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ROCHAMBEAU MIDDLE SCHOOL STUDENTS CREATE BOOKS FOR CHILDREN AROUND GLOBE Leavitt Has Brought Kids To Kids Intern’l to Region 15 for Ten YearsSeptember 26, 2003, Middlebury/Southbury—Rochambeau Middle School teacher Monita Leavitt is helping Region 15 children reach out to children in war-torn countries in a unique way. Leavitt, a 6th grade teacher at Rochambeau, will be receiving an award for her work teaching children how to write and illustrate picture books to ship to children from such countries as Cambodia, Russia, Ecuador and Vietnam. The books are written, illustrated, and bound by Rochambeau Middle School students, then packed up for shipping to children and young adults around the globe. “The picture book exchange is simply kids connecting with kids,” said Monita Leavitt. “On a small scale, this is an opportunity for Rochambeau students to put their writing and their art together into a picture book for an audience. But on a large, global scale, this project sensitizes our children to learn about other cultures and the world.” Although Ms. Leavitt introduced the picture book exchange to Rochambeau Middle School ten years ago, Pat Kibbe created Kids to Kids International, a non-profit organization that reaches out to children around the world by providing an opportunity for direct communication between children of different cultures through student-created picture books. “In the wake of global tragic events, it is important that we continue to strengthen cultural understanding across international boundaries. The best way to do this is to empower our children with the opportunity to communicate with each other,” said Ms. Kibbe. Since 1986, Pat Kibbe has encouraged thousands of students in hundreds of schools to make picture books for children in over 50 countries. The Kids-to-Kids International program fosters sensitivity, reinforces reading and writing skills, and serves as a conduit for cultural education, including language, art, history, and music. Ms. Leavitt encourages the children to use little text in their picture books. By relying heavily on the illustrations to tell their stories, the children learn the art of storytelling through pictures since many of the recipients of the books speak little or no English. The books are bound or laminated so they do not wear out due to the heavy use they will receive. The New England Reading Association, a nonprofit organization that promotes literacy and supports quality reading and language arts instruction, will present Monita Leavitt with a $500 award for her work with Kids to Kids International. This award will help buy paper, crayons and markers to send to the children worldwide in conjunction with the books, and pay for shipping costs of the supplies and books. “Kids to Kids International promotes peace. It shows forgotten children and young adults that someone cares enough to reach out to them with a special gift,” said Ms. Leavitt. “Our children benefit by the sheer enjoyment of creating a book to give to someone who will truly use it, read it, and appreciate it. Ours tends to be a throw-away society, yet the recipients of these books treasure them.” MEDIA ADVISORY: Pat Kibbe will be showing the student-created books at a slide presentation at Rochambeau Middle School media center on Tuesday, October 14, 2003 at 9:45 a.m. Teachers, students, citizens, and the media are invited to this event. Ms. Kibbe will also be available for questions immediately following her presentation. |
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