Teachers Impacted: Jennifer van der Smissen

Grade Levels Impacted: ECSE or PreK,Kindergarten,1st,2nd,3rd,4th,5th

Students Impacted: around 900 students

Feeling the fatigue of the workday? Sometimes we can all use a break. Let's give our students the opportunity to turn those breaks into Book Breaks! Book Break is a digital author visit service, a unique program that provides our students with monthly virtual visits from a diverse array of authors. With Book Break, each grade level will hear from nine different writers/illustrators per year. This innovative service aims to ignite a passion for reading and writing while enhancing literacy engagement in our school. Each month, Book Break not only introduces students to contemporary authors but also creates authentic learning experiences by allowing them to interact directly with the creators of the stories they love. These interactions will foster a deeper understanding of narrative techniques, character development, and the writing process, enriching their comprehension and critical thinking skills. By exposing students to various literary voices and genres, Book Break will help cultivate a vibrant reading culture in our school. The program will also support cross-curricular connections, encouraging students to apply their learning in creative projects inspired by the authors works and providing the teachers with access to additional mini lesson videos available on demand on specific curriculum topics. Investing in Book Break will not only enhance our literacy initiatives but also inspire the next generation of readers and writers.