Kid Lit a Big Hit

For five fun-filled Thursday afternoons this spring, the lucky English 10 students who opted for Ms. Hedquist's Children's Literature genre unit played with and read to kindergarten students at Bench Elementary School in Cowichan Bay. Each Grade 10 was matched with a kindie buddie for the duration of the unit, and each week the big buddies helped their little buddies with activities from gluing popsicle sticks into Mother's Day gifts to making ladybugs to decorate the hallways of Bench School. While playing, the big buddies conducted covert interviews; the final project of the KidLit unit was an original book written and illustrated by the Grade 10 student specifically for his or her kindie buddy. The books were, without exception, masterpieces of creativity, thoughtfulness and dedication, received by the kindie buddies and their parents with great appreciation.
Our final day was a true celebration of childhood: the buddies spent the whole hour blowing bubbles, playing tag, hide-and-seek, soccer and football, exploring the world of dinosaurs and laughter. The impact these students had on one another was truly heartwarming, and the kindies will forever remember the warm smiles and beautiful books their Brentwood buddies created for them. Mrs. Karen Hedquist