Cougar
Connection
PROMOTING COMMUNITY, EXCELLENCE, AND CHARACTER
s Crafton Elementary second graders
welcomed children’s author and illustrator
Grace Lin into their classroom in the late
fall by way of video conference. Joining
students from four other elementary
schools, pupils were able to interact with
Lin to ask how she became an author and
learn how she is inspired when writing
stories. The American-born author said
she gains many of her ideas for her books
from real life experiences in her parent’s
hometown of Taiwan. She began writing
in the fifth grade and her first work
was published in 1999. Lin encouraged
students to read as much as possible
and to begin jotting down thoughts on
paper. “Every time you write, and review
what you write, you will become a better
writer,” she said. Teachers Jim Bassano
and Nick DeRoss felt the experience
for students was productive and
enlightening. Following the discussion
Miss Lin mailed 25 copies of her most
recent book, A Big Bed for Little Snow, to
the school for reading in the classroom.
Second grade students from Crafton
Elementary enjoyed the opportunity to meet
children’s author and illustrator Grace Lin by
way of video conference.
Teacher Jim Bassano and students interacted
with the author by posing questions about
her books and illustrations.
36
CARLYNTON
s Student members of the Early Act
Club of Carnegie Elementary have had
a busy fall and winter. The community
service organization, led by teacher
Mary Campbell, held a food drive in
November, collecting boxes and bags of
non-perishable foods and delivering the
goods to the Salvation Army food pantry.
In December, students decorated and
packed 125 treat bags for residents of
Honus Wagner Plaza. Thanks to generous
donations from The Fresh Market and
the Heidelberg Shop N Save, the bags
contained fresh fruit, nuts, candy and a
were then treated to hot chocolate
and cookies. Participation in the two
student community service groups
teaches respect, empathy, responsibility,
tolerance, citizenship and leadership.
s ACTS OF COMPASSION
When reading teacher Zeffie Carroll
assigned the book Drums Girls and
Dangerous Pie by Jordan Sonnenblick to
her seventh grade classes, the students
were intrigued by the book’s title and
the cover. Little did they know, the novel
would reveal the tale of Steven Alper,
a 13-year-old boy whole life is turned
upside down when his younger brother
is diagnosed with leukemia. Before his
Third graders
Patrick Lucci,
Lexi Wiater,
Sameer Abu
Alheden,
Fera Alezzo
and Shaurya
Chauhan
packed goody
bags for
residents of
Honus Wagner
Plaza.
very special homemade card. In addition,
teacher Julie Lewis and members of
the Carnegie Elementary Amazing
Alternatives in grades four to six visited
Honus Wagner Plaza in December to
sing holiday carols to residents, traveling
from floor to floor to spread good cheer.
The students were also asked to vote
for their favorite decorated door, part
of building-wide holiday contest, and Stephanie Scoletti, founder and director of
Young Adult Cancer Support in Pittsburgh,
spoke to seventh graders about living with
cancer. She was recently recognized by
Pittsburgh Magazine as one of “40 people
under 40” who have made an impact in the city.
Early Act Club members E’lija Gibbs, Umarbek
Isombedriyev, Mariah Gray, Maxwell Novak
and Blakely Fisher decorated gift bags filled
with fresh fruit, nuts and candy. The cover of the novel, Drums Girls and
Dangerous Pies, does not divulge a hint of
the profound message of the story. The book
was authored by an English teacher who was
inspired by the real-life story of one of her
own students.