Is there a better way to wrap up a month than with a visiting author/illustrator? On February 28, the SIS community welcomed author/illustrator Mrs. Frane Lessac to our school. In the days leading up to the author visit, the children were abuzz with excitement. As the Kindergarten to Grade 5 students gathered in the library on Thursday morning, students were excited to hear from our special guest.
Mrs. Lessac began the day by sharing with our students a little bit about her life. We got to see photos and hear stories about some of the adventures from her life. For example, we heard how, as a young child, Frane would often be found with many pets…everything from little snakes in her pockets, a pet monkey, and even at one point, a pet camel. We learned about the special connection to Montserrat, an island in the Caribbean, that served as the inspiration for her first book.
Following the K – 5 assembly, our EC 3 and EC 4 students had the opportunity to have a very special read aloud time with Mrs. Lessac. Students were excited and attentive as Mrs. Lessac shared the brightly illustrated stories with our littlest learners.
Later in the day, the Grades 3 – 5 students participated in a workshop in 
which students had the opportunity to begin the process involved in drafting and illustrating. Students considered the layout of their “sloppy copy”, being mindful of the gutter, to ensure that their words wouldn’t be cut off in the binding of their “book”. K – 2 students recreated the pumpkin and animals from one of the stories that Mrs. Lessac illustrated. Earlier in the day, she had walked the children through the process by which an illustration is created.
Our elementary staff and students weren’t the only ones who had the opportunity to spend time with Mrs. Lessac. Thursday after school, parents were invited for a special mini-workshop and tea. Students also had the opportunity to get autographs during the after school tea. On Friday, secondary students gathered for an assembly in period 1. 
Student workshops in secondary were conducted throughout the day.
Our community is so thankful that Mrs. Lessac came to share with our students what it is like to be an author/illustrator. Special thanks to Ms. Pam and Ms Ririn for their hard work in preparing for our author visit!
