BUFSD Welcomes Popular Children’s Author

Brentwood, N.Y. (January 2018)—Brentwood Union Free School District’s Laurel Park Elementary School is busy embracing the digital age by hosting well-known children’s writers via Skype visits. After recently completing Jarrett Lerner’s first book, EngiNERDS, Ms. Franko’s fifth grade class welcomed the popular children’s author for a one-hour virtual visit via Skype.

“The opportunity to meet a professional author like Jarrett Lerner is an inspiration to our young writers,” said Mr. Richard Loeschner, Superintendent of Brentwood Union Free School District. “Throughout the entirety of the virtual visit, students were fully engaged with Mr. Lerner listening, laughing, and learning the entire time. The district continues to seek different initiatives to supplement students’ curriculum to better understand educational information.”

Ms. Franko’s students were eager to meet Mr. Lerner and learn more about his passion for writing. Prior to his visit, students prepared several questions to ask, including:

• Why is the dog’s name Kitty?
• Who encouraged you to become an author?
• Why did the robots eat so much?
• How long did it take you to write the EngiNERDS?
• What do you do when you run out of ideas?
• What’s your favorite part about being an author?

Mr. Lerner’s enthusiasm and eagerness to answer each student’s questions made for a very engaging and productive visit.

Mr. Lerner also took time to detail his extensive writing process to enlighten students about the time and effort that goes into writing a book. In an effort to help students improve their own writing, Mr. Lerner also put a strong emphasis on the significance of making mistakes and learning from them throughout the discussion. The class was easily entertained with Mr. Lerner’s balance of information and humor in his story of how he became a writer. To top off the visit, Mr. Lerner generously sent each student in Ms. Franko’s class a personalized bookmark with his autograph.

Lerner, author of EngiNERDS and its forthcoming sequel, Revenge of the EngiNERDS (Simon & Schuster/Aladdin), offers free 30-minute virtual visits to discuss reading, writing, and publishing more generally with students around the world. As a frequent traveler, Lerner also provides in-person visits to local schools in the New England area.

For more information about the Brentwood Union Free School District, please visit the district’s website at www.brentwood.k12.ny.us. Happenings in the district can also be followed on Facebook at www.facebook.com/BrentwoodUnionFreeSchoolDistrict.