It is time for another installment in our OPS Authors series for the 2021 - 2022 school year. Back in December 2021 we posted part one of The Breakthrough, an original story by Dean, a sixth grader here at OPS. The story was a big hit, so we're thrilled Dean has now provided us with Part 2 of his story. We hope you enjoy it. The Breakthrough Part 2 - Reconcile I got home and I saw my son waiting for me. He must’ve been pretty shocked that I was even alive. I mean, I was and I quote “fatally wounded”.
“Dad? Is that you? I thought you were surely gone. I mean, you were on the ground and there were lot’s of police and an ambulance. I wouldn’t know what to expect,” he said. “Well, at least I'm alive,” I feel a tear coming down my face. I reach forward, arms out, and I hug him. The feeling was lost so many harsh years ago. Now, it came back to me. The feeling of comfort. I… I don’t know how to explain it. “Son, after we lost your mother, my wife to that earthquake. I lost all humanity in me. I want you to know I still care about you,” I sniffled. I let it all come out. A torrential downpour of tears come out. I can’t stop it. I gain back all senses of who I am. Once a few minutes passed, I gathered my bearings. Then I came back to the realization that a clone is afoot. He could strike at any time. I decided to bust out the old police radio, and go to any location that the crime was at. “Son, if I don’t make it back, know I love you,” I look back hoping for the best for me. First I drove some distance before noticing some odd calls. Things like a flying human, or a cluster of orange swirls. It had to be him. I headed over to the next location. It was a bank. I saw crossing the street then bam, he teleported. After that, I decided to call New Genetics corporate headquarters. “Hello?” The attendant called. “Tell me how to deactivate a Nano-tech unit. Now,” I threatened. I needed answers. If I didn’t get any, there could be serious consequences. One of which would be the possibility of the clone blowing up the power plant. Los Angeles wouldn’t have power for weeks.
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Survivor Tree, written by Marcie Colleen and illustrated by Caldecott Honored illustrator Aaron Becker, is the fifth and final book up for consideration in our 2022 OPS Picture Book Awards. This beautiful picture book tells the story of the resilient pear tree that survived the devastating tragedy of September 11th, 2001, and still grows on the site of the former Twin Towers to this day. Marcie Colleen's simple text and Aaron Becker's use of nature's cycle of colors provides young readers with a moving story about how hope and healing can follow a tragedy. To take a quick look at this uplifting story of resilience please watch this video:
Survivor Tree is one of the five picture books our OPS students will be reading, analyzing, and considering for three OPS Picture Book Awards: Best Illustrations, Best Message, and Best Overall Picture Book. Voting will take place by homeroom class on Thursday, March 3rd, and the winning book(s) will be announced on Friday, March 4th. To check out a copy please visit the Oradell Public Library's BCCL's system.
Keeping the City Going by Caldecott Medal winning author/illustrator Brian Floca is the fourth book up for consideration in our 2022 OPS Picture Book Awards. Created during the lockdown that occurred in New York City at the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic, Keeping the City Going is a tribute to healthcare and other essential workers who stayed on the streets and on the job despite the risk of infection. Written from the perspective of a young child and featuring a mix of detailed watercolor, ink, acrylic, and gouache illustrations, the book is an evocative reminder of the sacrifice many people made to keep New York City going during this difficult period. To enjoy this beautiful picture book, please watch this animated read aloud of Keeping the City Going by Brian Floca:
Keeping the City Going is one of the five picture books our OPS students will be reading, analyzing, and considering for three OPS Picture Book Awards: Best Illustrations, Best Message, and Best Overall Picture Book. Voting will take place by homeroom class on Thursday, March 3rd, and the winning book(s) will be announced on Friday, March 4th. To check out a copy please visit the Oradell Public Library's BCCLS system.
The next nominated book we would like to spotlight in our 2022 OPS Picture Book Awards is Someone Builds The Dream by Lisa Wheeler with illustrations by Loren Long. In this inspiring picture book, Lisa Wheeler pays tribute to the hard working men and women of the building trades. With illustrations by Loren Long inspired by the WPA murals of the great depression, Someone Builds The Dream is a thank you to American workers whose labor, team work, and dedication to their craft is often forgotten when we consider what they have built. Watch Lisa Wheeler and Loren Long discuss their inspiration for Someone Builds The Dream.
Someone Builds The Dream is one of the five picture books our OPS students will be reading, analyzing, and considering for three OPS Picture Book Awards: Best Illustrations, Best Message, and Best Overall Picture Book. Voting will take place by homeroom class on Thursday, March 3rd, and the winning book(s) will be announced on Friday, March 4th. To check out a copy visit the Oradell Public Library's BCCLS system.
This week in the OPS Library we continue our consideration of another nominated book in our 2022 OPS Picture Book Awards, Inside Cat by Brendan Wenzel. Brendan's latest picture book, Inside Cat, is a fun and fascinating look at a cat whose inquisitive nature opens up a whole new world beyond the walls and windows of his home. Brendan's mix of drawings and collage create a feast for the eyes and allow the reader to follow along with the cat as he wanders from room to room discovering new sensations and encountering a host of surprises along the way. Brendan is an accomplished author/illustrator, whose previous book They All Saw A Cat was a Caldecott Honor book. To find out more about Brendan's creative process and watch him demonstrate how to draw Inside Cat, please watch this video.
Inside Cat is one of the five picture books our OPS students will be reading, analyzing, and considering for three OPS Picture Book Awards: Best Illustrations, Best Message, and Best Overall Picture Book. Voting will take place by homeroom class on Thursday, March 3rd, and the winning book(s) will be announced on Friday, March 4th. To check out a copy of Inside Cat, please visit the Oradell Public Library's BCCLS system.
We are very excited to kick off the first week of our second annual OPS Picture Book Awards, an event where our OPS reading community is given the opportunity to recognize some of the best picture books from the previous year.
Our students will be reading, analyzing, and considering five picture books selected by our award committee, which is made up of myself, OPS Principal Michelle Hawley, and our Director of Curriculum Amy Brancato. Each of the five books will be read aloud and discussed with our OPS students, who will then have an opportunity to vote on which book(s) will be awarded with one of three awards: Best Illustrations, Best Message, and Best Overall picture book. The winning book(s) will be announced on Friday, March 4th as the culmination of our Read Across America festivities. The first book our students will consider is Be A Tree! by Maria Gianferrari with illustrations by Felicita Sala. To find out more about the inspiration behind Be A Tree! and to see how Felicita Sala created some of it's illustrations, please watch the video below.
It is time for another installment in our OPS Authors series for the 2021 - 2022 school year. In this post we focus on an OPS Author from the sixth grade, Dean, who has been kind enough to share his story, The Breakthrough: Part 1. The story, is a potent mix of humor and science fiction, so we hope you enjoy it. When you are done, check out our interview with the author!
The Breakthrough
Part 1
“Attention all people of New Genetics corporation! We have a new breakthrough in technology. I would like to announce Nano-tech. We have found a way to combine atoms with technology. We took dead skin, only to find a new born baby the next day. The donor was fascinated! Because of this breakthrough, we can now release this in our store outlets. We-”
“Great. I have to do yet another documentary about technology. Well can’t hurt. Right?” I got up off the couch. Hopped into my clothes and out of the house. “Just another day,” I thought. I turned on the radio. “Hey guys. I would like to announce the best journalist of the month. His name. Jim Granderson!” “Gah!? Me? Why me? Haven’t I already gotten enough attention,” I wanted my son to get the report of the month. It’s always me.” My son. Right. If he already messed up, he’d be out of his job. In fact, he wouldn’t even know how to handle the role. I raised him when he was younger to be as wise as me. I give up. I hate it. I hate it all. And I hate this place the most. The same stuff happens every decade or so. Thanks to global warming, I have to deal with smog every couple of days and earthquakes. Just the thought of them. Well, may as well fall back into the present. “Here we are. Los Angeles!” I start, “One of the biggest cities on earth.” “Sir! You there,” I spoke in an unheard tone. “What do you think about this… Nano-tech?” “Well, for starters, I don’t mind it. The world is technology now. Elon Musk just announced the Tesla bot. So you know. We're doomed,” he said. I asked another individual. “What do you think about-” he cut me off. “I think it’s amazing! I was allowed to modify my bike and like, basically everything else in the world,” he said, sounding insane. “Best of all, they do implants now! It’s fantastico! Anyways, bye amigo!” “Implants? I got to get this stuff for myself,” I thought. I ran over to the nearest outlet. It was so odd. So new. So… futuristic. I decided to pick a jar up. It contained an odd hexagon of swirls. “Nano-tech? Why isn’t it as solid as advertised,” I thought. I decided to walk to the counter. The clerk seemed like he regretted working in the store. Once I reached the counter, I decided to ask a particular question. “What is it, old man?” he said. I cringed. “A-hm. Jim. Not old man. Anyways, one thing of Nano-tech, sir,” I mentioned. “Oh! A mk III model? That’ll cut you four hundred dollars, and because you're the first to buy it, we take off tax,” He sounded disappointed. “Thanks, and how about I buy one for you too?” “What!? Oh um, that's not necessary,” he shrieked. “I insist!” I forwarded the money. I waddled out, looking smug and spiffy. “Mk III, huh?” I started. “May as well test this in the mojave. It’s the most open spot for miles.” I left the city. It was already annoying getting out, but having the Nano-tech hitting the sides of the jar was even worse. I blinked, and something happened. I couldn’t tell what, but something flashed for a tenth of a second. I didn’t acknowledge it. Then it happened. *BLAAAM* *BLAAAM* My phone shook. It happened. Someone broke into my home. I stumbled out of my car and ran in. I gasped. “Out of breath,” I breathed. I turned the corner. Orange swirls in the shape of a body… no. My body. Suddenly, everything turned dark. The last thing I could hear was my own laughter. “Gasp! What h- happened!?” I exclaimed. “Jim. You were found fatally wounded in your home. We noticed you had some spare Nano-tech in your car, so we decided to patch you up with it,” the Nurse said. “What!? Why would you do that to me? It was the thing that almost killed me!” “It was the only way! Your son was very concerned! Besides, it was also the only medically advanced thing able to save you last night.” the doctor countered. I was about to attack him, but my hand was restrained. Dark hexagons formed and everybody went silent. They slowly handed me my clothes and I got out of there as fast as I could. It was odd to feel like this, but now I have to help the world become safer because of my clone. I’m going to stop it. Even if it takes my life. The Breakthrough: Part 1 by Dean is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 4.0 International License.
Welcome to the first installment in our OPS Authors series for the 2021 - 2022 school year. In this post we focus on an OPS Author from the fifth grade, Natalie, who has been kind enough to share her story, The Reverse Card. The story, has some twists and turns so we hope you enjoy it. When you are done, check out our interview with the author!
The REVERSE CARD
Prologue
Snow covered all that Stephanie could see very soon. Snowflakes that sparkled as beautiful as diamonds surrounded her. She was worried that everyone would get sick. She quickly told everyone to find shelter. Her face was covered thoroughly with cold, white snow. Stephanie had suddenly remembered she had to escape this and make the world back to normal...but how? 2 Days Earlier “Stephanie! Wake up! It’s time for school!” Stephanie woke up groggy-eyed as everyday. She always had her “kind” wake up call in the morning. Her mom was always in a rush. “Coming,” yelled Stephanie. Stephanie was super excited for winter break. She just had to wait and get through today. Stephanie was your usual fifth grader. She had long blonde hair and big green eyes. Her mom always said that she was a very bold girl. Stephanie put on her warm pink and blue jacket. She put on her fuzzy brown scarf and looked at the mirror. “I look like a potato with all this clothing on! Ugh, when will winter get over!” Stephanie told herself. She got downstairs and her mother greeted her. “Good morning Stephanie! I have made you some French toast. Get the sugar and whipped cream while I go get your younger sister to wake up.” Once Stephanie had gotten all the food ready, Zara came downstairs. She was the worst sister ever! “Good morning, potato! How are you liking winter?” Zara asked in her annoying voice. She was like the salt on the wound, always being the one who ruins everything. Zachary came running down the stairs. Zachary was always in a hurry, just like mom. He was also quite bewildered when he saw Stephanie. “Is it dress up like the moon day?” Zachary asked as he grabbed an apple from the fruit basket. Stephanie asked, “I literally prepared your french toast plate with the whipped cream and sugar! What are you doing!?” Zachary complained to Stephanie’s mom in his babyish tone of voice, “Stephanie is forcing me to eat the french toast!” You might be wondering, usually the younger siblings tell their parents about this kind of stuff that the older siblings do, but in this household, it was always the other way around. “Well more for me to eat…” mumbled Stephanie. Our Students:
We are excited to kick off a new school year in the OPS Library Media Center by welcoming all of our new students to our Oradell Public School community and getting reacquainted with all of our returning students. It's always good to see new and old faces enjoying our OPS library, especially after not being able to be in the library for the past year and a half. New School Year, New Books: We're thrilled to announce that we have over one hundred new books to share with our students beginning Friday, September 24th when we kick off our library borrowing for the year. The new books include a wide variety of fiction and nonfiction titles ranging from biographies, natural sciences and history to realistic fiction, mysteries, and graphic novels. We can't wait to share all of these new books with our entire OPS community. Library Volunteers: Are you interested in getting involved in our OPS school community? Why not join our team of library volunteers? It's a great way for parents and grandparents to get involved at OPS and interact one-on-one with students. If you are interested please visit our OPS Library Volunteer Calendar to find out more about the program and sign up for available volunteer slots. Please note that volunteers must provide proof of vaccination and attend a short training session. For more information please visit our OPS Library Volunteer Calendar or contact us directly in the library. Reading Clubs: On Monday, September 27th we'll be kicking off another year of our OPS Library Reading Clubs. These voluntary clubs are open to 1st - 6th grade students, and provide students with an opportunity to earn prizes for reading a wide variety of age-appropriate and award winning fiction and nonfiction literature. Details for each club will be sent home with students the week of September 20th. We will also be sharing information about the clubs with our students during their library class over the next week or so. If you have any questions regarding the clubs please don't hesitate to contact Mrs. Lisa Santangelo.
Welcome to another installment in our OPS Authors series. For our fifth and final installment of the 2020 - 2021 school year we'd like to spotlight a poem by one of our sixth graders, Ava, who kicked off this series in October with her story Nine Spirits. This time Ava is sharing an original poem, A Goodbye of Any Kind, which was inspired by the departure of two of her classmates from OPS earlier this year. As a graduating sixth grader, Ava is now facing a goodbye of her own, and wanted to share her poem with everyone at OPS.
A GOODBYE OF ANY KIND
A goodbye of any kind,
A goodbye forever Or a goodbye for now, This goodbye Is a different goodbye Because this goodbye Is goodbye and hello, Goodbye to the past, And hello to the future. Every goodbye Is a different goodbye And this goodbye Is especially dedicated To you. BY AVA -- OPS CLASS OF 2021This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 4.0 International License.
Thanks again to Ava for sharing her poem. We hope all of our graduating sixth graders have a wonderful summer, and we wish them all the best in middle school and beyond! To our returning students, enjoy your summer break and we look forward to seeing you again in September!
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