Siblings Otto and Lexi both want different pets – he a dog, she a cat. They hold a competition to see who can raise enough money to earn the right to decide which pet they’ll get.
Ask any student at Cuyahoga Heights Elementary School (CHES) and they’re sure to tell you the outcome. How did they find out? Every student from prekindergarten to fifth grade read The Pet War, a book by Allan Woodrow as part of the “One School, One Book” initiative. According to the reading program’s website, exploring a book together reinforces reading instruction, increases parental involvement, bridges the home-school connection, and builds a true community of readers.
The adventure began with clues about a mystery book during the week of October 23. Clues included paw prints on hallway floors, a $500 bill, photos of teachers superimposed on the bodies of dogs and cats, and a judge. A school-wide assembly on October 27 revealed the name of the book. Featured guests were blow-up cat and dog characters (Assistant Superintendent Matt Young as the cat and Superintendent Tom Evans as the dog) who showed off their dance moves to the students.
“The Pet War was selected because it had good reviews and recommendations and had lots of ideas we could use for clues,” said Karen Bergan, CHES media specialist, who, along with teachers Barb Currey, Nikki Kasmarcak, Carrie Martens, and Kirsten Rini, coordinated the project.
“One School, One Book reinforced reading skills; boosted family involvement; and united students, teachers, and parents around the shared experience of enjoying a book together,” explained Bergen. “It was an incentive to read a book in class with classmates and teachers, at home with family and friends, and on their own.”
In addition to reading the book in their classrooms, students enjoyed viewing pictures of their pets that were collected and displayed on a “Pet Wall” in the main hallways. The school held a donation drive for the Rescue Village of Chagrin Falls, a humane animal shelter located in Geauga County that advocates for animals and serves as a resource for animal welfare. The class donating the most money won an ice cream party at lunch. At the end of the week, the school had a surprise visit from a Rescue Village pet.
The One-School, One Book initiative was made possible by a $2,000 grant from the GPD Employees’ Foundation which enabled the purchase of 391 books, one for every student at CHES.
"Reading together as a community brought joy,” said Superintendent Tom Evans. “We enjoyed sharing our love of reading by diving into The Pet War.”