Cleveland Heights - University Heights City School District

The beloved Springer Spaniels of Max and Annie fame are springing off the page and into CH-UH elementary schools thanks to a collaboration between District media specialists and the Literacy Department.

Chagrin Falls author Sandra Philipson and freelance illustrator Jenny Campbell are visiting each elementary school within our District throughout the month of January.  With them are the current, real-life, canine stars of the popular children’s series, brothers Tak and Ollie. 

Sandra Philipson is herself a reading specialist and literacy consultant.  She has presented programs at hundreds of schools and libraries in Ohio and surrounding states.  CH-UH students will participate in brainstorming activities designed to aid them in devising a writing plan.  Descriptive words will be solicited from the students and illustrations will be added to enhance plot formation and help students develop characters.  There will be ongoing opportunities for follow-up activities in classrooms.

Students have the opportunity to purchase autographed copies of Ms. Philipson’s books.  Ms. Philipson’s latest publication is Creative Station, a grade-leveled, Ohio literacy standard-specific activity book for educators and families.  It is filled with fun activities that promote reading and creative writing, such as staging a talk show, creating masks, or getting involved in a local service project.  All activities are both literacy-themed and dog-themed. 

Tak and Ollie were the grateful recipients of the Creative Station project that Fairfax Elementary students undertook:  Students cooked special dog treats in preparation for their dog friends’ visit.  Bone Appetit, Tak and Ollie!

(Ms. Philipson and friends will also be presenting a program at the Cleveland Heights-University Heights Public Library on Lee Road at 6:30PM on Monday, January 23.)