Park Avenue students are wild about books

In a collaborative effort that involved students, staff, administrators and parents around the Amityville Public School District, the Park Avenue library was transformed into a jungle of books, complete with a rainforest and safari leader, also known as the Park Avenue librarian Kathleen Hanley. "Our annual book fair is more than just a book fair," stated Hanley. "Everyone gets involved to make this event a learning experience across the board for our students."

Karen Fabian, art coordinator for the district, along with teacher Melissa Cascia, spearheaded the decoration effort by involving middle school students in the creation of the artwork that adorned the library. The talented middle school students designed jungle plants and animals that made the library come alive. Assistant Superintendent for Curriculum and Instruction Sue Schnabel spent a day helping put up all of the brightly colored student creations, and parent helpers, including Eileen Fitzgerald and Adriani Mikolaitis, were on hand to provide assistance throughout the days of the fair.

Hanley encouraged student involvement to build critical thinking skills. Everyday, students were given clues as they entered the "jungle," so they could take a shot at solving a riddle about some aspect of jungle and/or rainforest life. Prizes were given to those students who solved each riddle. "Mrs. Hanley does an amazing job with the book fair," stated Assistant Principal Michael Febbraro. "Her energy level and commitment to making learning fun for her students is remarkable."

Shown in the photo, Amityville's Park Avenue students with librarian Kathleen Hanley.

Shown in the photo, a visitor from the swamp, back left, stopped in at the Park Avenue Jungle and Rain Forest Book Fair.

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