Dear Parents and Guardians:
Sodus Intermediate School is once again embarking on a special project, an all-school book club called One School, One Book. Every student will receive a copy of the same book – Crenshaw by Katherine Applegate. Crenshaw tells the story of Jackson. In the past, Jackson and his family lived in the family van for 14 weeks before moving into an apartment. Now they are facing homelessness again. And though both his parents are loving and supportive, Jackson is naturally worried.
Which is where Crenshaw comes in. Crenshaw is a large, imaginary, talking cat who likes purple jellybeans – just like Jackson. Can Crenshaw magically solve all the problems in Jackson’s complicated life? No. Can Crenshaw provide unexpected support, and ask sassy, challenging questions that help Jackson think differently about the life-isn’t-always-fair nature of his childhood? He surely can.
Teachers will be reading the same chapters with students during the school day, and we are hoping that your child can re-read those same chapters with family members at home each night. At the conclusion of the book, students will be able to take the book home to add to their home libraries. Please take the time to talk to your child about this special activity.
With the One School, One Book program, we aim to build a community of readers at Sodus Intermediate. Everyone – students, teachers, families and administrative staff – will be participating, and we will all reap the many benefits of this program. We have exciting plans to bring the story and its lessons to our students. These activities will encourage and reward attentive reading and listening. You will soon find that your child will take pride in knowing and anticipating the details of the story. Throughout the program, everyone will be engaging in a shared conversation.
Staff and students will read the book in school, have the chance to participate in daily trivia questions, activities and discussions from May 9 – May 26. One School, One Book is a unique program in that children at all grade levels will all be listening to, and interacting with, the same book. It makes sound educational sense! As part of a balanced literacy program, reading professionals recommend that you read aloud on a daily basis. We believe that you can and should continue reading chapter books with your older children, even when they are able to read by themselves. Reading aloud builds interest as well as fluency by modeling appropriate pace, intonation, and phrasing. We have selected a title that can be followed, understood, and enjoyed by younger students, but will still captivate and stimulate older children.
We hope everyone will be talking about the characters and the big ideas from the book. “When a whole school reads a book, there’s a lot to talk about.” With your support, we can build a community of readers at Sodus Intermediate School.
Sincerely,
The Sodus Intermediate Team
