HOLIDAY FAMILY NIGHT A Schoolwide Literacy Event Prairie Grove Elementary School Laura Lucier laura.lucier@pgtigers.org Tracey Wilkerson tracey.wilkerson@pgtigers.org

How it all began The first Holiday Family Night was in 2004 with about 100 guests (3rd and 4th grade families) in attendance. Twelve classroom teachers created decorative displays for their favorite book in the cafeteria. Holiday cookies with hot chocolate or spiced cider was provided for each guest. A nook outside the cafeteria was decorated for the reader and guest seating arranged for one story every 15 minutes.

2008 HFN Schedule still included 3rd and 4th Grade but expanded to include 3 classrooms.

Holiday Family Night 2016 This year’s event involved 10 rooms and 26 readers (each reading twice). Special guest readers included our school resource officer, a local author and the librarian from the children’s public library. Over 800 reservations were returned and 762 guest registered at the door.

Invitation Side 1

We will need a holiday cookie and hot cocoa for ________ guests! My family and I plan to attend Holiday Family Night on Thursday, December 1! We will need a holiday cookie and hot cocoa for ________ guests! Thank you! Please return by Friday, Nov. 18 Your RSVP will help us determine how many cookies and drinks to order!

2016 HFN Schedule

Who Attended? Parents Siblings Grandparents Aunts & Uncles Cousins Faculty and their families Brioso choir members and their families (3 years ago we added the holiday concert to our event)

PLANNING 3 months ahead – inform staff that they will receive a Google Doc for the event. They will need to include their name, book display title, and 30 minute responsibility for the event (reader, greeter, hostess, photographer, etc.) 2 months ahead – request posters from East Lab for display titles (make sure to email covers with the highest pixels available for best image. If new copies of titles are needed order now (the sooner the better). 1 month ahead – design and print invitations with RSVP on the back. Begin Google Doc or Excel spreadsheet of the schedule and duties so there will be time to make changes. Include extra columns in case more rooms need to be added. 2 weeks ahead – send out invitations to be returned in 1 week and track number of guests as returned. 1 week ahead – order cookies, drinks, napkins, cups & lids.

Preparation Picked up napkins, hot cups (with lids recommended) Ordered cookies the week before. Picked up cookies night before Purchased or borrowed large igloo or thermal containers Purchased large Swiss Miss canisters of cocoa mix Teachers set up displays the week of HFN Heated water right after school (PTO volunteers mixed ours) Decorated cafeteria right after school

FINANCING *Book Fair Funds purchased books from Barnes and Noble that were read to give away to students and 900 cookies @$550. *Donations (Parent donated marshmallows.) *PTO donated Cocoa mix in canisters and mixed it for us. *Administration purchased cups, lids and napkins.

Alternative Literacy Night Ideas Schedule book talks or read excerpts of new titles in a number of rooms. Invite faculty, students, community members and celebrities to share books that hooked them. Set up Genre rooms and share a sampling of books in that genre. Don’t forget nonfiction genres: poetry, biography, etc.

Literacy Night & Goals Collaboration Leadership Parental Involvement PGPs

Collaboration & the Learning Community The teacher librarian must develop collaborative relationships throughout the learning community. These partnerships are critical to the success of the library media program Running a library media program involves collaboration with students, teachers, parents, and local community members. An effective center administrator must coordinate programs and people, in addition planning and managing time, resources, and facilities. They must also be leaders and advocates for learning. These roles all require working with others to build a positive atmosphere of cooperation and mutual respect. http://eduscapes.com/sms/overview/collaboration.html   ©2004-2014 Annette Lamb and Larry Johnson

Domain 3 - Delivery of Service  3.A - Communicating with members of the learning community 3.C - Engaging students in literature and learning information skills  3.E - Demonstrating flexibility and responsiveness 

Domain 4 - Professional Responsibilities  4.C - Communicating with school staff and community  4.D - Participating in a professional community   4.E - Growing and developing professionally   4.F - Showing professionalism 

Arkansas Library Standards PG 6.*.1 Read for pleasure and personal learning

Reading Initiative for Student Excellence R.I.S.E. (Reading Initiative for Student Excellence) Arkansas encourages a culture of reading by coordinating a statewide reading campaign with community partners, parents, and teachers to establish the importance of reading in homes, schools, and communities. This page features a variety of resources to assist parents with reading at home and to increase the depth of knowledge for teachers.

Images from Holiday Family Night 2016 After hearing our counsellor read Who’s afraid of the big, bad book, a grandparent ordered the book from Amazon on her phone before leaving the room. Images from Holiday Family Night 2016