Wells pupils ready for Literacy Night Wednesday

STEUBENVILLE -- Princes and princesses won't be the only ones to emerge from childrens' storybooks during a "Once Upon A Time at Wells" Literacy Night event, scheduled from 4 p.m. to 6 p.m. Wednesday.

Pupils are invited to dress as their favorite fairy tale character for the event, which takes place at Wells Academy.

Activities will include inflatable rides, themed crafts and games. Food trucks will be positioned outside of the school on North Fourth Street.

"Every teacher has an activity for the kids," stated Principal Tommy Kotsanis. "We will have a Family Fun Night, a United Way table and the bookmobile. About 500 people attend. It's more of an open house."

The Literacy Night event kicks off the "One School, One Book" program, where each pupil will read and complete activities related to the same book.

Each grade will cover a story from "Mary Engelbreit's Fairy Tales," throughout the month. The school has been decorated in a Disney theme.

The children have completed dioramas of swamps similar to the tale, "The Princess and the Frog," officials commented.

"The whole school will read a book but each grade picked a particular story," said first-grade teacher Heather Koehnlein. "They are doing reading and STEM activities and character maps and there will be food trucks, costumes and a castle ball dance. Each grade will have a craft or game connected with the book."

Other activities children will have the opportunity to participate in includes, making masks, playing leapfrog, creating a crown, playing tug-of-war, trying on Cinderella's slipper and a masquerade parade to the ball. Stories depicted range from "The Princess and the Frog," and "Cinderella," to "Little Red Riding Hood," and "Jack and the Beanstalk."