Features
Is It a Box or Not a Box ?
W hat happens when children of different ages work together to turn a box into a “ not a box ”?
In October 2022 , students at Fanny Edel Falk Laboratory School explored that question when they participated in a schoolwide Not a Box activity . Students from different grade levels teamed up , using a few simple tools and their own imaginations to turn a cardboard box something completely different .
Working together in teams of buddies from the Primary , Intermediate , and Middle School levels of the school , students came up with an amazing array of “ not a boxes ,” from turtles , birds , and dinosaurs to haunted houses , old-style TV sets , motor homes , boats , helmets , and robot costumes .
Cheryl Capezzuti , one of Falk ’ s art teachers , gave students instructions on how to tackle the project . They began by viewing their prompts , a series of questions designed to get them thinking and talking . Students next sketched out the possibilities before moving on to cutting cardboard using scissors , butter knives , and adult help when necessary . After finishing their projects , the groups gave their creations titles and wrote stories about them .
Student “ not a boxes ” were then put on display in Falk ’ s primary hallway and in the Falk Cafe so that all students , faculty , and staff could view them .
The project was inspired by the book “ Not a Box ” by Antoinette Portis . In the book , a rabbit plays with a box in a variety of ways , only to be asked questions like , “ Why are you sitting in that box ?” The rabbit ’ s reply —“ It ’ s not
a box !”— is paired with images of what it ’ s imagining the box to be : a race car , a mountain , and a rocket ship , among other inventive uses for the box .
Not a Box is the first special event that Falk School has held on one of its early dismissal Wednesdays , a monthly day when students are dismissed early , allowing faculty to engage in professional development activities .
Beyond offering students a memorable and fun activity , Not a Box served a very important purpose , says Jill Sarada : to present all Falk students with a shared experience .
Even before the groups formed and began imagining what their boxes could become , the students who assembled in Falk ’ s gym were engaging in the important shared experiences of coming together in a shared space and getting quiet together , greeting friends and siblings across the gym , and listening as Sarada read “ Not a Box ” aloud to the group .
“ Shared experiences bring communities closer ,” Sarada says . “ We value these kinds of experiences and want to make space and time for them .
“ These are the things that help a community grow stronger ,” she adds .
After the Not a Box event , teacher Lindsay O ’ Sullivan ’ s third-grade class wrote Portis a letter to tell her how much they loved the book , describe the kinds of “ not a boxes ” they made , and explain the importance of the event .
“ These are the things that help a community grow stronger .” Jill Sarada , Falk School Director
16 EN AVANT | FALL 2023