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Thanks to a learning resource center director, teachers and a multitude of second-graders, the Jefferson Elementary School Library will be $4,000 richer.
The Elmhurst school’s Learning Resource Center Director Nicolette Vaillancourt developed and submitted the winning project, which focused on local history while incorporating several disciplines: art, technology, written and oral communication and research skills.
As a result, the library won the Sara Jaffarian Award, which was established by the American Library Association in 2006 to recognize and promote excellence in humanities. The entire project took about a month, but had a lot of planning involved.
The first thing Vaillancourt did was show students how to find books based on a bibliography. Then, she said, students were to pick 10 facts and narrow those down to the five most important facts to share with others. The students then made murals and had the facts placed underneath. At an open house, the second-graders acted as tour guides for their parents to show off the murals, Vaillancourt said. But that was just half of the project.
“I took it a step further,” Vaillancourt said. “I took pictures of all the murals and made a photo story. Then as a team the kids narrated the facts with the murals as part of the project.”
When asked if it was hard to get this project organized with second-graders, Vaillancourt said it was easier than she predicted.
“It was nice because I got them all excited by saying I was going to teach them something that some high school students don’t even know how to do,” she said.
Vaillancourt said the project was a great way to earn money for the library, but the real award came from working with such enthusiasm from students.
“I had already done the program with the students before I had ever heard of the award,” she said. “The program was not done as a means to obtain the award, but was done solely for the benefit of the second-grade students.”
As a result of her hard work, the school received a deserving plaque and a cash award of $4,000.
Years in Westchester: 11
Family: Husband
Education: Dominican University
Notable
Won the Sara Jaffarian Award from the American Library Association for the project she helped develop on Elmhurst history.
"able
“I loved doing the project and seeing the kids interact and how they all function together.”
Teaching philosophy
To have students become life long learners.
Favorites
Movie: Anything Star Trek
Food: Pizza
Book: “Little Women”
Thanks to a learning resource center director, teachers and a multitude of second-graders, the Jefferson Elementary School Library will be $4,000 richer.
The Elmhurst school’s Learning Resource Center Director Nicolette Vaillancourt developed and submitted the winning project, which focused on local history while incorporating several disciplines: art, technology, written and oral communication and research skills.
As a result, the library won the Sara Jaffarian Award, which was established by the American Library Association in 2006 to recognize and promote excellence in humanities. The entire project took about a month, but had a lot of planning involved.
The first thing Vaillancourt did was show students how to find books based on a bibliography. Then, she said, students were to pick 10 facts and narrow those down to the five most important facts to share with others. The students then made murals and had the facts placed underneath. At an open house, the second-graders acted as tour guides for their parents to show off the murals, Vaillancourt said. But that was just half of the project.
“I took it a step further,” Vaillancourt said. “I took pictures of all the murals and made a photo story. Then as a team the kids narrated the facts with the murals as part of the project.”
When asked if it was hard to get this project organized with second-graders, Vaillancourt said it was easier than she predicted.
“It was nice because I got them all excited by saying I was going to teach them something that some high school students don’t even know how to do,” she said.
Vaillancourt said the project was a great way to earn money for the library, but the real award came from working with such enthusiasm from students.
“I had already done the program with the students before I had ever heard of the award,” she said. “The program was not done as a means to obtain the award, but was done solely for the benefit of the second-grade students.”
As a result of her hard work, the school received a deserving plaque and a cash award of $4,000.
Years in Westchester: 11
Family: Husband
Education: Dominican University
Notable
Won the Sara Jaffarian Award from the American Library Association for the project she helped develop on Elmhurst history.
"able
“I loved doing the project and seeing the kids interact and how they all function together.”
Teaching philosophy
To have students become life long learners.
Favorites
Movie: Anything Star Trek
Food: Pizza
Book: “Little Women”
