8th grade scholars at OLHMS went up to the library to check-in their old novels and check-out new ones. But with Valentine's day around the corner, Mrs. McCarthy had a special surprise for our students. Scholars had a choice of writing a love or break up letter to the novel they were reading. An eruption of chatter and emotions swarmed our OLHMS library, and scholars were debating if they wanted to pursue their book or end things right then and there. It was safe to say that love was not in the air. “It’s not me, it’s you” and “sorry not sorry” were several lines that students were saying when they broke up with their novels. These "Novel-entines" were detailed, creative, realistic, hilarious, and heart-breaking. Scholars were buzzing with excitement the rest of the day and talked about their letters even when they got back in their ELA classrooms. The "Novel-entines" activity not only caught our students’ attention, but also Bill Jones’s attention, writer for the Chicago Tribune.
Scholars’ "Novel-entines" were entered into a contest to see who wrote the best love or break up letter to their novel. 8th grade scholars, Patrycja and Blessing, were featured in Mr. Jones’s article found in the Daily Southtown. Mr. Jones interviewed Mrs. McCarthy and both scholars regarding the activity and letters they wrote, and published the article on February 12, 2022. Our scholars were honored to not only win the "Novel-entines" contest, but to be featured in our local newspaper!
