Article courtesy of Cathy McFadden, AIS teacher/Reading Specialist at George L. Cooke Elementary School:
I love a good story. My favorites are my family’s stories, especially the ones starring me! If you enjoy telling stories then the Storytelling Workshop, hosted by EPIC (Every Person Influences Children), is for you. Cooke Elementary School families are encouraged to come to the workshop on Tuesday, April 18 from 5:30 to 7 p.m. to be part of this engaging family activity.
Storytelling is the most powerful way that individuals share their life experiences. We all have a story to tell regardless of our culture or circumstance. Children love to hear stories and there are many benefits to storytelling, too.
Come to the workshop and share a story with your child. Family storytelling can include stories about your childhood, a family trip, holiday traditions or sharing a recipe. After telling your story, you and your child will illustrate the story. For those willing to share their story with others, we will record your storytelling and use the recording along with the illustration in a display at Cooke Family Literacy Night to be held on May 3rd. Our goal for the storytelling activity is to remind one another of our shared humanity, to teach the value of listening, and to develop the understanding that everyone’s story matters.
A flyer will be sent home with Cooke School families to register for the event. For more information about the storytelling workshop, please contact Jane Sorensen, EPIC Family Engagement Program Manager, at jsorensen@k12mcsd.net or Cooke Elementary School BLT Committee Chairs: Tiffany Kelly at tkelly@k12mscd.net or Cathy McFadden at cmcfadden@k12mcsd.net.
Please enjoy the accompanying video of Cooke School Kindergarten teacher, Jessica Vandermeulen, sharing a family story with her first-grade son, Camden. This is one example of what we hope to create at the April 18th storytelling workshop.