Minter Elementary unites every grade around one dog-eye-view novel this fall

Every student at Sara Harp Minter Elementary in Tyrone is reading the same book right now — and the school made sure the launch felt like a party.

The school kicked off its 'One School, One Book' initiative with an event in the cafeteria, where the first chapter of the selected title was read aloud, according to the Fayette County Board of Education.

The book at the center of it all is a story told from a dog's point of view about a move and life changes. Students themselves chose it by vote at the end of the previous school year, according to fcboe.org.

The PTO supplied copies to families so the reading could continue at home. Each weekday at 4:00 p.m., the school began posting a special guest reading the day's chapter online, extending the shared experience beyond the school day, according to the school's Facebook page.

Today is officially the first day for reading our One School, One Book together! Each weekday at 4:00 PM we will be posting a special guest reading our chapter of the day.— Minter Elementary School

Families were invited to share their reading moments using a dedicated hashtag. Additional activities include Reading Bingo, and the program is set to wrap up with a school-wide finale, according to fcboe.org.

The 'One School, One Book' model is designed to give an entire school community — students, teachers, and families — a common reading experience and conversation at the same time, rather than separating reading by grade level or classroom.

Why it matters — For Minter Elementary families in Tyrone, this is a live, ongoing program — knowing about the daily 4:00 p.m. readings and the #Minterreads hashtag lets them participate right now.

Reported by fcboe.org, amle.org, fayette-news.net