Books and Families Program - A Success Yet Again!
We are very grateful to BECA teachers Raina Milne and Kaitlin Turck, who with the indispensable guidance and support of BECA alumna Jennifer Boyce, organized this year's Libros Y Familias program. Many thanks too to our teachers who facilitated small group discussions with parents and managed the craft activity our students participated in.
By Raina MilneBringing families together through reading is an important way that we try to strengthen children’s scholastic capabilities at San Jeronimo Bilingual School. The more time parents spend reading with their children, and the more tools they have to encourage creative thought about what their children are reading, the more their children will get out of the reading experience.
Our annual Libros Y Familias program helps foster this connection in our students' families. Over thirty families attended this year's program,
buzzing through the schoolyard in the mid-afternoon on Saturday, May 10th. The selected book, Una Cuchara para Cada Bocado, by Joe Hayes,
is an interesting story about humility, which provoked thoughtful debates about perceptions of wealth and much more. While parents were
discussing the themes in this children's book, the children read the book separately and worked on a theme-inspired art project.
After every family eagerly accepted their new copy of the book – theirs to keep as a reminder of the event – each group set off on their assignments. The small discussion groups for the parents were a huge success. All of the parents were engaged in the interesting tale and thoughtful debates about the plot and resolution could be heard from the hallways.
Meanwhile, in the back of our campus, more than 50 kids sat rapt with attention as Mr. Paul read the book aloud and 6th grader Henry
Salomon helped with the narrative in Spanish. After, they colored vibrant abstract spoons on tin foil. Many of the kids also drew pictures to
express their creativity about the story. We were amazed with our little artists and how so many of them drew the antagonistic rich man's strange
moustache perfectly!
Afterwards, the parents were given time with their children to discuss the book together. We are confident that the parents' discussions, facilitated by our bilingual teachers, helped demonstrate ways to discuss literature with their children and to think critically about the stories they encounter.
To top off our fun-filled afternoon, everyone joined in at the end of the program for some delicious arroz con pollo. The air was filled with excitement about reading, art, and a beautiful experience shared among children, parents, and teachers. As each family went home that evening, satisfied by good conversation and a good meal, we are confident many of them looked forward to sharing Una Cuchara para Cada Bocado again in their homes.
