By Lisa Carolin
Hallways and classrooms at Beach Middle School were overrun with kindergartners visiting from North Creek Elementary School on April 10.
The occasion: to meet with their sixth-grade buddies to create a book.
It’s a tradition between the two grades to meet this time of year and discuss ideas for stories, and then meet again in May when the books are completed.
Kindergartners had the chance to tour Beach with their sixth-grade buddies and get some insight into what they’re headed for in just over five years.
Along with snacks and games, the sixth-graders asked their younger partners about themselves and discussed ideas for stories aimed at the kindergarten aged group.
Sixth-grader Lily VanHevel learned that her partner, Ellen, likes sports.
“I want my idea to be a surprise,” said VanHevel. “My story will have Ellen as a hockey player.”
“He loves watching his cousins play baseball, so that will be the setting,” said sixth-grader Josh Hanna about his story for kindergartner Wesley.
Another Westley in kindergarten told his sixth-grade buddy Amir Doma how brave he is, so Doma decided to feature him in a story about zip lining.
“It’s really fun being able to hang out and make a story,” said Doma.
“I like it here, and I like Amir,” said Westley. “I’m glad we live in the same town.”
Sixth-grade teacher Amy Doma says creating the stories is a great way to end the school year. She says it is one of the top experiences for sixth-graders and fits in with curriculum requirements.
“Sixth-grade curriculum asks students to focus on writing a narrative story using all the elements of good story writing (conflict and resolution, setting, rising/falling action, climax),” said Doma. “We also focus on incorporating figurative language and interesting vocabulary.”
She says the sixth-graders also have the curricular goal of interviewing and writing for an authentic audience.
“All of this combined with the fun of meeting a kindergarten buddy and being able to see how excited they are when we deliver and read them a book written especially for them, makes for a great culminating project,” said Doma.
