Hopkins Hill Students Explore Literature, Poetry During Reading Week

During the week of April 9-12, students at Hopkins Hill Elementary School took part in a fun-filled celebration of all things literary. Principal Kathryn Tancrelle, new to Hopkins Hill this year, embraced the 2013 Reading Week theme, Discover the Treasures of Poetry, selected in honor of National Poetry Month. 

At Tancrelle's suggestion, the school's Reading Week Committee thought up a way to incorporate a poetry-related treasure hunt into the week's activities, and the idea came to fruition with the help of Art Teacher, Sarah Hemendinger, who created a realistic treasure map, complete with treasure chest. The map was displayed in the school's foyer along with matching maps that students were able to take home with them.

Hopkins Hill teachers began preparing for the celebration a week earlier when they assigned each classroom, Kindergarten through Grade 5, a letter found in "Hopkins Hill Huskies" and asked students to compose a line beginning with their assigned letter, which would later become part of a school-wide acrostic poem.

To kick off the Reading Week festivities, a ceremony was held on Monday in the school gymnasium, during which the "Hopkins Hill Huskies" poem was revealed. Next, second grade teacher, Deb Donahue, led students in a cheer about being a Hopkins Hill Husky, followed by poetry readings from student representatives in each grade.

On Tuesday, each grade level chose a reading project to display during a Reading Week parade through the halls of Hopkins Hill. Some grades wrote poems about themselves and created banners or hats to depicting their favorite things, while other classrooms drew favorite book characters, designed book covers or displayed favorite poems.   

Students were treated to a visit from award winning storyteller Keith Munslow on Wednesday, followed by teacher swaps, where teachers exchanged classes and read stories to one another's students.

Thursday was Guest Reader Day and students were practically bursting with excitement in anticipation of special readers from the school and community, including family members, Miss Massachusetts; Taylor Kinzler, Ken Bell of ABC 6 News, local children’s author, Kristen Calenda and Cardi brothers, Nick, Ron and Pete.

During the week, students were asked to read four school-related poems and choose their favorite of the four. On Friday morning Mrs. Tancrelle read the most popular poem to students; Good Morning Dear Students by Kenn Nesbitt. Throughout the school day, students made unannounced visits to classrooms and declared, “poetry break!”, where they recited the poems they had been working on during the week. 

This year's Reading Week concluded with the drawing of one name from each classroom of students who participated in the Treasures of Poetry Treasure Hunt.  The selected students each won a new book of poetry purchased by Hopkins Hill P.T.A. members, who also bought new books and bookmarks for every child in the school from preschool through grade 5.