Sharpstein Storytelling Festival

Sharpstein Elementary Library-Media Specialist Michelle Shaul coordinated a Storytelling Festival this week for fourth and fifth grade students. Students have been working with Mrs. Shaul for about two months on the event during their library classes. The collaboration included selecting and producing live versions of stories and making costumes and props.

Kindergarten students and third graders were the audience for the fourth grade students, and first and second graders were the audience for the fifth graders. The festival took place during fourth and fifth grade specialty class time, so all students performed their stories in the festival instead of having music, PE, or library as normal.

Mrs. Shaul invited local children’s author Patrick Carman to attend and encourage the students. Mr. Carman also autographed bookplates for all fourth and fifth graders.

“The fourth and fifth grade students were very engaged throughout the process of developing their live stories, and they had to exercise lots of really important social and emotional learning skills, like working in a team, compromising, problem solving and using an appropriate voice for presenting,” said Principal Maria Garcia. “One of Sharpstein's core values is community. We are working very hard to rebuild a sense of community after distance learning and this event was a huge step forward.”