Acmetonia students' project connects literacy and community service

Logan Schutzman loves Dr. Seuss books.

When he was younger, he was glued to the stories with whimsical rhymes and silly animations.

So it made sense for the 11-year-old at Acmetonia Elementary School to spread that joy through a school project that donates blankets and book recordings to the Lower Valley Community Food Bank.

“I really like the books Dr. Seuss writes,” he said. “Most of them have tongue twisters, and it’s fun to try to get them correct.”

Now in its third year, Acmetonia students and staff collect new blankets to donate to the food bank, along with a bedtime story, just in time for the holidays.

Sixth grade students record themselves reading a favorite bedtime story — in Logan’s case, it was “One Fish, Two Fish, Red Fish, Blue Fish.”

Students then print and laminate a QR code to attach to the blanket. The code can be scanned on a cellphone, and the recipient can listen to the story.

“It’s to donate to people that are less fortunate,” said student Phoenix Kern, 12. “We added stories to them, so it’s not just a blanket.”

The school will donate 67 blankets to the food bank.

“They’re learning to read with fluency and tone,” said sixth grade teacher Kelly Slomka. “It’s also part of giving back to the community.”

On the cards, students explained why they chose the book.

“A lot of them say, ‘My mom read this to me before I went to bed’ or ‘I remember listening to this story in kindergarten,’ ” Slomka said.

Such is the case for Phoenix, who read “There Was an Old Lady Who Swallowed a Bell” by Lucille Colandro.

“My teacher would read these types of stories when I was younger,” she said. “I thought it would be nice to spread it.

“Helping people who don’t have a lot is good.”

Kahlil Heffron, 12, wanted to put a special twist on his book, “Llama Llama Misses Mama” by Anna Dewdney, by rapping the story’s words with classmate Silas Faucette, 12.

“My favorite part is everyone coming together,” Kahlil said.