One World, Many Stories

In celebration of Martin Luther King Jr. Day and the Lower School’s tradition of community-focused service, each grade in the Lower School took on a project rooted in kindness, learning and outreach. For the first-grade team, this year’s Day of Service marked the beginning of a meaningful and ongoing global partnership with the Dream School, a nonprofit-supported school in a remote area of the Dominican Republic. What began as a service initiative has grown into a dynamic educational experience connecting students across borders through storytelling, curiosity and empathy.

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A Vision Rooted in Curriculum and Character

The collaboration was spearheaded by first-grade teacher Erin Hunter, a member of Ravenscroft’s Global Education Task Force.

“At a meeting earlier this year, we were given the task of trying to incorporate some of the global Lead From Here competencies into our current curriculum in a meaningful way,” Hunter said. “Finding a school that would extend our ELA module, ‘A World of Books,’ seemed like the best way to provide our students with an opportunity to answer the essential question: How do books change lives?”

The team soon identified the Dream School, a learning center with limited library resources, as the ideal partner. The school serves children in a rural community and was introduced to the Ravenscroft team through the nonprofit DREAM Project. With support from Spanish teacher Carmen Hernandez, the collaboration began to take shape.

The goal? To give first graders an authentic global connection — one that supports language learning, encourages service and deepens their understanding of how education transforms lives.

Ara Bulloss, who is in Tiffany Pellicciotti’s first-grade class, looks up after finishing her letter, which then was pasted inside a book going to the Dream School.

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Singing, Sharing and Seeing a New World

The project kicked off Jan. 17 with a cross-cultural Zoom call, where Ravenscroft students virtually met their Dream School peers for the first time. They used Google Maps to locate the Dream School’s town, watched videos of the community and then connected live for a joyful, bilingual exchange.

“The students' faces glowed with excitement,” said first-grade teacher Tiffany Pellicciotti. “One student said, ‘I can’t believe we are talking to them. Like actually talking to them!’”

With guidance from Hernandez, Ravenscroft students sang a Spanish-language song about animals they had practiced in class.

“Singing the song was my favorite part because I love to sing in front of people. I love singing their language,” said Grace Oladipo ’36. “I was feeling very excited, and I wanted to run around the classroom!”

Erin Hunter’s first-graders Charlie Ayers, Ira Brahmbhatt, Jay Bean, Charles Johnson and Ethan Greene work on letters to students at the Dream School who will receive the book donations; Trevwen Guess, a first-grader in Erin Hunter’s class, writes a letter about what books mean to him.

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Hernandez reflected on how meaningful it was for students to make a real-time cultural connection through language and shared experience.

“It makes the learning of Spanish more meaningful and memorable,” Hernandez said. “Besides vocabulary and language skills, students discovered how Dominican kids live, play and go to school.”

One of her favorite moments came when a Dream School teacher asked the Ravenscroft first-graders a question in Spanish — and they all responded, “¡Sí!” in unison.

“That took me completely by surprise,” Hernandez said. “They told me, ‘We wanted to make you happy!’ It was such a meaningful experience.”

Learning Through Empathy and Action

In the weeks that followed, families rallied to support this new global partnership by participating in a book drive. Using an Amazon wish list curated by the Dream School, first-grade families donated more than 70 new Spanish-language books to help grow the school’s small library. Each student selected a book and added a personalized note inside.

“The students have a growing understanding that not everyone has access to a multitude of books or supplies,” Pellicciotti said. “Sharing resources is what strengthens a community — whether they are close or faraway.”

Hunter noted how the students' curiosity led to meaningful questions: What subjects do the Dream School students enjoy? What sports do they play? What do they eat for lunch?

“I hope students gain a deeper appreciation for the opportunities and resources they have,” first-grade teacher Cassie Jordan said. “More importantly, I hope they develop a strong sense of empathy and a heart for service.”

"I feel excited about the books because I just hope they will like them," said Christian Piantadosi ’36.

Students proudly display the letters they wrote as part of their service project.

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The Story Continues

The partnership will culminate in a collaborative writing project this spring: a co-authored, bilingual story inspired by Waiting for the Biblioburro, a book recently studied by students at both schools. The story will explore how books can transform lives — a theme that resonates deeply within both communities.

“We’re going to write our story and have them translate it into Spanish,” Hunter said. “Next year, we’ll switch the roles. Each class will contribute pages and illustrations, making it a true collaboration.”

The final product will be published and shared with both communities as a lasting testament to the friendship, shared learning and creative exchange made possible through this initiative.

First-grade classes and Lower School Spanish teacher Carmen Hernandez visit with students attending the Dream School via Zoom; A teacher and schoolchildren in the Dominican Republic enjoy asking Ravenscroft first-graders questions.

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And the future? The first-grade team hopes to continue the Dream School partnership annually, adapting the project to reflect new learning goals and evolving Lead From Here competencies.

“This global connection made language learning more meaningful and memorable,” Hernandez said. “It showed students that no matter where we live, we can connect, communicate and create something beautiful together.”

“Ravenscroft is committed to giving back, and our collaboration with the Dream School was a great experience to introduce the students to the broader service-learning culture,” Jordan added. “This experience should inspire them to take meaningful action in their communities, cultivating values of compassion, social responsibility and a lifelong commitment to helping others.”

Hernandez leads the Ravens in singing a song for their new friends.

At top, first-graders celebrate their successful service project to collect books to send to children attending the Dream School in the Dominican Republic.