The two weeks before Christmas break were a whirlwind of excitement for freshmen at PJHS! 9th-grade students wrote and illustrated small storybooks to share with our friends at MDW and PES as part of a community service learning project. Students created stories that either focused on making healthy choices (no smoking, vaping, drinking, etc), contained an anti-bullying theme, or let kids know it's okay to be different. Students then had the option to record themselves reading their stories so that younger readers could hear the story, too.
The project culminated with an awards luncheon celebrating the top 12 authors & illustrators. Young authors were delighted to share the experience with local published authors, Andrea Murray and Bryan (Palmer) Snyder. Mrs. Murray and Mrs. Snyder shared their writing process, how they began publishing, and other tips for our up-and-coming authors. Students were then presented with awards for storytelling, multicultural storytelling, and illustrations.
Excellence in Storytelling - Clara Carter, Hollie Scaggs, Cambree Russ, and Mary Morgan Jansen
Excellence in Multicultural Storytelling - Nelly Lati, Keyolinn Peter, Ashlyn Guthrie, and Abraham Gomez
Excellence in Illustrations - Daena Phillips, Jessie Stanley, Neko Lloyd, and Emily Grabs
Special thanks to Sandra Bryant, Amanda Washburn, Bridget Phelps, Emily Hausman, Shonnon Guest, and Ashley Dixon who helped bring this project together! Also, we would like to thank the Donor’s Choose partners, Cherryld Phillips, Jennifer Rawls, Anne Green, and The Allstate Foundation for supporting our students and helping get this project started!