Serving Up Literacy to District 401

On Jan. 29, families across District 401 came together for our Title I Family Literacy Night! Packing into the main gym at Elmwood Elementary, families were curious to see what this food-themed night had in store for them. The evening started off with a presentation by author and illustrator Jacob Grant, where he performed a read-aloud to one of his most popular books, “Umami.” Students had received some sketchbooks for a draw-along with him, sketching the protagonist of the story, a hungry penguin named Umami herself! Students were engaged, and after the session, they got to participate in a Q&A with the author to learn more about his work and his journey to get there.

Once the presentation wrapped up, families spread out to explore the rest of the building’s activities. Many students gravitated towards the media center, where illustrator Justin Castaneda had set up a massive piece of paper for students to create their own mural! The kids were thrilled to work directly with Justin, as he showed them different tips and tricks to drawing characters and bringing stories to life. It was amazing to see students embrace and explore their creativity. 

Illustrator Justin Castaneda inspires students’ mural drawings (D401 photos by Dave Porreca)

The main hallway was just as busy, lined with tables from local businesses and organizations. The Elmwood Park Library was there to share information about programs, recommended reads, and ways to keep students’ reading game strong! The Schoolhouse Kitchen & Studio also joined the fun, challenging students to test their senses with a “Guess the Spice” game. Raising Cane’s even had a table, offering a Plinko-style game to win prizes. On their way over to the cafeteria, families got to select a brand-new book from the Scholastic book giveaway, which featured a wide range of options for all ages.

Teacher Ann Udell helps a student with their free book selection

The cafeteria kept the night’s food theme going, as students moved from “book tasting” stations to game tables featuring favorites like Pizza Party and Taco vs. Burrito. The biggest highlight though, was the pasta-making demonstration held by the local restaurant Pompei. Students got hands-on experience learning to roll gnocchi and even tried samples of the pasta!

Pompei manager Lucian DiPofi leads students through a gnocchi-rolling demonstration

Overall, the night was a complete success, and made students and families excited about reading, writing, and drawing. It was a great way for kids across the community to come together for a fun night that inspired learning. Take a look at the SmugMug photo gallery to see all of the exciting activities that happened!