Spotlight

Congratulations to Cheltenham Elementary fifth grade teacher Dr. Andrew Vassall on the release of “The Blue Crayon” on May 22. “The Blue Crayon” is the second book in Vassall’s “Compassionate Crayon” series, following last year’s release of “The Black Crayon.”

“The Blue Crayon” is a heartfelt story about emotions, self-control, and learning how to stay calm during difficult moments. Released during Mental Health Awareness Month, this inspiring book encourages children to express their feelings, build confidence, and understand that being calm can be a true superpower.

Be sure to pick up your copy at Amazon, Barnes & Noble, Walmart or drandrewvassall.com.

A fifth grade teacher at Cheltenham Elementary, Dr. Andrew Vassall recently announced his book, “The Black Crayon” has been picked up as book one in the 10-book Compassionate Crayon Series: Helping Children Embrace Differences in a Colorful World — a powerful new children’s collection that helps kids discover their value, embrace differences, and understand that every color (and every child) has a unique place in life’s masterpiece. Vassall is working on the Blue and Red Crayons’ stories next.

According to Vassall, The Black Crayon is a colorful, vibrant and captivating story of a box of colorful crayons with one black crayon who struggles to be accepted. With the love of a little girl, Laila, the black crayon begins to see his inner beauty. 

“This book teaches self-awareness and cultural awareness to young children,” Vassall said. “The journey of the Black Crayon is especially meaningful to me because it reminds children (and adults too!) that every child matters, every gift is valuable, and every person has a place.”

The Compassionate Crayon Series focuses on identity, self-love and social acceptance in a colorful world. Educators and parents can use them as resources to teach Social Emotional Learning (SEL). Each book in the series has two companion pieces: a coloring book; and a workbook aligned with common core standards. The Blue Crayon is next, followed by the Red Crayon.

“My mission is to provide engaging social emotional learning resources that inspire children and parents with hope, joy, and emotional literacy, all while creating a love of reading!” said Vassall.

To keep students safe and prepared, CSD conducted school bus safety drills throughout this week. With the help of school safety officers, and facilities and transportation staff, students practiced disembarking the bus from the rear emergency exit in case of an emergency. 

“Safety First! School bus evacuation drills teach our students how to respond if there's ever an emergency on the bus,” said CSD Supervisor of Transportation Dawn Woods. “Practicing these drills helps ensure that everyone stays safe and calm while exiting the bus when there’s an emergency.”

After exiting the bus safely, students were reminded why bus safety is important in an emergency situation. 

“Just like we have fire drills for building safety, we need to practice for emergencies on the bus as well,” said Myers Principal Jason Lytle. “While it’s never happened in all my years as a principal, it’s important to be prepared.” 

For more information on bus safety rules and regulations, visit https://www.cheltenham.org/departments/transportation/rules-and-regulations.