Carrie Weaver First Grade Teacher
Frazer Elementary
Syracuse City School
Mark Eischen visited my summer school classroom and worked with second graders on writing and illustrating a book this summer session. His enthusiasm and energy was infectious and he kept the students engaged from the beginning of the process until he presented the students with the final project.
Mark took students who were hesitant to share their thoughts and ideas and showed them how to brainstorm, collaborate, and compromise in order to work together to create a story about a Husky that didn’t like the cold.
Each child was given a book that they had created to take home and share with their families and friends. The excitement in the classroom on that day was amazing! Mark had taken kids with low self- esteem and turned them into confident published authors and illustrators! Mark motivated and challenged students who thought they weren’t good at writing or drawing and showed them the power of teamwork and teamwork and believing in themselves.
This was an awesome experience and I hope to have Mark Eischen back in my classroom to motivate and challenge my students into writing another exciting story. er Elementary
Syracuse City School District
Erica Sinicropi
Principal, AA Gates, Elementary, Port Byron, NY.
The Boundless Books project lends itself to obvious connections to the curriculum as well as providing students with a real-life opportunity to gain an understanding and appreciation for the processes of writing, illustrating and publishing a book. The unexpected benefit of this project was that it catapulted students ability and desire to be creative, collaborate and problem solve. Students self-esteem and excitement for learning grew with each session that they had with Mark. Lastly, our entire school is beyond proud of the book that our First graders created!
Stephanie Merritt
Kindergarten Teacher, Walberta Park Primary School, Syracuse, NY
Mark Eischen and the Boundless Books Program were an exciting part of our curriculum this past year. His visits spurred authentic interest in books, reading, writing and illustrating. Students were eager to spin ideas and Mr. Eischen’s enthusiasm is contagious. Our final product Wumpy is a treasure filled with positive memories of the process of publishing a book. It was truly an experience these kids will not forget!
Our collaboration with Boundless Books was a unique experience for the students of
Maura White
Vice Principal, Van Duyn Elementary, Syracuse, NY
Our collaboration with Boundless Books was a unique experience for the students of Van Duyn Elementary. The project, led by Mark Eischen, gave them the opportunity to work with students from Walberta Park Primary School to share ideas, laughs, and their imaginations. Mark encouraged and supported them with his artistic energy as they transformed into young authors and illustrators. It was inspiring to see the students’ creativity mesh together and culminate with a book of their very own.
Amy Bellamy
First Grade Teacher, AA Gates Elementary, Port Byron, NY
The Boundless Books project was the best memory for my first grade class. They loved working with Mark Eischen. Each week, the class looked forward to creating the story with him. Mark was so warm and caring to our students. I saw my class blossom in writing in the classroom. They were making illustrations and creating books for him each week. Mark took the time to look at each students work. All around the experience was truly amazing for our students. The day they received the book was so exciting. They all opened it up and read it aloud in the classroom. Port Byron is so proud of our book!