Meneley Literacy Fair back with a roar

Meneley Mountain Lions shone bright with pride during last week’s Literacy Fair.

This was the school’s first Literacy Fair since 2019, and the event was a roaring success with 160 entrants from grades K-5.

Student entries to the fair could be submitted individually or as a family or class project. Award categories were further broken down by grade (K-2 or 3-5) and genre (fiction or non-fiction).

Literacy Fair coordinator and fifth-grade teacher Sherrie Higgins said the students were excited when it was announced the event would return this year.

“My homeroom screamed,” she said, sharing that some of the older students who remembered the Literacy Fair and had missed it during distance learning were eager to participate and to include younger students who hadn’t experienced the event before.

Students across all grade levels are taught story elements throughout the year, and the Literacy Fair provides an opportunity for them to creatively craft a board that uniquely expresses what they’ve learned using a book of their choosing.

Rows of colorful and informative story boards were displayed in the multi-purpose room last Thursday prior to the family viewing night and award presentation that evening. Nineteen volunteer judges from throughout the community conducted interviews with students, and projects were scored on a rubric. 

“Positive feedback from the judges can really bolster self esteem,” said Higgins, who said the students get to practice their presentation skills throughout the interview process. “Talking to someone else about a book you are passionate about just fires you up even more,” she said.

Higgins’ favorite subject to teach is English language arts, and she notes the joy and power in connecting with a good book. She discovered her own love of reading through Louisa May Alcott’s book, “Little Women,” which she said she read nine times.

“I’m not a re-reader, but it was just such a great escape…once you teach (the joy of reading) to children, it’s the best therapy in the world,” she said.

This year’s Literacy Fair marks the end of an era for Higgins, who retires from teaching at the end of June. She’s spent 37 consecutive years in the classroom and taught every grade except first. All 27 years of her career in Douglas County School District have been at Meneley.

When she was in college, Higgins briefly considering a career in psychology but had a change of heart.

“I was born a teacher,” she said, recalling the leadership role she assumed among her siblings while growing up. “I was always organizing, facilitating, and entertaining… it was a natural transition.”

Her years at Meneley are rich with memories. Higgins recollected the school’s many musical productions, in which she took classics such as ‘Grease’ and ‘Oklahoma’ and rewrote them specifically for the school, ensuring every grade level had a singing part; collaborating with Harrah’s Lake Tahoe on the lighting and sound for the musical productions; working with the Student Council on project-based learning and bringing Monty the mascot to the school; and helping secure funding that enabled the placement of the lighted sign in front of Meneley.

Higgins also spent more than two decades participating in the Teacher No-Talent Show, which is a long-standing tradition at Meneley. Each year during the last week of school, the teachers get together put on a show for the students. Those moving onto middle school are brought up on stage and serenaded with a special song written just for them. Musical genres in years past have included opera, country, and rock and roll.

Looking ahead, Higgins’ agenda for retirement includes spending time with her grandchildren, completing her memoir, camping, boating, and traveling. And though she’s retiring, the draw to the classroom remains a strong one.

“I know I can’t give it up completely; I may be subbing in the near future,” she said. “For now, I’m just going to catch my breath.”

Reflecting on her lengthy career, Higgins noted the physical, mental, and emotional challenges of her chosen path and said, “It is a hard profession…but if I had it all to do over again, I wouldn’t change a thing.”

A smile then crossed her face. “It’s also the highest of the high. School was everything to me. You’re changing the world one heart at a time; changing lives one student at a time…to be a part of that, can you imagine anything better?”

Amy Roby can be reached at ranchosroundup@hotmail.com.