Cromwell Public Schools and Cromwell Belden Public library have worked together to get the community to read one book. We have done this three times over the last few years.
Our first book was Three Cups of Tea by Greg Mortenson & David Oliver Relin and we included all grades because the book has three versions of it.
The second book was No Impact Man by Colin Beavan and included all grades. We selected other books with the same theme for the lower grades.
Last year’s book was The Silence of Bonaventure Arrow by Rita Leganski. Cromwell Belden Public Library made a connection with Russell Library in Middletown to work together as part of Middletown’s Rotary Club’s One Book, One Middletown. Cromwell High
School only promoted the book to 9-12 grade students.
1. Was it mandatory or optional? Optional
2. What grades were involved? Last year - grades 9-12. Previous years K-12
3. Were parents required, encouraged, or allowed to participate? Parents were encouraged and allowed to participate.
4. What advice do you have--what worked, what didn't? At the community level the reading and attending the events are very popular. At the high school level not so much. We are still trying to figure out how to get more students, faculty and staff involved.
Our superintendent offered to purchase the book for every employee in the district that wanted to read it. I thought we were going to get slammed with request for the book given that it was now free. We had under twenty request for the book and the majority
of the request came from support staff and not teachers.
5. How long did the program run for--were there year-long connections/programs, or was it a one time event/discussion? Last year we started promoting and making the book available in February and events ran from March 22 through April 8 at various locations
in the greater Middletown area.
I would love to hear how to get more students and employees involved. We have never made it mandatory because I don’t like the thought of making an independent reading book mandatory.
Deb, I graduated from Woodstock Academy many years ago. At the time the library was in a little stone building at the edge of campus. It was one of my favorite places to spend during a study hall.
Julie
Julie Yulo-Medeiros
School Librarian
Virtual High School Site Coordinator
Cromwell High School
34 Evergreen Road
Cromwell, CT 06416
860.632.4841 Ext: 14830
I am currently reading Eleanor
& Park by Rainbow Rowell, The
Wicked Girls by Alex Marwood and The
Mountaintop School for Dogs by Ellen Cooney.
From: CASL-L [mailto:casl-l-bounces@mylist.net]
On Behalf Of Kwidz
Sent: Thursday, September 04, 2014 1:16 PM
To: Deborah Sharpe
Cc: casl-l@mylist.net
Subject: Re: [CASL-L] One School, One Book
Fairfield public and school librarians have collaborated on this for years. They would be a good source of info.
Sent from my iPhone
On Sep 4, 2014, at 11:55 AM, Deborah Sharpe <dsharpe@woodstockacademy.org> wrote: