Holy Cross teachers Rebecca Velez and Natalie Adams and the Kindergarten class at Holy Cross School have been announced as finalists in the 2018-2019 National Book Challenge hosted by Studentreasures Publishing. For this honor, the class will receive a $50 gift card, plus a published author certificate for each student. Each of the 19 Kindergarten authors were recognized for their contributions to their book, “Our New Orleans Alphabet,” which was published earlier this year through Studentreasures’ free publishing program.
The class came up with the idea for “Our New Orleans Alphabet” when researching about things special to New Orleans. The Kindergarten authors put forth their best effort, researching, writing about, and illustrating their alphabet book, from gumbo to jazz music, before they sent their completed pages to be published.
“In the words of our founder Father Moreau, ‘We will always place education side by side with instruction; the mind will not be cultivated at the expense of the heart.’ This project is a testament to Holy Cross kindergartners’ dedication to learning and our devotion to New Orleans. The heart of our city is its food, culture, and our beloved Saints. Mr. Brian Kitchen, Dean of Primary, and I thank Studentreasures Publishing, Mrs.Velez and Mrs. Natalie for giving our young men the opportunity to grow as young writers, illustrators, and editors,” said Eric DesOrmeaux, Chief School Officer of Holy Cross School.
As a finalist in the one-and-only National Book Challenge, Mrs.Velez and Mrs. Natalie’s classbook was selected from entries across the country and awarded as a Top 50 book based on its originality, creative storyline, and colorful illustrations. This nationwide contest was open to more than 800,000 books that were submitted to Studentreasures for free publishing this school year.
“At Studentreasures, we are fortunate to witness tremendous creativity and talent from classrooms around the country and all students who publish their own books. We especially congratulate Mrs. Velez and Mrs. Natalie and their students for earning this unique achievement and completing a project that provides lasting memories and a one-of-a-kind keepsake,” said Chad Zimmerman, President and Chief Executive Officer, Studentreasures.
“Educators share that creating their own books through our fun and easy publishing program motivates students to write, inspires learning, and instills pride. Additionally, these students now have the honor of being recognized for creating one of the top student-published books in the country as part of our National Book Challenge.”
Photo Gallery:
https://photos.holycrosstigers.com/Kindergarten-Book-Signing-5719/