As you may have heard Mallett School’s amazing and wonderful librarian, Betsy Turcotte, is retiring at the end of this school year. Working closely with Betsy all these years has been one of the best things about my job so I’ve been firmly in denial about her retirement for some time. At this point, however, it seems obvious that for the 4,327th time in a row denial hasn’t prevented something I hoped wouldn’t happen from happening.
With acceptance comes the need for The Mrs. Turcotte Read Aloud Challenge. Over the next five weeks everyone in the community is invited to help create a small book for Betsy. Each page will be made up of a four line stanza submitted by contestants here. One stanza will be picked as the winning entry of the week. Children from Mallet School will illustrate each page after the winning stanza of the week is selected.
Below you will find the opening page’s stanza. Just provide your entry for page two below. Each week the book will grow by a page, and we’ll post the ongoing book on Tuesday. Have fun!
I ran down the hallway racing to find
What new worlds might be waiting
What new friends I might meet
When our class had gathered at Mrs. Turcotte’s feet
Here we go everyone! Let’s wow Mrs. Turcotte with our command of the written word!
Betsy was my teacher at Kingfield Elementary School more than 30 years ago. Congratulations on a well deserved retirement!!!
“I ran down the hallway” – really? Not at Mallett. Mrs. Turcotte would not approve!
But gathering around, we were suddenly aware
Mrs. Turcotte was not the one perched in her chair.
In her place, a bookworm, looking quite stern:
“You’ll need to read up if you want her return!”
Page 2 for either
What new worlds might be waiting OR What new friends I might meet
“in the pages”
We read some good books
With the nicest librarian
Then we pick out the best books
We leave her library with the most excited looks!
She always greets us with a big smile
and with a book in her hand
We get transported into a magical land
all because Mrs. Turcotte is so grand.
Billy was poking Sally with his shoe
Brianna was giggling with Mary Lou
Tom fiddling with the zipper on his sweat shirt
But when Mrs. Turcotte opened the book in her hand…
we parade around in our costumes,
until we go back to our classrooms.
when we leave, she gives us a big smile
until we see her again in a little while.
We were squirming with excitement
for the new book this week.
I spotted the cover and
was tempted to just take a peek.
Eric Carle, Judy Blume, Roald Dahl
We’ve read them all.
Dr. Suess, Jan Brett, Beverly Cleary
I’ve read so much, my eyes are bleary.
Since Pre-K children do not get to meet with the librarian, Erika Neal & I would like to submit our own stanzas for the help she has given US, as the Pre-K teachers:
She greets with a smile,
She always has time.
When we ask for a book,
She comes up with nine!
Our library has
Such a wonderful feel
She knows how to make
A place with appeal!
She asks about children
With genuine concern
She finds the right book
So our children can learn.
Mrs. Turcotte’s so great
She knows everyone’s name
We nominate her for…
Mallett’s Hall of Fame!
Feel free to pick one of these, or submit them for 4 different days (we’re used to being the round pegs for the square holes).