Shanghai Dispatch: Book Week at Concordia

Author Katie Smith Milway, at right, gives a CISS elementary student her full attention during her visit to Shanghai (photo: CISS).

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Every year, Concordia International School Shanghai (CISS) adopts a “word of the year,” intended to reflect the school’s values, and uses it to motivate the community. The elementary school’s Book Week, an annual event featuring learning, activities, and celebration, is usually developed from the word of the year.

For the 2012-2013 year, that word is “serve.” When I heard it, I immediately thought of contacting authors whose books encapsulate service learning. There are quite a few books on the topic in the elementary school’s library collection, but one prominent favorite is One Hen: How One Small Loan Made a Big Difference, by Katie Smith Milway.

I soon learned that, coincidentally, Grades 3 and 4 students were using the curriculum based on the One Hen story, so the work of Ms. Milway seemed a natural choice. When we contacted her, Ms. Milway responded enthusiastically to our invitation to attend CISS’ Book Week.

Throughout Book Week, classes studied Ms. Milway’s books, including One Hen and The Good Garden, which discusses sustainable farming and how one community learns to become self-sufficient.

On the Thursday, the entire elementary school ended the day by participating in a read-in! The entire school came down to the first floor and read for 40 minutes. And on the Friday, Book Week culminated in the annual Character Parade, where students pick their favorite book character and dress like him, her, or it—and this year, all costumes were made from 50 percent recycled materials!

Ms. Schooley is Elementary Librarian at CISS.

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