What's happening: This Spring, Dater is going to participate in One School, One Book. A huge and heartfelt thank you goes out to the amazing and generous RPEF for funding the book order and helping make this special shared reading experience possible for all of our students and families.
Go deeper: A Boy Called Bat is about a boy named Bixby Alexander Tam (nicknames Bat). His life tends to be full of surprised — some of them good, some not so good. Today, though, is a good-surprise day. Bat’s mom, a veterinarian, has brought home a stray baby skunk, which she needs to take care of until she can hand him over to a wild-animal shelter. But the minute Bat meets the kit, he knows they belong together. And he’s got one month to show his mom that a baby skunk might just make a pretty terrific pet. From acclaimed author Elana K. Arnold comes a story of first friendship starring an unforgettable young boy on the autism spectrum.
Save the Date: We invite families to carve out some time Monday–Thursday during the weeks of May 18th and May 25th to read together at home. We know schedules are jam-packed with sports, activities, homework, and a million other things. Even 15–20 minutes a night can create memories and conversations that stick long after the final chapter. The reading schedule is linked here.
Students will also read portions of the book in school and bring home summary sheets for any missed chapters. Teachers have also recorded readings of both the school and home chapters to support families on especially “batty” evenings.
Special Events Along the Way: We have some exciting events planned throughout the experience, including:
a fun in-school trivia event,
a special presentation from Dr. Parker (thank you so much!!!), veterinarian and mom of 5th grader Tyson Cox, and
an unforgettable assembly funded by the incredible Dater PTO featuring unique creatures — including a skunk named Pickles!
We are so grateful to everyone helping bring this experience to life for our students.
A Small Change this Year: This year’s One School, One Book experience will look a little different from past years. Students will still receive a copy of the book to take home and enjoy with loved ones, but all books will be returned on May 29th so we can reuse them in future years and continue making this program sustainable and cost-effective for our school community.
Thank you for partnering with us to make reading a shared adventure. We can’t wait to watch our entire school community come together around one great book!