This year twenty eight adult Pencil PALS wrote to students in Mrs. Venturino's class 4th grade class at PS 255 in Brooklyn. As you can see by the pictures, friendships were created and the final event was a fun day for all.
The students in Mrs. Venturino’s 4th grade class showed the visiting adult Pencil PALS their ballroom and salsa dancing skills. The class had won numerous awards for their achievements in this dance form.
Evelyn Fermin is pictured with her student Pencil PAL Andrea Lee at PS 255. Evelyn visited that day with Andrea during her physical education class.
Gina Gionfrido is pictured with her student Pencil PAL Alexandra Kundin. The students shared with their Pencil PALS the writing they had done during writing workshop that year.
Tom Kelly is pictured working with students to prepare the performance of the play they have created.
Pencil PALS is a program designed to make reading and writing a first person experience for children in elementary schools. Each child involved in this program has an opportunity to write and illustrate his/her own letters and stories. The children’s' letters are then mailed to an adult Pencil PAL. Pencil PALS are volunteer performers from the BookPALS program with whom the children can share their thoughts and school happenings. Pencil PALS write response letters to the children, and before long, inter-generational relationships prosper between the children and their Pencil PALS.
Eric Saiet is shown with his student Pencil PAL Levy Agaronnik.
Michael Stever is shown rehearsing the short play that was created that day with his group and performed for the class.
Michael Stever and Jason Dietz talked to the 4th graders about their artistic careers and the students were able to ask questions.
Neena Beber is shown performing the short play that was created with the students that day.
BookPALS
http://www.bookpals.net/content/article.php?story=20090804203408537