Scholastic, Inc. published Gallinatti’s readers theater lesson as a chapter in the book, “The Fluent Reader in Action: A close-up look into 15 Diverse Classrooms.”

Gallinatti first wrote the lesson, “Using Harry Potter for Sixth-Grade Readers Theatre,” in 2007 when she was a graduate student at National Louis University and a teaching assistant in Oswego.

The lesson was just published in December and Gallinatti received the first copy of the book earlier this month. The book includes 15 chapters of lessons from contributors across the United States and even New Zealand.

“It truly gives me the biggest sense of pride,” Gallinatti said. “People have been saying to me, ‘To be published is one thing, but to be published at your age is something.’”

Gallinatti’s then-professor Kristin Lems, gave the class an optional assignment to write a readers theatre lesson using Harry Potter. Part of the final book of the Harry Potter series, “The Tales of Beedle the Bard,” inspired Gallinatti’s lesson.

Gallinatti wrote the lesson in one week and then taught it to her sixth grade class over the course of another week. As she taught the lesson, she videotaped it to share as part of her presentation.

“The students were engaged with the lesson and loved it,” Gallinatti said. “Two students even came back with the Harry Potter books afterwards.”

Her professor was also impressed with the lesson.

“My professor came up to me after my presentation and asked if she could publish my lesson in a book she was writing,” Gallinatti said.

The book is now available online at Barnes and Noble and Amazon.

“It is very exciting,” Gallinatti said. “I will always have this accolade.”
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The collected food items will be donated to the Creekside Cares program at Creekside Elementary School. Creekside Cares provides a backpack of filled with food and snacks for students to have on hand over the course of the weekend.

“During the week the students get food at school, but without this program, many of the students do not eat over the weekend,” Haas said. “We will be running our food drive collection school wide to get as much food as possible.”

Creekside Cares currently serves 64 students from 54 families from Plainfield East and Plainfield North high schools, John F. Kennedy and Timber Ridge middle schools, and Creekside Elementary School.

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The students will host a Solar System program for their peers during the school day while the family night program for parents will begin at 6:30 p.m. Both programs will be held at the school, 13909 S. Budler Road, Plainfield.

About 150 third grade students have been researching and designing projects based on what they have learned about their Science topic for the quarter, the solar system.

The students have studied the four main phases of the moon, the order of the planets and their distances from the sun, constellations, eclipses, the importance of the sun and moon, rotation, revolution, axis, orbit, and gravity.

All invited guests will view the students’ projects in the third grade classrooms before going to the multi-purpose room where the students will then entertain with songs, poems, and a short play about the solar system.

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Creekside Physical Education and Health teacher Jeff Peterson is organizing the school’s second annual “Warmth for Winter” campaign to assist the school’s families during the current economic downturn.

Community members are invited to drop off gently used children’s coats and jackets as well as new mittens, hats and gloves to the school by Friday, November 12, 2010. Donations will be accepted during school hours, 9 a.m.-3:30 p.m., at the school, 13909 South Budler Road, Plainfield.

Peterson has sent home letters to every Creekside family asking for cold weather clothing donations. The letter also asks families to respond if they need help supplying their child or children with any of the mentioned items.

Just over one week into the “Warmth for Winter” campaign, Peterson has started to receive donations and 20 letters asking for assistance this winter.

For each donation, the Creekside students, staff and community members will sign their name in the giant hats or mittens posted on the wall near the donation boxes.

“The important focus here is not on style or name brands, but rather on warmth from the bitter cold,” Peterson said. “This program really gets kids involved into a spirit of giving.”

Donations will be distributed the week of November 15, 2010.

“I see this as a wonderful time to strengthen a community by giving back to those who are struggling with economic hardships,” Peterson said. “We hope this program takes some of the burden off of the parents’ shoulders who, in most cases, are already going through stressful situations,” he said.

Last year, the “Warmth for Winter” campaign aided 208 students at Creekside, Lakewood Falls, Grand Prairie and Meadow View elementary schools.

This year Peterson said he would like to help at least 300 students stay warm this winter at an additional three to four District 202 elementary schools.

“We are striving to build a loving, compassionate community that works together to meet the needs of all District 202 students and families,” Peterson said.
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Morning classes will conduct their activities from 8:55-11:40 a.m. and afternoon classes will partake in the activities from 12:45-3:30 p.m. Creekside is located at 13909 South Budler Road, Plainfield.

The students will invite family members to volunteer in their classroom for the day to lead groups of four to five kindergarten students through the exercises and also to help the group turn their pumpkin into a jack-o-lantern.

By the end of the day we will have several scary, funny and who knows what jack-o-lanterns, Creekside kindergarten teacher Lori Anne Summers said.

The volunteers will then take home their group’s pumpkin as a memento of the day.
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The students will celebrate the school’s second annual “Grandparents and Grandfriends” day. Students’ grandparents or grandfriends will visit for either the morning session, from 8:55-11:40 a.m., or the afternoon session, from 12:45-3:30 p.m. Creekside is located at 13909 South Budler Road, Plainfield.

The students each signed an invitation that was sent to their grandparents or grandfriends. As homework, the students also interviewed the person they invited.

During their visit, the grandparents and grandfriends will complete several curriculum-based activities with the students.

For Social Studies, the students and grandparents will compare how things were long ago to today; for Math, they will sort and classify who lives near or far and who is short or tall; for Music they group will sing songs; and for Art both the grandparents and students will make a fall tree to take home as a keepsake.

“I have been teaching for 11 years and have enjoyed many of the activities I have participated in throughout the years,” Creekside kindergarten teacher Lori Anne Summers said.

“But, the excitement and joy, paired with the appreciation for those who come for the Grandparents Day is hard to express in words,” she said.

“Grandparents, students and the parents of our students talk about this special day all year long,” Summers added. “It is truly a highlight of our kindergarten year.”
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The Greater Joliet Area YMCA – Kidz Zone Before & After School Program

The YMCA partners with 7 school districts in the Will and Grundy County area to provide the Kidz Zone Before and After School Recreational program to busy working parents in 34 schools. YMCA Before and After School Programs ensure children develop friendships and are given a unique mix of activities that focus on developmental assets, the building blocks that teach children how to make positive decisions.

While in a YMCA Before and After School program, children participate in a balanced program of open play and structured activities while being supervised by well-trained and caring staff who teach, model, and reinforce the Christian character values of caring, honesty, respect, and responsibility.  Additionally, nutritious snacks are provided and children can also receive care on school holidays and other days off of school.  YMCA Youth Programs ensure every child deepens positive values, their commitment to service, and their motivation to learn. In each program, children develop to their fullest potential in partnership with their families. Best of all, YMCA Before and After School Programs are AFFORDABLE.

This program serves Kindergarten-5th graders in the Plainfield, Troy, Joliet and Minooka School Districts. Children do arts & crafts, play games, develop friendships, and learn lessons that will last a lifetime. Morning program runs 7-start of school; afternoon is end of school-6pm.

A $45 non refundable registration fee*, fist of 10 installment payments, and YMCA membership fee is due at registration time. The remaining 9 payments are paid via automatic withdrawal from a checking account. All participants must have Full or Program Membership with the YMCA. Program participants may start attending 4 business days after the day the registration is completed. For more information contact our Welcome Center at (815) 267-8600. (*PLEASE NOTE: Due to high registration volumes prior to the start of school, the registration fee for those who register between 8/10/2009 and 9/5/2009 will be $70 per child instead of the usual fee.)

2009/2010 School Year Rates
Before & After:  $290/$310 mo. installment
Before Only:       $195/$215 mo. installment
After Only:          $240/$260 mo. installment

Plainfield On-Site* Schools
For more information contact Erin Williams at (815) 267-8900 x211 or visit the Avery branch.

• Central
• Charles Reed
• Creekside
• Crystal Lawns***
• Eagle Pointe
• Elizabeth Eichelberger
• Freedom
• Grand Prairie
• Lakewood Falls
• Liberty
• Lincoln
• Meadowview
• Ridge
• River View
• Thomas Jefferson
• Walkers Grove
• Wesmere

***bussed to and from Grand Prairie
* On-Site Kidz Zone: Children participate in activities at their school. A minimum of 15 participants is required by August 1st of the upcoming school year for programs to be held on-site. Sites that do not meet the minimum number of participants will be bussed to the closest feasible site.

The YMCA also offers the Kidz Zone Program for all Troy 30C schools, all Minooka schools and select Joliet District 86 schools. Contact Galowich Welcome Center at (815) 729-9622 for more information.

For more information visit the Greater Joliet Area YMCA, aka the Plainfield YMCA.

What do you do for your kids? Do you have experience with the YMCA program? Please share your experiences and comment below!