Nov 21, 2025 |
What is happening with AJK’s Doors?
This month, AJK students have been reading The Wild Robot. On paper, it sounds simple. Kids read a book. Families help at home. At AJK, they turned that simple idea into something bigger. It became a schoolwide effort where literacy, art, family, and community all came together.
The AJK team did a great job on the communication piece. They used all of the standard tools we rely on across the district. Robocalls, texts, emails, and paper printouts all helped families know what was going on. Then they added something extra. They started recording weekly Facebook videos for families, walking them through what chapters students should be reading and where they were in the story.
As they progressed through the book, staff, students, and families were invited to decorate classroom doors to bring The Wild Robot to life. Each door became its own take on the story, with scenes, characters, and ideas that mattered to that class. It is not just the doors, even though those are incredible. There is student art about The Wild Robot all around the school. The kids are literally bringing what they read to life with their art. The level of participation and the quality of the work is impressive.
The doors are part of a contest where the winning class will earn a classroom party. It is a fun way to keep everyone engaged. The real win, in my opinion, is what happens for kids when they see their work and their ideas on the walls of their school. It sends a message that this is their space and their voice matters.
When they finish the book, the whole school is planning to watch The Wild Robot movie together and have popcorn. One building, one story they all know, sharing that moment as a community. That is the kind of thing kids remember.
Across BCPS, there are powerful projects like this happening in buildings every day. This is simply one that I had the chance to see up close. The art was genuinely incredible. The communication with families was thoughtful and intentional. The atmosphere in the halls felt joyful and proud. It honestly made me want to sit in that gym, watch the movie with the kids, and just be part of that AJK family for a day.
Thank you to Ann J. Kellogg Elementary for showing what can happen when a “simple” book project is taken seriously and done with heart.