the title of the book and enjoy a skit introducing them to two special characters – Boone (played by GALES teacher Kathy Seip) and Little Bear (played by GALES teacher Rachael Gugasian). Students left excited to dive into the adventure of toys coming to life! From that point forward, Falcon families read a chapter a night and students came to school prepared to answer questions and participate in discussions regarding the book.
To help enhance students’ understanding of the Native American culture introduced by the book, Chris Cerino visited the school on January 25th to share artifacts and to talk about their customs. The students loved seeing the animal pelts, arrowheads, bowls, baskets and decorative belts. He led a great discussion regarding how the Native Americans used natural resources to survive. The students especially liked learning about how Native Americans used plants and animals to cure illnesses and to stay healthy.
On February 8th at 6:00pm, GALES will host an Academic Night celebrating the One School, One Book project. Dovie Thomason, a well-known Lakota/Kiowa Apache storyteller, will share stories highlighting the Native American culture and beliefs. Her stories will entertain people of all ages and the community is encouraged to attend. The Kent County Arts Council is helping to bring Ms. Thomason to GALES through a generous arts grant.
Thanks to the United Way of Kent County, Kent Forward, Kent County Arts Council, and Chris Cerino, Galena Elementary School is enjoying a great One School, One Book reading experience and appreciating how a good book can bring a community of readers together.
For more information, contact Amy S. Crowding, Principal, at 410-810-2511.
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