Schools
Cherry Ave. Students Celebrate New Media Center by 'Passing the Book'
Fifth graders start the chain, ending with the kindergarteners.
When Cherry Avenue principal Dr. John Stimmel organized the transition from the old library to the new library/media center with his librarian and staff, they wanted to make sure every student was involved.
With the help of librarian Mrs. McDermott, Mrs. George, library clerk, and temp Librarian Ms. Simpson, it was decided to involve all 437 Cherry Avenue students in the passing of the last book to the new library.
It was also decided a fifth-grade student would be the first and a kindergartener would be the last.
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Dr. Stimmel told the students, “Today is a very special day and a very exciting day! For the very first time, we are going to open our brand new library/media center. And everyone is going to get to help.”
Cherry Avenue staff and parent volunteers had been busy moving all the books to the new location in anticipation of opening day. “We’ve taken out all the A’s, the B’s, the C’s, all the way up. And now we have the very last book: The Z Was Zapped! And everyone is going to help move it,” Dr Stimmel said.
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Students lined the halls to form a human chain from the old library, starting with the fifth graders in descending order to the kindergarteners, who assembled outside the new library. The book would be passed from hand to hand until it reached its destination.
Mrs. Denton’s fifth-grade class was the first to arrive at the almost empty old library and the students shuffled about as they lined up. On the other end of the human chain, Ms. Biao’s kindergarten class was the last to gather at the new site.
The students were wide eyed with wonder as they took in their first glance of the new media center. Also on hand were Superintendent Dr. Walter Schartner, Assistant Superintendent John Belmonte, Deputy Superintendent (and former Cherry Avenue principal) Dr. Geri Sullivan Keck, along with Board of Education president Raymond Nelson, Coordinator of Instructional Technology Barbara Hall, and Superintendent of Buildings and Grounds Stephen Koepper.
