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Ocean Avenue Elementary School families will gather at the school on October 2 from 5:30 to 7 p.m. to celebrate their community and neighborhood through story and food. 

They will share a story about a childhood friendship where unfamiliar cultures meet.  That will be followed by activities where families will construct a craft and learn more about the diversity in their own community.

The Ocean Avenue Parent Teacher Organization (PTO) will provide pizza and sambusas.  The PTO also will give a free copy of the book “My Friend Jamal” to the first 50 arriving families with children in kindergarten, first or second grade.

The Ocean Avenue PTO is partnering with Kirsten Cappy of Curious City, a children’s literature engagement consultant, to pilot I’m Your Neighbor, a project promoting the use of children’s literature featuring “new arrival” cultures and groups to engage the entire community in a discussion of commonalities and differences.

The Ocean Avenue PTO will host four I’m Your Neighbor  Family Nights this year that are designed to expose and engage families in open dialogue around diversity in race, ethnicity, gender, socioeconomic level, physical ability, family structure and religion.  The events will give parents the opportunity to learn alongside their children.  There will be opportunities to ask questions.

Translators will attend each event to welcome families and read in their native language alongside an English-speaking storyteller.  For more information, please contact Kristin Chase Duffy at kcdoapto [dot] org or 233-0724.