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Tricksters host Community Night

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ARLEE – The sixth graders played the old switcheroo and became the teachers, just like some of the trickster-themed books they taught last Monday to kindergartners at the second Community Night of the year. The young teachers unveiled the Indian Reading Series as the new take home school project for kindergarten through third grade students. 

“We received a grant to create take home reading kits with books created by different tribes throughout the northwest,” said Deanne Smith, grants manager. “Some of the culturally sensitive stories can only be told in the winter so this is a good time.”

Sixth graders in separate groups presented the books through a series of book-themed activities like cup game, obstacle courses and sketching a skunk. 

Saige Koetter enjoyed reading “How Cottontail Lost His Fingers” to her group of kindergartners.

“I loved the story,” Saige said. “Cottontail liked to cheat during Stick Game. The porcupine said to the lightening ‘come strike Cottontail on the fingers for cheating,’ and so that is how Cottontail lost his fingers.”

Emily Fiddler learned that organizing a group of students “can be hard sometimes” but she enjoyed working with the younger group and getting to look at books with pictures in them again.

Sixth grader Cody Tanner taught “Why Bluejay Hops” to his group.

“I liked it because it teaches you not to copy others and be yourself,” be said.

CJ Forgey got to practice his acting skills with his group.

“We are reading ‘Chipmunk Meets Old Witch’ to the kindergartners,” he said. “It’s about how Chipmunk disobeys Grandmother. We are going to present a Reader’s Theater to our group where we act out parts of the story.”

The stories are handed out in the classroom every other week and taken home where children and families can read them together.

“In the kits, they’ve got journals and the stories,” Forgey said. 

The Arlee Partners in Reading Grant provided the funding for the event, including a spaghetti dinner. Two more student-sponsored projects — including dinner — are in the planning stages for this school year. 

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