Storyteller Jonathan Kruk Visits Pelham Schools

From Pelham Schools: Master storyteller Jonathan Kruk visited third and fourth grade students in each of Pelham’s elementary schools as well as Pelham Middle School this March to share his historical tales about the area, China and the Middle Ages in Europe.

Kruk, whose visits were funded by the Pelham Education Foundation, helped students get a glimpse into various time periods through his interactive performances. His story topics included New York Lore and World Tales for elementary school students and “Medieval Manors & Manners” for the Middle Schoolers. In addition to telling stories, Kruk engaged the students with activities to discuss what they learned.

Following the story of “Lon Po Po,” a Chinese version of Cinderella, third graders were asked to re-enact the story in groups of four and write a letter from the point of view of the characters. After another story called “Siwanoy,” fourth graders were asked to discuss how various characters changed throughout the story.

“Holding events like this helps supplement our social studies curriculum in a fun and exciting way,” said Director of Humanities Dr. Maria Thompson. “Jonathan Kruk brings these stories to life for our students, helping to reinforce themes that are part of our regular curriculum. Additionally, his activities help students interpret the stories and develop critical thinking skills. I want to thank the Pelham Education Foundation for bringing this experience to our schools.”

Photos courtesy of Pelham Schools