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On May 13, Grade 4 students in at Lenape Elementary School welcomed middle grade-level local author Lesa Cline-Ransome for an inspiring visit and book signing. The award-winning author of 35 books spoke with students about many of the works they already knew and loved, sharing insights into her writing and storytelling process.

Ms. Cline-Ransome was a truly engaging guest. The students listened attentively as she guided them through her writing process—from inspiration and notecards to first drafts and, ultimately, a manuscript ready for submission to a publisher. Students asked thoughtful questions throughout the visit. She also shared stories from her personal journey, including how she met her husband, who has illustrated many of her books.

She asked students powerful questions such as, “What is freedom?” and “What does freedom mean to you? It was questions like these, she noted, that inspired many of her books. For instance, learning about the limited rights of women in the 1800s led her to write “One Big Open Sky,” which explores the 1879 Exoduster movement, when many Black families migrated West in search of freedom and land ownership.

During the book signing, some students even brought four or five of the author’s books for her to sign.

Lenape Elementary School students in the multigrade class of Dominique Venturini, Cara Kubert, and Amy Chapman recently showcased their research, technology, and presentation skills during a special habitat presentation for families! On May 7, students presented multimedia Google Slides projects highlighting ecosystems from deserts to rainforests, sharing information about climates, plant and animal life, and locations, as well as fun facts they had discovered along the way.

Students not only learned how to research and paraphrase information from print and digital sources, but also tackled challenging habitat vocabulary, operated the SMART Board independently, and rehearsed their presentations to build confidence in public speaking. Families and staff were impressed by all they learned.

A big “high five” for Julian Galvan, De’Lonte Middleton, Abaan Bilal, and Gabriel Reyes!