Covenant Lower School Celebrates Virginia's Virtual 2021 Festival of the Book

Our Birdwood students just finished celebrating alongside Virginia’s All-Virtual 2021 Festival of the Book. Students in each grade level (Pre-Kindergarten to Grade 5) enjoyed a virtual author experience!
This year’s virtual event was kicked off by Dr. Leigh-Ann Webb and Dr. Ebony Hilton, co-authors of We’re Going to be O.K. Dr. Webb and Dr. Hilton both work at UVA hospital in Emergency Medicine and Anesthesiology, respectively. Their children’s book tells the story of Parker, “a young African American child, as he learns about COVID-19 from his parents and how the pandemic will change his day-to-day routines.” Students listened to the story read aloud and were able to ask their own questions about writing a book while working as a doctor during a pandemic and about COVID-19. Virtual Festival of the Book events ran March 15-26.

This year, students also spent time with Covenant parent and author Patricia Taylor, who read her book Runaway Words to students in Grades 1 and 2. Mrs. Taylor, who has students at both Birdwood and Hickory, is a mother of three and wrote this book when her oldest was diagnosed with Autism. Her inspiration for the story comes from her own daughter who, for Christmas one year, asked for nothing more than her brother to have his words back. This book will appeal to a plethora of audiences and teaches that there is more to communication than just words. 

Our Pre-Kindergarten class hosted author Kristi Guillory Reid. As they listened to her first book, Harper Counts Her Blessings, Mrs. Guillory Reid shared, “how the events of an ordinary day turn out to be not so ordinary when you truly reflect upon the blessings in your life.”  After her presentation, the inquisitive Pre-K class had many questions about how a book goes through the publishing process and had the opportunity to meet the real-life Harper (her daughter) via Zoom; naturally, the students loved her.

Additionally, students virtually hosted Caldecott and Newbery Award Committee Member Dr. Joan Kindig, illustrator Sean Rubin, and the 2021 Festival of the Book Youth Headliner Vashti Harrison. We are honored to have hosted all of these wonderful guests in our classrooms through the wonders of technology. 
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The Covenant School

Birdwood Campus | Lower School | Pre-K–Grade 5 |
1000 Birdwood Road Charlottesville, VA 22903 | 434.220.7309

Hickory Campus | Middle and Upper School | Grades 6–12 | 175 Hickory Street Charlottesville, VA 22902 | 434.220.7329
Located in Charlottesville, VA, The Covenant School is a non-denominational, private, Christian day school for Pre-Kindergarten through Grade 12. Students benefit from a challenging academic program, visual and performing arts, competitive athletics, and a wide selection of extracurricular activities.