The Dot Inspires Creativity at Brewster, Korn, Lyman and Memorial

Make your mark!

Students at Brewster, Korn, John Lyman and Memorial schools began this school year thinking about just that. Inspired by the book The Dot by Peter Reynolds, International Dot Day, began being celebrated on September 15, 2007 and has grown to over 500,000 participants world wide.

I wanted to begin the school year celebrating reading, getting kids, teachers, and families excited to create and share, and making reading fun! Dot Day activities soon spread throughout Brewster, Korn, John Lyman and Memorial.

Students and teachers at Brewster and Korn worked together to make dots in all kinds of ways: coffee filters and markers, play dough, iPad apps, paper and art supplies, dry erase boards, large class dots, original Dot Day music from Mr. Robison and more. Parents and families were invited to “make their mark” on a large dot during Open House at Korn.

Kindergarten, first graders, and second graders at John Lyman also began “connecting the dots” with one another as they became new friends and classmates. In library, each student created a dot that was then cut in half and “connected” or glued to another half dot.

In art class, these students decided how to use their new dots to create a unique class mural. Classes created a caterpillar, a soccer ball, and a flower. These unique creations are on display in the school hallway. Third and fourth graders took a slightly different approach. Each student thought about ways they could leave their mark on John Lyman School. Every student created a DOT with a picture and sentence indicating their personal goals for the school year. These dots are on display in the library.

Students at Memorial School read The Dot and had lots of creative ideas. They include a dot coat, doors with dots, researched artists and made a dot gallery and of course, wore dots from head to toe!

Connecting the dots! “This was the best day ever!” one second grader told me! Students in some classes were able to use Skype, a videoconferencing site, to connect with other classes around the country! Connections were made with students in Arizona, Wisconsin, Vermont, Illinois, and Maryland as well as between Korn and Memorial Schools.

Highlights included fifth graders in Wisconsin sharing a Reader’s Theatre performance with kindergarteners at Brewster and first grade students at Brewster connecting with a class in Maryland by reading The Dot and creating a “dot graph” together.

A kindergarten class at John Lyman also had the opportunity to Skype with students in Vermont about their Dot day projects! Experiences such as this allow students to practice digital citizenship and using technology to develop 21st century skills as well as have fun!