Featured Written Testimonial
“Dear Mr. Sarkis,
Now that we have completed our unit of study I can add my voice to the testimonials you have already accumulated. We are a small rural high school in central New York, Newark Valley, and we just used your book in a 9th grade applied English class, students who struggle with reading, writing, and school in general. We began the unit with trepidation for many reasons but the response of the students at every step of the way was positive, curious, and inquisitive. The reading level was such that they could easily handle the material yet worded in such a way to elicit deep discussions leading to insightful conclusions. It was so timely because we as teachers were struggling with many student behavior problems and the standard/traditional curriculum was not meeting the needs of these kids. In a nutshell, it turned out to be a lifesaver!
Your book, "Yes, Pa" was a springboard to the next unit on writing a memoir. The heartfelt pieces of personal writing turned out to be some of the best work the students had produced all year. In addition, we learned so much about these students that would not have been revealed to us in any other way, leading to a deeper understanding of the population with whom we were dealing. Next year, we will read your book earlier in the school year so that we can develop better empathetic connections sooner.
So thank you for sharing your story and THANK YOU for allowing us to use it in our classroom with virtually no added expense. It has been a very powerful experience for us all. “
Jill Keeler, Lynn Riccardi
Newark Valley High School
Newark Valley, NY 13811
|
