Growing up I wasn’t one of those kids who loved going to my elementary school. No teacher crushes, just fear. Fear of the old person in the room who made me feel that any move might be wrong. However, I was fortunate enough in fifth grade to have Mrs. Goldstein. The education process shifted for me in that year and, I’m happy to say, school was never the same. Mrs. Goldstein showed me the classroom could be filled with excitement, innovation, and creativity. She so inventively used ordinary materials to create an extraordinary environment.
It was a lesson in engagement that I never will forget. I recently had another lesson and while it, too, came from a grade school educator, it was a reminder how important it is to actively engage your target audience to achieve your goals – something we all can do in our businesses.
After speaking with Dan Sebring, principal of Normandy Elementary in Bay Village, OH, I wished I could be a kid in one of his K-2 classrooms. Not only did Dan talk to me about his “One School, One Book” program, he demonstrated his passion for how he believes students can learn. One element that shined through was inclusion. He made sure many times during our conversation to mention others he credits for giving life to a program he felt could make a difference.
About seven years ago, Dan read the Read Aloud Handbook by Jim Trelease. Jim noticed that children who were being read to daily in the classroom and at home always were the ones that enjoyed reading. He wondered if there was something there so he began to investigate. He found a wealth of information and soon published his first book on the subject. It was a book that planted a seed of an idea for Dan to reach his ultimate goal – changing the school’s culture.
Prior to coming to Normandy Elementary, Dan had spent seven years as a teacher and then five years as a principal at an elementary school that received low scores. He felt the best way to help this struggling school do better was to place an emphasis on writing and to get the kids “jazzed” about reading. However, he needed to do it in such a way that changed how the children perceived the process. The school needed its own unique culture.
Another organization came to Dan’s attention. Read To Them – and their One School, One Book program seemed like a perfect way for him to incorporate reading and books into the curriculum. Beyond what Read to Them offered, Dan relied on his imagination and team committee members to explore how to implement and achieve their goals. One tactic, which I believe made a significant difference, was to be sure that the ESL (English as a Second Language) students’ parents at his first school were included. Teachers volunteered to read chapters of the featured book. Those chapters were burned onto an audio DVD and then a translator gave a summary of the book in Spanish along with some questions the parents could ask their children about the story. By involving the parents, both children and adults were now participating in reading aloud at home. Two years after inception, this school moved from well below average to a ranking of Excellent.
Fast forward to 2016. This year the book selected was Nuts to You by Lynne Rae Perkins. Each summer, a committee of volunteer educators read many books and brings their ideas to the table for consideration. Dan loved everything about Nuts to You including the characters (animals), the story (about getting lost), and the concepts of friendship. Dan thought how perfect for the combination of teaching reading and values. Now comes the really cool stuff.
The book remains a secret from the entire faculty until the big reveal and a big reveal it is. The music teacher writes a musical parody (this year’s tune was Reunited) and opens for the teacher’s kick-off assembly. Here they finally get the title of the selected book and have a chance to read and develop lesson plans for their classrooms. Teachers have no required set of rules to follow, they are free to innovate and take their students with them on their own journey.
Before I spoke with Dan, I watched a video that is posted on their website. I wanted to do a little research on Principal Sebring so that I had a better understanding of the person I was interviewing for my article. I had heard about this book program in a very general way and after watching the video I thought to myself – where is this guy going to take me? Nonetheless, the video gave me a glimpse into his world and how he has been able to successfully engage all of the students (the teachers and businesses too) at Normandy. The video was their One School, One Book kick off assembly. Since he now partners with the 3rd and 4th grade school too, both student bodies used the high school’s auditorium for this event. What I witnessed was a true definition of engagement. Matter of fact, Dan even told me that kids will come to school unwell just to “not miss” this annual assembly. This doesn’t sound at all like what I would do when I was of that age.
The assembly featured the two school principals and included a few “in the know” students who helped Dan produce a video that gave the illusion of something happening in the present. It was very creative and so very smart. Plus, the characters in the video represented characters in Nuts to You as well as from books read in previous years. What impressed me the most was the reaction of the audience.
Unbeknownst to the students, when they returned back to their respective schools, the art teachers totally changed the entrances to reflect scenes from the stories. Now they were experiencing magic with total buy in.
With all of this happening, the teachers too were caught up in the excitement and eager to hand out the packets. Each student received a copy of the book, trivia questions they were to work on every day, information for the parents and a bookmark. They learned in these packets that prizes could be won for doing the homework and raffle tickets could be acquired for visiting local businesses.
In 2013, Normandy’s first book selection was The World According to Humphrey. Dan approached his local KIA Dealer to borrow a KIA Soul and asked for a volunteer to be Humphrey, the hamster and main character of the story. It was at that time, that the committee (of 24 people this year!) had the idea to incorporate video into the assembly and introduce the book program to the students.
Change the culture. Get the kids to want to attend. Make sure the children love being at the school. Encourage conversation about how cool it is. This was Dan’s words and Dan’s vision.
Parents have helped to get the community involved as well. Two moms established partnerships with local business owners. Dan shared that 25 businesses opted to partner this school year. They get a letter from Dan, a copy of the book to share with their employees, a poster to hang and a chance to hand out raffle tickets to any student patron that can “find” the lost squirrel Jed – the main character in Nuts to You. The bus drivers, custodians, secretaries, aides, and board office too receive copies of the book so that they can talk about the story with students.
I hope there are many schools around the world that are fortunate enough to have a principal as passionate and in love with education as Dan Sebring. The energy, enthusiasm and hope he cultivates and instills have proven to be an extremely successful strategy. He is a leader who truly leads. He shows a path and he lets the course unfold. Thank you Dan for giving me a behind the scenes look at One School, One Book program at Normandy Elementary School.
Roni S. Wright, MAS, vice president of supplier The Book Company, is a 30-year veteran of the promotional products industry. In her volunteer and leadership roles, Roni has served on the boards of PPAI, PPEF, the Regional Association Council (RAC), PPAF and YESAA. Roni shares her busy industry life with husband, Chris, and daughter, Devon. They inspire and encourage her to “be all that she can be.” Over the past few years Roni has found a love of yoga. She’s achieved her 200-hour certification and has journeyed to India to study at the renowned K. Pattabhi Jois Institute.