A Welcome Back notice on our cyberspace newsletter and calendar alerts parents to a school-wide literacy activity that we hope will open discussions at the dinner table and in the car about a book everyone grades 3-5 in the school is reading:

Happy New Year!
A new reading activity for a new year:
This week we are beginning an interesting “Read-Aloud” Project with every teacher in the school reading the same book to her class. We have chosen the book, Loser, by Jerry Spinelli, a story that traces the life of a boy from 3rd through sixth grade and deals with our continuing attempt to help children be more aware of how we treat each other and the impact of bullying on the lives of children.

Ask your children about the book and about assignments they may be doing about the book. You can also find descriptions of the plot by googling “Loser” on your browser at home. You may even want a get a copy to read at home. If you need help obtaining a copy, leave your name in the office or call and we will order some extra copies next week for you.
Happy Reading and Happy New Year!

BLOG READERS: This is also a book about child development from the perspective of children from eight to twelve years of age. Admittedly, it is a thin slice of certain personalities, but it evokes universal truths about resiliency, personal courage, leaders and followers, and the extraordinary role teachers play by noticing and responding to what is going on beneath the surface of the classroom.