By Christine Chang-Gardecki, PYP Teacher Librarian and FNMI Curriculum Leader
Over the past week, the Junior School library turned into a writing workshop with the younger students working with our first PYP Writer-in-Residence, award-winning author and illustrator, Darren Lebeuf.
Each Kindergarten to Grade 3 homeroom class wrote their own unique story featuring our school mascot, Eddie the Eagle. Mr. Lebeuf engaged students in the creative process as they brainstormed different concepts for a setting, story problem and solution, exciting events and secondary characters. Students were intrigued by the live updates with their contributions as Mr. Lebeuf demonstrated the sketching and editing process on the app, Procreate. As the text and drawings took form, the author-illustrator skillfully guided each story to a satisfying ending with both humour and heart.
Although the author residency has concluded, the work is just beginning for Mr. Lebeuf as he returns home to Edmonton. Each homeroom’s short story will be featured in a 32-page picture book provisionally titled, Eagle Adventures. Mr. Lebeuf will be editing the stories and completing dozens of illustrations, which takes many hours of refining. This experience has certainly illuminated the hard work involved with making an illustrated book!
It has been joyful to see how each homeroom’s distinct personalities have made their way into these stories, and I am sure Eagle Adventures will be a keepsake storybook collection, treasured by children of all ages for many years.
Order Your Copy of Eagle Adventures
If you would like to order a copy (or two) for your family and friends, you can download the order form online. We will also be sending home book order forms shortly, which will include a preview of the book. Anyone in the SJS community is welcome to order a book. The estimated cost of the book is $22 and the deadline for book orders will be Wednesday, May 21. All orders should be delivered to Ms. Gardecki in the Junior School Library. This is to ensure we have time to get the book printed and delivered to your family before the summer break.
We wish to extend our most sincere thanks to Mr. Lebeuf for his creativity, inspiration and dedication to helping students reach their full storytelling potential!
Opportunities like this are made possible through the generosity of our community through Annual Giving. Your support helps bring inspiring writers and creative professionals like Darren Lebeuf into our classrooms, sparking studentsโ imaginations. To learn moreโand to help create future opportunitiesโplease visit sjs.ca/support/annual-giving.
