The Kids Are Alright: Scotts Ridge and Rogers Park Pilot Book Talk Program

“We all just started talking,” says Scotts Ridge eighth-grader, Kieran of her new friend, Bella, a seventh-grader from Rogers Park Middle School in Danbury. “I think the conversation started with movies. I love her style.”

Bella agrees, “We vibed really well. She seemed like a happy person.” The students are part of a yearlong conversation between SRMS and RPMS about the book Harbor Me by Jacqueline Woodson. Last Friday, students and staff connected at SRMS for their first in-person meeting after several virtual Google Meet conversations. 

“Students started out a little shy,” reports SRMS Librarian Janine Johnson, who initiated this program along with Principal Tim Salem, who previously taught in Danbury. Powerful ice-breaking exercises including a Human Scavenger Hunt and an “Assumptions” Activity led to in-depth conversation. Small group tours of Scotts Ridge solidified these new bonds. By lunchtime (pizza), an observer couldn’t tell which school students attended; Scotts Ridge and Rogers Park students mingled together in groups. “Now, look at them,” laughs Johnson. 

After lunch, Principal Salem facilitated a discussion about Harbor Me. Students went deep quickly, talking about their own experiences with rejection, forgiving, and forgetting. Kamryn, a RPMS seventh grade student who confessed she loves to bake, passed out dozens of cookies that she had made for the group. When it was time for Rogers Park students to get on the bus back to their school, everyone headed outside for a group photo. “I wish I could go to school with them every day,” one SRMS student said. SRMS plans to visit Rogers Park on April 1.

Rogers Park Principal Dr. Kristy Zaleta reflects on the day: “Our collaboration has been a wonderful opportunity for the students to get to know their peers in a neighboring town. Despite cultural or socioeconomic differences, they're finding they have more in common than they may have thought. It's really rewarding to see them make connections with one another without regard to social constructs.”

Assistant Principal Dana Perez adds, “"The collaboration between RPMS and SRMS has exceeded my expectations.  The students’ vulnerability during this process has been inspirational and it just proves how having a growth mindset can support inclusion among all people."

The roots of this program go back to September 2020 when Johnson, following the George Floyd murder, wanted to talk about social justice. Johnson, Salem and Assistant Librarian Emily Shiller initiated a community read-aloud for the fall of 2020. Leaders from Scotts Ridge, the District, and the Ridgefield community read chapters aloud from such titles as Prairie Lotus by Linda Sue Park; Stamped: Racism, Antiracism, and You by Jason Reynolds and Ibram X Kendi. They visited virtually with What Lane? author Torrey Maldonado, who lives and teaches in Brooklyn. “The students wanted to visit Maldonado’s school,” says Johnson. “We couldn’t do that, but we could work with Danbury; these are our neighbors.” 

Salem had the vision to bring the SRMS social justice initiatives centered around books to the state level. “We presented to members of the Connecticut Association of Schools about our initiative,” says Salem. “The result was a spring 2021 workshop offered to more than 60 state administrators titled Race, Equity and Books: How Reading Can be an Entry Point for Essential Conversations. Attendees learned about important discussions centered around books, and how our teachers work to include lessons about race and equity throughout the school year. It was an opportunity not only to advance ideas that could potentially be replicated elsewhere in the state but also to reinforce the role of school librarians in a thriving learning community.” 

Principal Salem comments, “Sharing insights between districts allows our students to broaden their perspectives and develop empathy and understanding for others. Books become the vehicle for building those connections.” 

On Friday, Rosie O’Brien Vojtek from the Connecticut Association of Schools attended the meeting of RPMS and SRMS students to observe the program. “There’s so much value in bringing students together from different schools to see their similarities,” said Vojtek. “Seeing the students meet each other face to face for the first time after having met each other virtually is heartwarming. We are looking at this as a pilot with the intent to extend and replicate it with other schools across the state.” 

 

 

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Submitted by Ridgefield, CT

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