As you know, we are over halfway through The BFG!! Many prizes have been distributed, and we look forward to the final celebration with all Alameda School Families on January 30 at 6 pm. All students must be accompanied by at least one adult (parent/guardian, aunt, uncle, grandparent) to attend the celebration. We look forward to an evening of fun and fellowship!
WELCOME TO… ONE SCHOOL, ONE BOOK
''One School, One Book is a program designed to create a shared reading experience within a single elementary school community. A single chapter book is chosen, every family in the elementary school receives a copy, and every family reads that book at home over the course of a single month. Activities at school coordinate promote and enrich the shared reading experience." (www.readtothem.org)
The Importance of Reading Aloud
Research has proven that reading aloud to children from birth establishes foundational literacy skills by improving listening comprehension, increasing vocabulary, providing fluency models, promoting conceptual understanding, lengthening attention spans and creating a positive attitude toward books and reading.
Reading aloud sharpens the imagination, creates healthy conversations and builds a love of reading. Children who learn to listen, learn to read, and literacy skills provide the basis for a lifetime of learning and productivity. When children listen, they learn about their own lives and the stories of others around the globe.
In addition, reading to children strengthens the emotional bonds between the adult reader and the child, providing those positive parent-child connections essential to a child's psychological health and academic growth.
This Year’s Book
The BFG is a 1982 children’s novel by British author Roald Dahl. The book is dedicated to Dahl’s oldest daughter, Olivia, who died of measles encephalitis at the age of 7 in 1962. As of 2009, 37 million copies had been sold, with more than one million copies sold around the world yearly. In 2012, the novel was ranked number 88 among all-time best children's novels in a survey published by School Library Journal, a US monthly. In 2012, the BFG and Sophie - the novel’s main characters - appeared on Royal Mail commemorative postage stamps.
A Preview
One dark, silvery moonlit night, Sophie is snatched from her bed by a giant! Luckily, it is the Big Friendly Giant (the BFG), who is no ordinary bone-crunching giant, but instead prefers SNOZZCUMBERS and FROBSCOTTLE to children. But there are other giants in Giant Country. And those giants have a plan to gallop far and wide to find some tasty HUMAN BEANS to eat. Can Sophie and the BFG stop them?
Alameda School SCC is proud to bring you One School, One Book. All Alameda families will receive one free copy of The BFG on Monday, January 6, 2025. We ask that students/families use the following schedule to read chapters at home together. This is a great opportunity to promote reading for fun!
On each day of the schedule, a question from that section will be read over the intercom at 11:10 am – each student will have the opportunity to write down an answer for a chance to win a dreamy prize! 4 PRIZES WILL BE AWARDED AFTER EACH SECTION OF CHAPTERS ARE DUE, ONE PER HOMEROOM 😊
Additional readings of the chapters may take place at school. The BFG is a highly entertaining read, so the more your child(ren) hear the story, the more likely they are to enjoy not only the unique and expressive language of the BFG, but the fantastical story in full, created by the amazing Roald Dahl!
Read these chapters by:
Chapter 1 & 2 – Monday, January 6
Book Kick-Off
These two chapters will be read to students in their homeroom classes before 11:10 am.
Chapter 3 & 4 – Wednesday, January 8
Chapter 5 & 6 – Friday, January 10
Chapter 7 & 8 – Monday, January 13
Chapter 9 & 10 – Wednesday, January 15
Chapter 11 & 12 – Friday, January 17
Chapter 13 & 14 – Monday, January 20
Chapter 15 & 16 – Wednesday, January 22
Chapter 17 & 18 – Friday, January 24
Chapter 19 & 20 – Monday, January 27
Chapter 21 & 22 – Tuesday, January 28
Chapter 23 & 24 – Wednesday, January 29
FAMILY CELEBRATION NIGHT
Thursday, January 30, 2025, at 6:00 pm
Alameda School Gymnasium
*More information to follow 😊