Dear Parents,
Thank you for your interest in Junior Great Books! Junior Great Books (JGB) is an enrichment program,
led by parent volunteers, for students to meet with others in their grade level to read great stories from
literature and to discuss these stories in a relaxed and fun atmosphere. Participants will have an
opportunity to learn new vocabulary, develop critical thinking skills, and build friendships while learning
to effectively communicate their thoughts and opinions. All 3rd, 4th, and 5th grade students are invited to
join.
This letter outlines some specifics of the program, including meeting information, supplies needed, and
an overview of the expectations for students who participate in JGB.
Junior Great Books will usually meet twice a month during students’ lunch and recess time. (Third grade
groups meet from 12:20-1:00pm, fourth grade groups meet from 12:45-1:25pm, and fifth grade groups
meet from 1:10-1:50pm.) Junior Great Books is intended to be an added benefit to participants’ school
experience, and not one that serves as a disruption to a student’s school day. Since students
participating in Junior Great Books are sacrificing their recess time, it is very important that parents
evaluate if JGB is an appropriate enrichment activity for each student on an individual basis. If you have
concerns about your student’s ability to manage a full afternoon of classroom activities without having
an opportunity to play and run at recess, JGB may not be for him or her this school year.
During the first of two monthly meetings, a parent volunteer reads the story aloud to the students.
Afterwards, students are encouraged to share their own definitions of vocabulary from contextual clues
in the story. Preliminary elements of the story are also discussed. At the end of the meeting, a
homework assignment will be handed out. The expectation is that students will read the story on their
own and complete assigned homework prior to the next meeting.
During the second monthly meeting, the completed homework assignment will be used to drive the
discussion. Students have an opportunity to share their points of view, participate in shared inquiry, and
are encouraged to provide support for their opinions with specific passages from the text.
Textbooks will be provided for your student to use between the first and second monthly meeting. Since
Kimberly Lane owns only one set of books per grade level, textbooks may need to be shared between
groups. It is very important that students return their textbook at their second monthly meeting, so
another JGB group of students will have books to use for their meeting. If your student misses a
meeting, please make sure the JGB textbook is returned to school as soon as possible.
In addition to returning textbooks and bringing any assigned homework to the meetings, students
should bring a pencil, a peanut-free “home lunch,” and water bottle to each meeting. (We will have
more time for reading and discussing stories if students can avoid the busy lunch line on meeting days.)
Lastly, I would like to stress the importance of making sure that students who join Junior Great Books be
committed to participating in the program. The Registration Form outlines expectations for the students
who decide to join JGB. Please review the form with your student. If your student is interested in the
program, please print out the Junior Great Books Registration Form and turn it in to the KL office no
later than Wednesday, October 19th. A schedule of meeting dates and locations will be emailed to
parents the week of October 24th.
Thanks so much for your interest in Junior Great Books. The JGB parent volunteers are looking forward
to a fun and rewarding year with your children. If you have any questions or concerns, I may be reached
at candeecundy@comcast.net or 763-416-7703.
Candee Cundy, Junior Great Books Coordinator