BOYERTOWN – Local author Pamela Tuck and her family visited Pine Forge Elementary on Thursday to celebrate the school’s re-designation as No Place For Hate.
‘How many of you have friends?’ Tuck asked the gynasium full of students. All of their hands went up.
‘How would you feel if you didn’t have any friends?’ she asked.
‘Bad, sad and lonely’ were the responses from students.
‘I have a friend, but he’s special and different. He’s a mushroom!’ said Tuck, who then proceeded to read her book ‘The Adventure of Sheldon, the Mushroom.’
The story focused on a tall, lonely mushroom named Sheldon who didn’t have many friends until he is needed in an emergency and saves the day.
‘Did you like my story? Did you like my friend Sheldon?’ she asked, receiving an overwhelmingly positive response.
The overall message of the story: if you’re nice to others, you might make a new friend.
Following Tuck’s presentation, No Place for Hate Project Director Lisa Friedlander stood with Tuck and her family to re-designate Pine Forge Elementary as a No Place For Hate facility.
To earn this distinction, each school formed a No Place for Hate committee, adopted a resolution pledging to create a more inclusive school, and implemented a number of projects promoting respect for differences.
‘No Place For Hate means that no matter who your fellow students are – it doesn’t matter. Everyone has the right and the power to make a school that is No Place For Hate,’ said Friedlander.
Earlier in the year, Pine Forge introduced their new schoolwide ‘THINK’ positive behavior program to promote respect, kindness and readiness to learn.
Tuck lives with her husband and 11 children in Boyertown. Tuck and her husband, Joel, are advocates of moral-based, character-building stories that enlighten children about the world around them and how to handle themselves.
Tuck is a native of Greenville, N.C., but has resided in Pennsylvania since 1996. She credits her writing to her upbringing, surrounded by Southern storytellers. She began her writing career with poetry at a young age. Inspired by teachers, family,and friends, Tuck branched out into short stories and plays. She is particularly interested in writing stories for children, from picture books to middle-grade novels.
Information from the Boyertown Area Times, www.berksmontnews.com
