During this annual Author’s Week event, students from Grades 1-3 at SHSID embarked on a literary journey filled with creativity and joy. Students from each grade delved into the works of talented children's authors through reading and interactive activities. From Pajama Day to DIY Superhero Day, every day was packed with surprises and discoveries.

Grade 1

This week, our Grade 1 students dived into the whimsical world of Mo Willems, an enchanting author beloved by children worldwide. Through delightful characters like Elephant and Piggie, students explored themes of friendship, humor, and creativity in storytelling.

Monday kicked off with a cozy pajama day, allowing students to enjoy Elephant and Piggie tales with all the comforts of home. Here we learned all about our author, with an in-depth foray into his life and storytelling career.

On Tuesday, students delved deeper into the stories, identifying character traits and crafting fun puppets, all whilst dressed in the colors of their favorite characters.

Wednesday brought an exciting wacky sock dress-up day, where students explored cause and effect in Willems' stories.

On Thursday, students created their own unique characters and narratives, culminating in a lively publishing party to showcase their creations.

Finally, we wrapped up the week on Friday with a book character day, where students and teachers alike dressed up as their favorite book characters. This week was a fantastic celebration of creativity and imagination, fostering a love for reading and storytelling in our young learners. Let’s make some magical memories together!

Grade 2

Week 2 was an extraordinary week here at SHSID. The students experienced author’s week. For second grade our author was Dav Pilkey the author and illustrator of Captain Underpants, Dog Man, and more!

At the start of the week the students were introduced to Dav Pilkey through a video about his life and books. Students were amazed to hear the Dav Pilkey came up with ideas for his books in second grade! Later in English class they were able to make their own comics with Dav Pilkey as an inspiration.

The rest of the week was filled with fun activities. In English class cause and effect came alive with flip-o-ramas. The students are familiar with flip-o-rama cartoons because Dav Pilley’s comic books are filled with them. The students used their knowledge of cause and effect to draw and label their very own!

Next it was all about the power of personification. This important type of figurative language is found throughout all Dav Pilkey’s books. From a dog who is a police officer to an evil toilet, the students were able to find many examples before personifying an object of their choice.

The end of the week culminated in a DIY Superhero Day! Students were tasked with finding things at home they could use to make their very on Superhero costume. In the spirit of Dav Pilkey’s Captain Underpants who grabbed a shower curtain, students grabbed all sorts of things and made awesome costumes.  

By mixing learning with fun this week the students had an amazing and educational experience that is sure to live on in their memories for life.

Grade 3

During this week, third-grade students embarked on a thrilling journey, as they learned about the extraordinary works of Roald Dahl, renowned for his colorful imagination and quirky tales. The week was packed with exciting activities and hilarious nonsense words, which Roald Dahl so cleverly invented in many of his books.

On Monday, the students kicked off their adventure by learning all about the brilliant Roald Dahl. They discovered fun facts about his life and works, particularly diving into The BFG (The Big Friendly Giant). The excitement bubbled up as the boys and girls began reading this fantastical story, instantly drawn into the world of giants, dreams, and strange words like "snozzcumbers" and "frobscottle."

The fun continued on Tuesday, as students took part in creative activities to better understand the quirky characters in The BFG. Classrooms buzzed with laughter and excitement as the children shared their wild ideas and imaginative interpretations of the story’s colorful characters like the loveable BFG and the brave Sophie. It was a fun-filled day, overflowing with creativity and laughter.

By midweek, our young readers were totally captivated. They spent time reading the book aloud to one another, fully engaged with the story, its unique setting, and the charming characters. Their teamwork and imagination shone brightly as they worked together to discuss and explore the themes of the story.

As if the excitement of the book wasn’t enough, the students also took part in thrilling theme days. From pajama day to crazy socks day, and even a Wacky Willy Wonka dress-up day, the fun never stopped! The highlight of the week was dressing up as their favorite Roald Dahl characters to wrap up the week in grand style. This whirlwind week of learning and laughter was truly one for the books! Roald Dahl’s The BFG, alongside the energetic activities, made Week 8 an unforgettable adventure for everyone involved!

The Author’s Week event has successfully come to an end, opening a door full of imagination for the students. Whether through drawing their own comics or transforming into their favorite book characters, the students have displayed boundless creativity. These wonderful memories and achievements will stay with them, becoming unforgettable highlights of their childhood. As they continue their learning journey, the students will undoubtedly carry this enthusiasm and curiosity to explore even more magical literary worlds.

Written by Stephanie Carr, Jessica Nestell, Jens Schubert, Yu Lin, Yixin He, Yuanjing Zhang

Pictures/Videos by G1-3 Homeroom teachers, Siying Li

Reviewed by Yi Zhang, Chenli Shen, Cong Luo, Judah Kuhn