The Magic Crate Library: Our holistic project linking
creativity, literacy and the Global Campus!
earlier in my teaching career and have always been
inspired by their project approach with such young
children. I admire how this approach brings
learning and creativity together in a holistic way
and encompasses a long-term perspective.
To help our Year One students learn about the
current Global Goals we have been reading
Malala?s Magic Pencil. This book has made us think
about how we can make a difference - globally,
nationally and locally. I recently undertook some
professional development with the Nat ional
Geographic Societ y and a key learning point was
?don?t just teach students about the world? teach
them how to change it?.
One of our school?s goals this year has been to
increase our community outreach. As a result, our
Year One students have recently started ?The Magic
Crate? project in conjunction with Bookwallah, a
Chicago non-profit organization. I was fortunate to
observe education practices in Reggio Emilia, Italy,
In a presentation led by Seena Jacob, the founder
of Bookwallah, our Year One students learned
about the work of the organization and their
success in building libraries for orphans in India. I
love the quote from one of the children in
Bookwallah?s video, ?I?m fascinated by how these
books give me wings ? I love traveling to different
worlds through my imagination.? The Magic Crate
Library is a new project being introduced in
Chicago. Crates will be placed in different local
areas where books may not be readily available,
with a mission to spread the love of books and
reading.
Our Year One students worked in small groups,
demonstrating excellent cooperation skills, to
paint their crate whilst adding their own creative
ideas and designs. Like any true artist they signed
their crate and even named it. The results are truly
spectacular, and no two crates are the same. The
students continued to take ownership of this
project by launching a book drive request in
assembly. I can?t wait to see those crates full of
wonderful books and support this growing project!
Zoë Casson
Year 1 Teacher and Primary Multicultural Leader
Global Campus Under 8s Fellow
British International School of Chicago, South Loop
J oin a global celebration of the wonders of Pi!
March the 14 th is Pi Day, a celebration of the mathematical symbol that represents the ratio of the
circumference of a circle to its diameter. This is approximately 3.14159, which is why Pi is celebrated on
March 14th (3/14) around the world. Pi has inspired creativity in mathematics, art, music, literature and
science ? will it inspire creativity in your class?
Join #pidayNAE on March the 14th. Download the guide for some ideas and meet others who are taking
part in the Mat hemat ics communit y. If you have any questions or want to explore Pi Day more, Steve
Dodds, your Mathematics Teaching Fellow is looking forward to hearing from you.