Sandy Hook School’s

One-School, One-Read Comes To A Close

By Eliza Hallabeck

After one month of celebrating a book and reading the book together as a school, Sandy Hook School students, along with their parents and family members, were invited to the school in two sessions on the evening of May 19 for the One School, One Read finale.

A Bear Named Trouble, by Marion Dane Bauer, was chosen for this year’s One School, One Read book, and, since the programs start on April 27, has been the center of topics and activities at Sandy Hook School.

A Bear Named Trouble is a realistic fiction that follows a young boy, named Jonathan, and a bear, who Jonathan later names Trouble. Library/media specialist Bev Bjorklund coordinated the committee that choose A Bear Named Trouble for this year’s One School, One Read book. During the kick-off assembly on April 27, Carrie Usher’s fourth grade class performed a play to introduce the book.

The One School, One Read program was started at the school, according to said Sandy Hook School Principal Donna Pagé, based on the idea of creating something to involve the whole school community. Since the One School, One Read program’s start, the school’s PTA has funded the purchase of the books for each student in the school .

During the finale on Wednesday, students and parents had the option of participating in multiple programs in a number of classrooms that focused on the book.

In the cafeteria, students could make images of zoo animals from using their thumb prints, and eat popcorn, a favorite snack of one character in A Bear Named Trouble.

In Room 7 students were asked what animal they would like to be and participated by drawing that animal on a mural.

Table games were set up in the school’s library, and in the gym students tracked their way through a tunnel zoo.

As a special surprise for families, The Beardsley Zoo gave one pass for each Sandy Hook School child to attend the zoo.