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The Gentry Media Center collaborated with teachers at all three grade levels for end-of-semester activities in December. 

Sixth graders in Caroline Gaggini’s English class have been reading the novel My Brother Made Me Do it by Peg Kehret. The novel is written in the first person via letters from a middle school student to her senior citizen pen pal.

In order to tie in this concept, students and members of the Book Club at The Village at Bedford Walk became pen pals. The students received their first responses in December and were "thrilled to be able to correspond with them again." The enthusiasm the students have from getting a letter from someone in our community sparked their engagement for writing and learning and they want to continue this project, Gaggini said.   

Seventh graders participated in the Third Annual “True/False Junior Film Festival." Students chose a youth-appropriate documentary to watch and then completed a project reflecting on the film. The Media Center provided popcorn for the event.  

Eighth-grade Social Studies students in David Aulgur’s classes participated in a breakout box event in the Media Center. Students were given 45 minutes to use their knowledge of the American Revolution to find the clues to the five locks to open the breakout box and sign the Constitution before the end of the period. Communication, collaboration, critical thinking and creativity were necessary for each group to complete the task.  

Students commented the activity was engaging and one of their favorites that they had done all semester, Aulgur said.