Special Memories Of ‘The Cricket’

To the Editor:

Sandy Hook School concluded its Third Annual “One School, One Read” celebration on Thursday, March 3. Principal Donna Pagé originated this initiative in 2003 as a way to bring our large school population of nearly 2,500 students, staff, and parents together more closely as a community of learners. This year we participated in the shared reading of The Cricket in Times Square by George Selden.

We connected to each other as learners in a variety of ways across the disciplines.

We learned about New York City, subway and train systems, arias and sonatas, sopranos and tenors, the anatomy and behavior of crickets, city versus country life, math connections, the Chinese culture, and the values of family, friendship, and loyalty. Many teachers invited special guest readers to their classrooms, including Congresswoman Nancy Johnson, First Selectman Herb Rosenthal, Superintendent Evan Pitkoff, Assistant Superintendent Alice Jackson, as well as many parents, grandparents, and Board of Education members.

Approximately 700 people attended our fun-filled culminating night. There were book discussion groups, a sing-along of New York songs and Broadway musicals, a slideshow presentation, Bellini’s newsstand, and a multitude of interactive graphs and Venn diagrams to engage all age levels. Two violinists performed in the lobby as families moved about the hallways to peruse the wonderful student work on display. Toward the end of the evening, all attendees were treated to soft, New York-style pretzels and “Big Apple” juice. The rousting strains of Frank Sinatra singing “New, York, New York” brought the evening to an end.

We would like to thank the following people for their invaluable help: SHS families for doing their family homework and for supporting our efforts at school; the SHS PTA for help with the CRITS website, decorating the cafetorium so beautifully, supplying the snacks for 700 people, helping us financially, and for doing so much work behind the scenes; Lillian Bittman and her volunteers for the special Cricket Edition of the Footprint Post; guest readers for volunteering their time; the office staff for inserting nameplates, counting out classroom sets of books, and making numerous copies for us; Mrs. Sullivan’s third graders who acted out vocabulary words for the kickoff assembly; former SHS student Marina Virgalla and Katie Serock for playing their violins during culminating night; art teacher Leslie Gunn for guiding our children through book-related art projects such as creating New York City skyline cutouts and illustrating cricket poetry; music teacher Maryrose Kristopik for organizing the kickoff assembly, making musical connections with the children, and for leading the sing-along; PE teachers Jan Huot and Pam Lupo for transforming the gym into Grand Central Station and for integrating cricket jump rope chants into daily activities; media specialist Bev Bjorklund for making bookmarks, nameplates, and vocabulary posters; Judie Mitten for ordering 700+ The Cricket in Times Square books; George Stockwell for his photography skills; Principal Donna Pagé for her motivating force behind this spirited project; Assistant Principal Cathy Mazzariello for her New York City expertise, creativity, and helpfulness with committee work; CRITS committee members for their willingness to organize activities and to attend extra meetings; and all the teachers who decorated bulletin boards, encouraged their students to respond to quality literature, had crickets as classroom pets, and helped to build enthusiasm about reading with their children.

We hope that SHS families will always have special memories of The Cricket in Times Square, and we look forward to the 4th Annual “One School, One Read” in 2006.

Sincerely,

Patti Vitarelli

Becky Virgalla

co-chairs Sandy Hook School’s

One School, One Read project

12 Dickinson Drive, Sandy Hook                                March 6, 2005