Last week, we were so honored and excited to have author and friend, Susan Verde, join our first graders during their related arts time in the performing arts center at Van Meter School.
At Van Meter, we are lucky to have this common time with all of the related arts teachers (Art, Guidance, Library and Music). This has allowed us to think creativity and collaboratively as we plan special events and projects for our students this year.
A few weeks ago, we kicked off our collaborative and traveling mural project together (read the post here), so having Susan Skype to share her new book....
...Hey, Wall was the perfect connection.
As shared on Susan's site,
Hey, Wall: A Story of Art and Community.... There is a wall in Angel's neighborhood. Around it, the community bustles with life: music, dancing, laughing. Not the wall. It is bleak. One boy decides to change that. But he can't do it alone.
Told in elegant verse by Susan Verde and vibrantly illustrations by John Parra, this inspiring picture book celebrates the power of art to tell a story and bring a community together.
To start our time together, Susan did a mindfullness activity with the first graders. It was so touching to hear her share words of inspiration and peace with them. We are looking forward to using this activity in our library this year.
Susan then read Hey, Wall, while Ms. Rabe and Mrs. Cook held up the two copies we had for the first graders to look at too.
We loved the connections to murals and to the stories we have heard over the last few weeks including Maybe Something Beautiful for Read for the Record.
Susan's story is such a beautiful and inspiring one....It is one that will stick with our readers as they create their mural at Van Meter and to send around the world.
Thank you Susan for Skyping with us and sharing such a special story. We love Hey, Wall and YOU!
We can't wait to Skype you when your murals are complete and share the ones we put together after they travel from around the world.
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