CALEB NICKERSON
ILE DU GRAND CALUMET May 13, 2020
On Thursday, students at École Sainte-Anne on Île du Grand Calumet got to see a book that they had collectively produced for the first time via videoconference.
Starting back in 2020, the students collaborated on the project, with the kindergarteners picking . . .
the characters, first-years picking the theme, and the second- and third-years writing the introduction. The name of the book, Le trésor du rocher-fendu, is a reference to one of the island’s greatest attractions, a set of rapids on its west coast.
Unfortunately, COVID threw a wrench into their plans when schools were closed in the spring of 2020, so the production was delayed until that fall. Third and fourth year students picked up the adventures of the book’s main character, Alex the Giant, while the fifth and sixth years decided the story’s outcome.
The book was written with the help of teachers as well as project manager Manon Laurin, and the entire thing was illustrated by artist Sylvain Blouin. The student authors got to see his vivid work in a video conference on May 13.
The school’s students have written a book in this fashion before, producing “Hitum le dragon” back in 2019. The books are available at the school for $20.
