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StoryWalk is taking reading out into the sun
nerships with the Friends of the Oceanside Library and the Town of Hempstead Parks Department. “A StoryWalk brings books Leaders at the Oceanside Library are making books avail- beyond the page,” Chris Marra, able beyond its walls, expressing the library’s director, said. “It hope that the newest literacy ini- combines reading, f amily tiative will inspire families to engagement, lifelong learning read, explore and spend more and adventure, one step at a time.” time together outThe idea was doors. A f t e r n e a rl y first introduced to nine months of D’Amico by two planning and colc owo rke r s l a s t laboration, library September. From officials unveiled a there, what staff permanent Storyjokingly referred Walk installation to as “the baby” in Oceanside Park became a monthsat 3800 Mahlon long project that B r o w e r Av e . , required research, marked by a ribfundraising and bon-cutting cerecoordination with mony on June 28. community partLocated near the ners. playg round, the “I kind of got a self-guided experi- ChRIs MARRA head start on the ence allows famiproject,” D’Amico Oceanside Library lies to read a chilsaid. “I started director dren’s book one communicating pa g e at a time with our friends while walking along a designat- of the library, who graciously ed path. agreed to fund the project for us. The project was spearheaded We’re very grateful for that.” by Sarah D’Amico, the library’s Before moving forward, children’s outreach coordinator D’Amico contacted libraries and youth services librarian, across the country that had and made possible through part-
By ABIGAIL GRIECO
agrieco@liherald.com
Courtesy Zoe Caponegro
Oceanside High School teachers Zoe Caponegro, right, and Kimberly Rodrigues created an innovative board game project that challenged seniors to demonstrate their understanding of literature through hands-on collaborative learning.
Board games bring literature to life By ABIGAIL GRIECO agrieco@liherald.com
When Oceanside High School English teacher Zoe Caponegro introduced an unconventional final project that asked seniors to create board games based on the literature they studied, she hoped it would keep students engaged through the final weeks of the school year. She never expected the project would earn national recognition. Caponegro detailed the lesson in an article published late last month by Edutopia, a nationally recognized education website that shares innovative teaching practices with K-12 educators. Since its publication, teachers across the country have expressed interest in bringing the project into their own classrooms, and Caponegro has been invited to appear on a game-based learning podcast later this month. “We wanted this to be accessible to every teacher out there since it went so well,” she
said. “I thought that if I could publish our experiences, then more students can have this in their own classrooms.” For Caponegro, 27, the Edutopia article marks the latest milestone in a career centered on creating meaningful learning experiences for students. A graduate of the College of the Holy Cross, where she earned a degree in English with a minor in education in 2017, she received a master’s degree in adolescent English education from the University at Buffalo in 2024. She has taught students in grades six through 12 and currently teaches ninth- and 12th-grade English at Oceanside High. Caponegro’s inspiration for the project came last fall, while she was attending the New York State English Council conference in Albany. There she took part in a workshop focused on game-based learning, in which teachers explored using board games to reinforce classroom lessons. While the presenter demonstrated teachercreated games, Caponegro began imagining something different. “I thought, what if the COntinued On page 7
A
StoryWalk brings books beyond the page. It combines reading, family engagement, lifelong learning and adventure, one step at a time.
COntinued On page 11