MONROE, CT — A stone outdoor classroom behind Fawn Hollow Elementary School allows teachers to take their classes outside for lessons in reading and writing, while enjoying the fresh air on warm, sunny days.
The circular structure, 18-feet-by-18-feet in diameter, was built by Stan Jablonka, the owner of Elite Stoneworks. He is a Monroe parent who also built the outdoor classroom at Monroe Elementary School.
Fawn Hollow Principal Leigh Metcalf Acnes said the one for her school was completed this fall.
“This is something I wanted to do and the Fawn Hollow PTO worked behind the scenes to make it happen,” she said. “They support the vision of the school. I think it’s great this was done by a Monroe parent who lives in the community and wanted to do the work for Monroe schools.”
The second phase of the project calls for the purchase of furniture, a shade structure and equipment. The PTO recently held a Read-A-Thon fundraiser to help pay for it.
All students is grades K-5 participated, reading and listening to books and periodicals, sometimes with parents reading to the younger children, while raising online donations at 99Pledges.
Over the course of four weeks the fundraiser, which included fun community activities bringing students and families together, raised a total of $31,293.
On Friday morning, Ances posed for a picture with the oversized check beside Read-A-Thon organizers and PTO members, Jessica Miller and Kari Zimmers. Children seated around tables inside the cafeteria broke out into cheers.
“This is a celebration day,” Ances told her students. “We know how much you are reading and through the generosity of our donors we raised $31,293.”
Miller said the money will be split with some going to the outdoor classroom and the rest toward mini-grants for teachers to buy materials for educational projects.
The Read-A-Thon
During the Read-A-Thon, Miller said students read at home and in school. Children in grades K to 2 tracked how many books they read, while students in grades 3 to 5 logged how many minutes they spent reading.
“They could read whatever they want,” Miller said. “They could listen to stories on audio and parents, siblings or teachers could read to them. They can read poetry, magazines, graphic novels.”
Of the success of the fundraiser, she said, “I think it’s due to the strong community we have here and how everyone is dedicated to the process — and the children are enjoying reading more, reading daily. I think the students are excited.”
“It definitely inspired parents’ and students’ relationships at home,” Zimmers said. “I spent a lot of time with my five-year-old reading and she likes the pictures. She loved it.”
Zimmers’ daughter, Ellie, is enrolled in kindergarten at Fawn Hollow and her older daughter, Mackenzie is in third grade.
Miller’s children also participated in the Read-A-Thon. Her daughter, Kenzie, is in third grade and her twin sons, Drew and Reece, are in kindergarten.
“I like reading to my younger twins,” Miller said.
Kenzie said her favorite books are part of the “Hooky” series by author Míriam Bonastre Tur. “It’s a big book. This thick,” she said holding her hands apart. “And I have three of them.”
Ances said there were prizes throughout the event. Among them, classes logging a certain number of reading hours could get extra recess or win a pajama party.
“The more you read, the more significant the prize,” she said. “The top reader will be librarian for a day and the top fundraiser will be the principal for a day.”
There will be two winners in each category, two for grades K-2 and two for 3-5, according to Ances.
Miller said the Fawn Hollow PTO is already planning to host another Read-A-Thon next year.
Family events
Ances walked down the hallway with Kenzie and her brothers, while on their way to the playground where the siblings would sit on the wall of the stone classroom. There Kenzie read books to Drew and Reece.
Ances said she had wanted to have a Read-A-Thon at her school.
“While at its core it’s a fundraiser, it is also centered around the importance of reading and encouraging children to be able to dive into a book and enjoy it,” she said.
One of the principal’s favorite things about the fundraiser was activities grades held at Fawn Hollow with family members.
“Every family had an opportunity to come to school,” Ances said. “It was a special highlight. Each grade level had 15 to 20 minutes to do an activity with their families.”
She said all of the school’s first graders walked along the field outside, while reading a story with their families. Fourth graders gathered on the front lawn with their parents, reading together while seated in comfortable chairs with blankets.
Inside the school, fifth graders and their families divided up into teams and played games involving reading. Ances said cheers and shouts could be heard as players got into the fun.
“Family engagement has always been a focal point in our school,” she said. “Well over 50 percent of families were able to participate in our activities.”
Ances praised Miller and Zimmers for their hard work in organizing the fundraiser and all of the other parents, who supported the school’s vision.
“The sheer generosity of families … there were donations over $250 and there were a lot over $100 from family members who supported their child in reading and our school,” Ances said. “Just about every child in every class did something. It was a really good response.”
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