Principal's Message

April 4, 2019

Dear Sheehan Families,

We are so proud of our 5th-grade readers! Every year  Ms. Clarke, Sheehan’s Librarian invites 5th graders to participate in the Massachusetts Children’s Book Award, a state-wide promotional reading event for middle-grade readers. The students only have to read 5 titles from the list of 25 to become a voter. Few stop there when the list is used to suggest the next best read! In fact, one student, Nolan Cahill (photo missing) read an amazing 14 books from the options! Twenty-six eligible students voted in late March and this week the announcement came from Salem State University that A Night Divided by Jennifer Nielsen had won top votes from children across Massachusetts. Nielsen’s story of the Berlin Wall separating families in post-war Germany was inspired by a family friend who escaped from East Berlin hidden in a baggage car of a train heading to West Germany. Runner-up titles were Ghost by Jason Reynolds, A Handful of Stars by Cynthia Lord, Rain Reign by Ann M. Martin, and Framed by James Ponti. A wonderful array of titles if your middle-grade reader is looking for their next read.

Please click here for the attached letter from award-winning author Jennifer Nielsen upon receiving this distinction.  Nielsen shares a very powerful message for all of our students to read about overcoming obstacles in one’s life.  I encourage you to share and discuss with your child. Thank you, Ms. Clarke, for providing this wonderful opportunity and bringing such rich literature and discussion to our students.

Have a wonderful week.

Mrs. Evans