Earlier this month, the two Jamestown Public Schools educators teamed up for a cross-district collaboration that brought Kristin’s Jamestown High School seniors into Andrea’s Fletcher Elementary UPK classroom for a one-of-a-kind literacy experience.

The visit was part of Kristin’s 12th grade English curriculum at Jamestown High School. Partnering with co-teacher Elisha Whitmore, Kristin’s students wrote original children’s books as part of a genre study focused on children’s literature.

“My group of students in the fall wrote children’s books after we learned about the genre, as a means of assessment and a way to allow them to tap into their creativity,” she said. “The project went very well, and I was thoroughly impressed with the work my students produced.”

While the idea to visit her mother’s UPK classroom at Fletcher had been considered in the fall, it wasn’t until this semester — when Kristin again saw how invested her students were in their writing — that she and Andrea decided to make it happen.

Kristin Kelemen’s JHS students read their self-written stories to Andrea Kelemen’s UPK students at Fletcher Elementary School.

“Not only would it provide my students with an authentic audience for their books as a way to see if their children’s books truly ‘fit’ the genre we were studying, but also to provide her students with stories written by unique authors: high schoolers right down the road,” Kristin said. “Storytelling and books are a huge part of learning in UPK, so the idea seemed to be a perfect fit. We were able to bring the event to reality thanks to the support from our principals and their willingness to help connect students across the district in such a memorable way.”

Andrea described the day as “amazing.”

“Seeing students with such a large age gap make connections with one another and act like they were old friends was incredible,” she said. “As teachers, we were able to sit back and take in the experience alongside the students, as we didn’t have to interject and encourage the students to interact with each other. The process happened naturally. Books are one of the most powerful learning tools, both academically and emotionally, and this experience was a prime example of that learning happening on so many levels.”

Kristin’s students meanwhile served as perfect role models.

“They went above and beyond,” Kristin said. “They showed a level of kindness and maturity that was truly heartwarming as they interacted with, shared laughs with, and made connections with UPK students that they are still talking about weeks later.”

Three generations of JPS educators, Kristin Kelemen, her mom Andrea Kelemen, and grandmother Mollyann Frushone recently came together for a unique storytelling celebration with Kristin’s JHS senior English students and Andrea’s UPK class at Fletcher Elementary School.

Among Kelemen’s students are also a number of English language learners. The assignment provided them an excellent immersion and learning experience.

“The project also gave them the opportunity to write about their cultures and backgrounds, while using and improving their English skills,” Kristin said. “My ENL co-teacher, Elisha Whitmore, was an amazing asset during the storytelling and book creation process to help our ENL students write remarkable stories, most of which were based on their own childhood and experiences.”

What made the day even more meaningful was the presence of Andrea’s mother and Kristin’s grandmother, Mollyann Frushone, a longtime reading teacher who spent decades teaching in Jamestown. Retired in 2020, Frushone regularly volunteers in Andrea’s UPK classroom.

“Having all three generations in one classroom at the same time was such a unique and full circle experience,” Andrea said. “My mom often comes to my classroom to read to the students, so the fact that Kristin brought her kids to be the readers while my mom was present brought everything together and highlighted all of our love for teaching and reading.”

“Growing up, my mom and grandma were the teachers in the family,” Kristin said. “When I decided to become a teacher and ‘join the ranks,’ or as my grandma calls it the ‘family business,’ it just seemed like the right fit. I had been raised by teachers, so teaching — but more importantly learning and reading — were second nature to me. That said, the fact that all three of us were involved in this moment brought my childhood, my grandmother’s career at JPS, my mom’s teaching career, and my journey as a teacher thus far full circle.”

As for the UPK students, the experience made a lasting impression.

“My students told me that they missed Kristin’s students as the bus was pulling out of the parking lot,” Andrea said. “They wanted to know when they were coming back and still ask when they are going to be able to see their new friends again. The connections that were made in such a short amount of time had an impressionable effect on my students that is really remarkable.”

“It is one thing to create a lesson plan or project for students to complete, but it is truly another to have the lesson/project translate into something so meaningful and memorable,” Kristin said.