Books come to life at Dutch Neck School literacy festival.
By: Emily Craighead
WEST WINDSOR The Dutch Neck literacy festival was a celebration of nights spent reading under the covers after mom and dad said goodnight, and days spent reading and writing in the classroom.
It was a celebration of the way those words leapt off the pages and came to life, whether beneath a flashlight’s glow or the bright fluorescent lights of a classroom.
Thursday’s two-hour festival, the highlight of a year of reading, writing and interacting with literature, drew nearly 800 students and parents, including younger siblings and Dutch Neck School graduates.
Upon entering the building, families strolled through the pages of children’s favorites, such as "The Rainbow Fish" and "The Surprise Garden." One kindergartner dragged her parents through the hallway to see a mural illustrating "Giggle Giggle Quack" and proudly read aloud poems the class wrote on the bulletin board.
In one first-grade classroom, amateur illustrators drew crayon portraits of characters from their favorite books to hang in the school.
The disaster-prone housekeeper Amelia Bedelia made several appearances, along with teen sleuth Nancy Drew, spunky first-grader Junie B. Jones and the ingenious Artemis Fowl. One artist and book lover, presumably a parent, added Shakespeare’s villainous Macbeth to the list.
"We try to make it authentic for the children so they can find ways to connect to the literature," said Deanna Munoz, a first-grade teacher at Dutch Neck School. "We try to tie the literature into whatever else we’re teaching during the day."
Her students read "The Surprise Garden," which they related to their study of plants, seeds, insects, fish and snails.
For many students, the highlight of the evening was a performance by Bruce Bray, who entertained families with skits promoting reading.
The festival, which began as a way to educate parents about literacy, continues to raise awareness and show parents what their children are doing in school.
"When parents know why we’re teaching what we’re teaching, that creates a bond," said Melissa Miller, a first-grade teacher on maternity leave. She and teacher Brenda Frounfelker revived the literacy festival four years ago.
In the music room, students crowded around a table piled high with colored paper, crayons and stickers to make bookmarks.
Second-grade students Kismet Kumar and her cousin, Alizay Maniya, were happy to discuss their favorite book "Horrible Harry" and "The Little Witch Dog" while they decorated bookmarks.
"It encourages them, seeing other kids, so they know they’re not the only ones sitting in their room reading by themselves," said Aarti Kumar, Kismet’s mother. "This is a creative way to encourage kids to read."
Ms. Kumar said her daughter’s love of reading began long before she began attending school.
"Since she was born, we read to her, so I think that got her into it quicker than the usual," she said.
Melissa Balzano, a second-grade student, also is a book lover who, her mother says, would rather go to Barnes & Noble than Toys R Us.
Melissa and her mother, Barbara, took a few minutes during the literacy festival to write letters to send through the school-wide postal system.
Ms. Balzano applauded the school’s effort to make literacy fun for the students.
"If you like (reading) now, you will always enjoy it," she said. "It’s not a chore, it’s something they like to do."
Ms. Miller said the evening was a success, because it reinforced the message that literacy is more than reading and writing during English class.
"Literacy is so cross-curricular now," she said. "It really is a large portion of our day, and it is great to celebrate and show kids it’s just everywhere."

