A student’s sketch for the class book cover. Students vote on book title on Thursday. Kristi Rhyan’s third grade classroom discovered a “Jar of Friendship” Thursday morning, when students collectively decided on that title for a book that they’re going to publish this spring. R hyan’s class of 18 King/Robinson students have been writing short stories over the last few weeks to include in the book they’re going to publish. They drew inspiration from their work as they offered suggestions and voted on which one to keep, ultimately deciding to go with “Jar of Friendship.” Rhyan has had her King/Robinson classes participate in the book-making project for the last four years, to allow each of her students to see their name and written stories in print. The book project calls on each student to write and contribute a story around a central theme. This year, that theme — friendship — emerged from the class itself, as Rhyan’s students work daily to build relationships, be respectful of each other, and make new friends. For Rhyan, the book project is not just about writing but also about finding ways to get students interested in reading. She noted that the district’s elementary reading curriculum uses a shared book, with students only holding their own books for individual readings. “It’s all about making it fun and getting them excited to hold books,” she said. The project also takes place as the school district is working to improve its K-12 literacy rates.  At around 10 a.m, the students sat cross-legged on the classroom rug while Rhyan asked them to refresh each other on the lessons they shared in each of their short stories.  Third grader Callie said that her story lesson was that friends help each other when they’re down, while third grader Javier’s story takeaway was that friendships grow like flowers.  They next turned those lessons into title suggestions for the book. After coming up with a list of about ten book titles, the students worked through how to make a collective decision on a final title. The list included titles like the “Sea of Friendship,” “How to Make Friends,” “Third Grade Angels,” “Jar of Friendship,” and “Stories about Friends.” Some raised their hands to explain why they thought some titles might not work. One third grader pointed out that the “Third Grade Angels” is already the title of a book and they didn’t want to steal the same name. The group agreed and eliminated the suggestion.  Third grader Cody suggested that a title like “Sea of Friendship” could depict waves on the cover with the students’ names beside seashells and sea animals. His classmate, however, pointed out that the book might mislead a reader to think the book is going to be about sea animals, not friendship, and so the class once again voted to eliminate the suggested title.  After discussions and votes for narrowing the title list down, the class was left with two final contenders, either “Jar of Friendship” or “Stories About Friends.”  After a short brain break, where students cranked up the music for a few minutes to move their bodies, they returned to the rug for the final vote. Ryan called out the remaining two choices: “Stories About Friends” and “Jar of Friendship.” She then directed the students to go to their seats to make their vote. When Rhyan called out the title “Stories About Friends,” two students headed to their seats, meaning that suggestion got two votes.  When she called out “Jar of Friendship,” a total of 14 students cast their vote. Now back at their desks, the students either worked on finishing their final story drafts or began sketching book cover ideas on blank sheets of paper. Many sketched a jar filled with classmates’ names. The last step will be for the class to vote on their favorite drawing by a classmate for the book cover, then Rhyan will ship off the book pages to publishing company Student Treasure to have the book made physical. Each year, Rhyan orders one copy of the book to add to her classroom collection. Parents are also able to order copies for their child to have at home. Community members can also donate copies of the book for students and families who may not be able to purchase their own copy. To donate a copy of the class’s book about friendship, visit studentreasures.com/preorder and enter Rhyan’s classroom code, 16970592. When prompted to enter a student name, donors can submit “Kris Rhyan.” This year is Rhyan’s 24th year of teaching and her first year as a third grade teacher. Last year she taught middle school science at King/Robinson and before that, she taught second grade for seven years. She has also taught in Georgia, Vermont, and Hartford. With her past classes, Rhyan said she saw a noticeable difference when her students not only had a physical book in their hands but also when that book included their own stories. Her students often request to read through her class’s past collections to spot stories written by their older siblings or cousins. Soon, Rhyan’s third graders will not only have spent the school year learning how to connect with one another, but they will also be able to see those lessons take shape on the page.  Past books made by Rhyan’s classes. More sketches for the book cover. The post “Jar of Friendship” To Hit Shelves Soon appeared first on New Haven Independent. ...read more read less