Students become published authors

By Stuart Hedstrom 
Staff Writer
    DOVER-FOXCROFT — A collaboration between Diane Robinson’s grade 6 class and students of third-grade teacher Jessica Dunton has resulted in a collection of writings and illustrations making up “The SeDoMoCha Animal Book,” which is

scheduled to be available through Amazon.com beginning in June.
Observer photo/Stuart Hedstrom
    GRADE 3, 6 PARTNERSHIP — Diane Robinson’s sixth-graders and third-graders in Jessica Dunton’s class at the SeDoMoCha School partnered on creating “The SeDoMoCha Animal Book” The book includes student writings, drawings and comic strips, all related to animals. Pictured are grade 3 students, front from left, Jasper Makowski, Aine Casey and James Jankunas. Back, sixth-graders Brigid Casey, Matt Spooner and Abby Henderson.   
    Dunton said the middle and elementary school classrooms had gotten together through the Reading buddies program, and decided to collaborate on a project that became “The SeDoMoCha Animal Book”.
Contributed photo
    BEAR ATTACK — An illustration by sixth-grader Jacob Marsh.  
    Contributed photo
    BOOK COVER — The cover illustration of “The SeDoMoCha Animal Book”, created by grade 3 students Jasper Makowski and James Jankunas.   
“The requirement was they had to have some words and a picture,” Dunton said. As the students developed their ideas they used skills such as cooperation, editing, asking questions, teamwork, complimenting their peers and the importance of meeting deadlines.
Contributed photo
    SALMON FACTS — An illustration by third-grader Ben Martin.   
“The main thing is animals,” Dunton said about the book’s theme, with students having a part of the book for their contribution to the content. “Some are fiction, some are non-fiction and some did their own pets,” she said.   
Dunton said she enjoyed watching the sixth- and third-graders collaborate and create some of the different ideas they had discussed. She said the older pupils could help the elementary students with spelling difficult words and with proofreading.
    “Some of them really did a lot,” she said. Dunton said Jasper Makowski, who along with James Jankunas designed the cover to “The SeDoMoCha Animal Book”, wrote his story, drew an accompanying picture and also created a comic strip. She said other students created comic strips, which are included in a special section of the book.
    “Some plan to do sequels to their works, and some students told me they plan to publish their own books,” Dunton said. She said the book is something real and authentic the students in the two grades will be able to hold on to to remember the current school year.
    “It was a good experience to listen to what they are thinking about and their ideas,” sixth-grader Matt Spooner said.
    Jankunas said he enjoyed creating the book cover, particularly drawing the coral reefs. “I learned I’m actually not bad at drawing sheep,” third-grader Aine Casey added.
    Dunton said a few revisions will be made before “The SeDoMoCha Animal Book” is on Amazon.com next month, she said the finished product is being assembled through several Adobe programs. “They worked really hard,” she said, mentioning all the students should be very proud of their keepsake.