I am so excited to be a part of the Cinderella Around the World Project. Was I the only one who didn't know that so many versions of Cinderella existed? The projects so far are super. I have so many new ideas already. I love the character studies in Carole Underwood and Leigh Holder's project. The human graph in Ashley Ross's project was another great new idea. Because of Rebecca Medina's neat graphic organizers I learned about Kidspiration. The dog's head on the pictures in Kathy Horan's project were too cute! Just think of all the wonderful ideas that will be shared by the time the project is complete. And all the new friends we'll have from around the world! Thanks Susan and Pattie for making it happen.
 Lynn Weber

My students have truly loved watching the Cinderella project unfold. Denise Guy has provided wonderful guidance as I have tackled this project and left my comfort zone. I am going to attempt my own collaborative project next semester. I'll let you know how it goes. Thanks so much for allowing my class to participate and learn through you two!!
Kathy Horan

This was a wonderful project. It challenged and stretched both the children and me. I don't think we'll ever look at a Cinderella story the same way again! Thank you so much for giving us this gift!!
I am also amazed with the work of other participants - so many wonderful ideas - simply a wealth of resources. Thank you to all!!
Your projects are always so terrific - please include me in any new ones!
Lanise Jacoby
Please hop on over to Days at Frog and Toad Road

Dear Susan and Patti:
Congratulations! The Miss Rumphius award certainly is well-deserved. I have planned to use Cinderella stories all through the year now. I never would have thought to do this without your project and the outstanding activities contributed by the teachers and students involved. Thanks!
Please count me in for the next project!
Marci McGowan, Gr. 1, Spring Lake, NJ

Congratulations to both of you! You certainly deserve it. Susan, you have been the inspiration for many teachers to develop more literature/writing connections (and to venture into web publishing). Thank you again for all that you do.
Carole Underwood

Susan and Patti,
You two are truly the "DYNAMIC DUO!"  Your projects make teaching and learning FUN!  I love the multitude of resources that you make available for your projects.  We all know that children learn by example.  When teachers and students visit the Cinderella Project, they receive several ideas for approaching a topic!  I often look back at your previous projects in order to get ideas for technology integration.  We will use the work displayed on the Cinderella pages as a springboard for writing.  We will try to read and write as many of the Cindy stories as possible during the remainder of this school year.  Thanks again for another WONDERFUL PROJECT.  Wave your "magic wands" my way when you are ready to get your next project up and running!  I look forward to working with you again!
Michele Nash
Cumberland Elementary School
Whitefish Bay, Wisconsin
Visit my webpage

Thanks for another engaging project! I enjoy stretching myself and my classes every time I take part in one. And this year's led me to a new friend in Australia, Narelle Daffurn, to whom my class has sent one of our Flat Stanleys. This was definitely an "Around The World" project for us. This year of all years, the Global Community needs to be affirmed for us all.
Peggy Savage Dunn
Second Grade Teacher
Okemos Public Schools

Hi Susan and Pattie,
Congratulations on the Miss Rumphius Award!!   My class has started to get email and is very excited about the project.   Thank you again for letting me be part of this exciting project.
Sincerely,
Susan Luerssen

I want to take the time to congratulate you both on the work you do, inspiring teachers to engage their classes in wonderful, worthwhile projects. When you start your next one I would certainly be interested in hearing about it :-) I wish I had found out earlier in our school year that this project was coming up, as we didn't have a great deal of time to explore all the possibilities the project provided. I have continued to read some more stories and we will do some work around them, but we could have done so much more! I think the Cinderella Around The World project is an excellent way to introduce children to cultures around the world; to introduce Character Education topics; and to explore story structures for reading and writing. Our school library has been purchasing some of the Cinderella tales, and I will be writing up some notes on this project to be included with a list of the titles. It will be available for other teachers to access. I will certainly be doing a project like this again - even if it is just with my own class. Being able to share work with other classes gives the project more dimensions though, and is such a worthwhile thing to do with a class. Thank you again
Narelle Daffurn

My students have enjoyed checking out the other classes and their projects. We have a ton of e-mails to send this next week. It has been such a busy time with conferences and the long Thanksgiving break, that a couple of my students took things into their own hands. They have replicated the project ideas of other classes at home. Now, that is truly success and motivation in my book.

We ended up re-writing our Smokey Mountain Rose play. Once we started actually rehearsing, they were dissatisfied with the character parts. So, we added a whole lot more in the conversation area. It has been preserved for all time with a digital video and recorded on CD. This play has done more for reading with expression than anything I have used in the past. Liza Jane and Annie have turned into spoiled brats with a Southern accent. (Notice I didn't say 'Applachian' accent.) We have performed it so many times that any child in the room can be any character. The students are so excited about their work, they want to perform for the Creative Writing class at the high school. (They shared their picture books with us.) I guess you can say, we will be taking our play on the road.

On a personal note, I am a National Board Certified Teacher for 2001. The Documented Accomplishments portion of the portfolio could go back 5 years. Susan, I did tie in 'Applebytes' and 'Stellaluna' to my Teaching Technology and Learning Academy piece. So, once again, thank you for allowing me this wonderful opportunity.
Sincerely,
Roxie Ahlbrecht