Chagrin Falls Intermediate School student uses school project to benefit students at JM Gallagher School in Cleveland.
Students in Katherine Owen’s language arts classes at Chagrin Falls Intermediate School were challenged this year to complete a “Make a Difference” project. Sixth grader Celia Hawk decided to set up a “Little Free Library” for the CFIS school cafeteria, where students in grades 4-6 could stop by to take a book to read and leave a book for others. After discussing the project with Principal Sarah Read, Celia learned that students at JM Gallagher School on Cleveland’s near west-side were in the process of building their own Little Free Library in a new community garden located next to the school. Celia decided to collect new and gently used books to donate to Gallagher School to help them stock it.
On May 12, Celia and Mrs. Read went to Gallagher School to drop off the books. Irma Huston, who runs the after school tutoring and reading club, and Michele Sommerfelt, who organized and created the reading garden and free library at Gallagher, held a reception after school to accept the books. At this reception Celia and three friends (Emily Nemunaitis, Aleeta Cowan, and Delainey Wyville) met with Gallagher students to talk about the Gallagher School’s book club selection, “The Doll People.” Celia was presented with all the books in “The Doll People” series to bring back to the CFIS library. All the book club members and the students from Chagrin brought dolls to the reception and read from the books.
