Why do a school-wide read?
Middle school can be an incredibly difficult experience. Kids are discovering who they are, pushing boundaries, and trying to carve out a niche for themselves. Friendships form and collapse in the blink of an eye, and the social pressure amongst peers can be crippling. ADL is like many other middle schools; as a community, we are dealing with issues of mean behavior, bullying, and peer pressure, as well as academic and social anxieties. We want ADL to stand out from the norm. It’s important to do this work so our school can be a place where students feel connected and empowered. As a school community we know it’s important to create positive social change, and we want to do that. Here’s our plan:
Every member of the student body, as well as all faculty and staff, will participate in a school-wide read of the book WONDER by R.J. Palacio. WONDER is an incredible novel that garners a very intense, emotional response from readers. Two overarching themes in this book are kindness and acceptance, both aspects of our school community that we would like to foster during the 2014-2015 school year and beyond. The shared reading of WONDER will provide every member of our school community with an instant connection: we will all have this book in common. Every student, teacher, school personnel, and administrator will have read it, and that allows all of us to start building meaningful relationships right away. By initiating this project we hope to show our students that it takes time and effort to become better people. We want to send the message that we all have a choice in becoming who we are, and at ADL we choose to be kind and accepting. We want to create a culture where every child feels accepted and valued for who they are and for the unique talents they offer. We feel that we need this project to improve the lives of our students, our ADL school community, and the greater Essex community. This can be achieved with comprehensive, extensive programming both within the school and our town, and by committing ourselves as lifelong learners and upholding social justice for everyone.
Every member of the student body, as well as all faculty and staff, will participate in a school-wide read of the book WONDER by R.J. Palacio. WONDER is an incredible novel that garners a very intense, emotional response from readers. Two overarching themes in this book are kindness and acceptance, both aspects of our school community that we would like to foster during the 2014-2015 school year and beyond. The shared reading of WONDER will provide every member of our school community with an instant connection: we will all have this book in common. Every student, teacher, school personnel, and administrator will have read it, and that allows all of us to start building meaningful relationships right away. By initiating this project we hope to show our students that it takes time and effort to become better people. We want to send the message that we all have a choice in becoming who we are, and at ADL we choose to be kind and accepting. We want to create a culture where every child feels accepted and valued for who they are and for the unique talents they offer. We feel that we need this project to improve the lives of our students, our ADL school community, and the greater Essex community. This can be achieved with comprehensive, extensive programming both within the school and our town, and by committing ourselves as lifelong learners and upholding social justice for everyone.