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March 20, 2023By Carissa Krautscheid
On March 9, 2023, Saint Joseph Catholic School in Tucson welcomed 16 students from Salpointe Catholic High School who had partnered with Literacy Connects to present Stories That Soar!
“Tapping into the wellspring of children’s imaginations, Literacy Connects’ Stories that Soar! programs transform and share students’ words and ideas through the arts to inspire creativity, promote active literacy, and build engaged communities. When children realize their words and ideas have meaning and power beyond themselves, they seize the opportunity to engage in our collaborative process of bringing original stories to life.”
For one month last fall, the Stories That Soar! box resided at St. Joseph Catholic School. Elementary classes from pre-school to fifth grade wrote stories and “fed” it to the box that was hungry for stories. St. Joseph students wrote an impressive 294 stories!
“The students were very motivated and excited to write,” said St. Joseph Principal, Kathy Van Loan. “It was a surprise for them that the stories were going to be acted out.”
These stories were then adopted by the drama students at Salpointe Catholic High School who adapted the creative ideas to be performed on the stage. The high school actors designed the props, choreography, and delivery to make these written stories come to life!
Some stories were translated into songs, while others were combined together. While many stories were funny, light-hearted, silly, adventurous, or even scary, several stories held deep themes of what young students today are thinking and feeling.
A lonely boba tea had no friends at school until a new boba tea asked how he was doing and they became friends. (Pictured above)
Picnicking kids threw their trash on the ground but were surprised when a flying banana scolded them for polluting the Earth.
A boy with a stutter went to see a speech therapist who helped him to be more confident in his diction.
Elvis Presley interviewed Santa Claus who said that Christmas is really all about the coming of Jesus Christ.
Aliens and astronauts were afraid of one another, until they realized their common love of reading and pizza, which forged unlikely friendships despite their differences. (Pictured below)
After the performance, a spontaneous dance party with the Lancers and St. Joe’s Kindergarteners brought out impressive dance moves, lots of laughter, and admiration of high school role models. “Read more books!” was chanted by students of all ages. Elementary students enthusiastically thanked their teachers for inspiring them to read books and write stories of all kinds.
The following night, these Stories That Soar! were presented at Salpointe Catholic High School for Lancer families and St. Joe’s parents to enjoy. “The show Friday night at Salpointe was so neat to see,” said Mrs. Van Loan. “The Lancer students in the audience really got into it, laughing and enjoying the stories. It was super fun to see some of our students there enjoying their stories on a real stage in a real theater!”
It is clear that the mission of Stories That Soar! was successful in “empowering young writers as well as the high school students who experience the power of giving back to their community.”
Reading has the potential to promote academic success, inspire the imagination, and cultivate empathy. Reading and writing have the power to unite us, teach us, and uplift us. When you write stories, chances are, you’ll inspire someone else, make them laugh, or put to words a similar experience they’re wrestling with. Even if it’s silly or improbable, serious or vulnerable, share your story with the world!
