For the first time in two years, Ojai Valley School Upper Campus students staged a storytelling initiative that connects high school students with many of the younger students at Lower Campus.
On Tuesday, eight OVS high schoolers went to Lower Campus to read books, do arts and crafts, and play with the kindergarten and elementary students.
Led by junior Dylan Hamilton-West and English teacher Devyn Reynolds, high school students Clara Ferrer Ferreira, Jonathan Castagnini, Charlie McGregor, Ella Schuette, Nicky Sweeney, Soren Saye, and Eli Roston took part in the event at the Lower Campus library.
There, they read winter and holiday-themed stories to the eager kindergarteners and first graders.
“It’s a great way to connect our two schools,” Ms. Reynolds said. “They [lower students] have so much fun hanging out with the high schoolers- so it’s always good to hang out with them and have fun.”
The high schoolers went beyond just reading to the kids. They also prepared some arts and crafts (coloring, paper snowflakes), helped the fourth graders with their science projects, and played with the Lower Campus students during recess.
“It was really good,” fourth grader Willa Arnold said of the meet up. “It really helped me in my class, we got caught up thanks to their help.”
A tradition of similar Upper-Lower meet-ups came to an end in 2020 because of the Pandemic.
Dylan came up with the idea of bringing back the tradition, remembering how much he got out of it when he was a student at Lower Campus.
“I remember when I was at Lower, a lot of other kids came down and read to us,” he said, “And I thought it was really cool and needed to come back, and these kids liked it.”
The high schoolers had fun too.
“Everyone was super nice to me,” Clara said. “They were really engaged, and I had so much fun talking to them”
There are already plans to do similar events next semester, especially during the Read Across America program for libraries and schools to promote the joy of reading.
