Literacy Reading Speaker for a Magnet Elementary School
Originally published April 13, 2022. This archive article describes a school visit planned for April 22, 2022; details and offers reflect that announcement.
Unicorn Jazz creator Lisa Caprelli planned a literacy and social-emotional learning visit to Sycamore Magnet Academy in Tustin, California, bringing books, stories, music and entertainment to the school on April 22, 2022.
A literacy visit in Tustin
In the original announcement, Lisa thanked teacher Pam Quevedo for bringing Unicorn Jazz and Lisa to the school. The article described Sycamore Magnet Academy as a pre-K through eighth-grade school, home of the wolf mascot, with an emphasis on multidisciplinary learning and social-emotional learning.
The Unicorn Jazz team looked forward to connecting with the school’s staff and young learners about friendship, belonging, kindness, empathy and perseverance. The planned in-person presentation was described as part of the World Read Across America Tour and as a return to in-person school visits.
Bee-ing Happy and student creativity
The original article celebrated the winners of a Bee-ing Happy contest, based on the book of the same name. Congratulations to the student winners and to everyone who shared their creativity!
Bee-ing Happy art: This video, originally linked in the article, shares an art activity from Rogers Garden Elementary School. It is a general example of student creativity, not footage of the Sycamore visit.
What the visit was planned to include
The 2022 announcement described a short video from Unicorn Jazz Presents The Thing I Do, alongside reading, writing and a look behind the scenes of the Unicorn Jazz book series. Teachers could share the first book’s storytime and the Unicorn Jazz Friendship song before the visit to introduce the characters and themes.
- Stories and songs exploring friendship, belonging, kindness and social-emotional learning.
- A question-and-answer time with the author and teachers’ classrooms, estimated in the original plan at seven to ten minutes.
- Book-order forms intended for the school in advance, plus learning activities and classroom resources for educators.
Unicorn Jazz storytime: Enjoy a reading of the first Unicorn Jazz book and its song, a general classroom resource included in the 2022 article.
The original announcement also mentioned a 100-page educator resource and Unicorn Jazz and Zebracorn puppets on Etsy. Those were 2022 references; their current contents and availability have not been confirmed.
Earth Day and books for young readers
The planned visit fell on Earth Day, April 22. The 2022 announcement highlighted that year’s theme, “Investing in Our Planet,” and a then-promoted collection of ten ocean-themed children’s books. The original offer is historical; availability may have changed. The archived Earth Day article gives its original context.
A little geography: Tustin and Huntington Beach
The original story invited readers to explore the distance between Sycamore’s community and the Unicorn Jazz headquarters in Huntington Beach, estimating a drive of about 25 minutes at the time. Travel times vary. Explore the related article, Making Geography Fun and Easy for Kids.
Tustin is in Orange County. Its city facts give “City of Trees” as its motto and 1927 as the year of incorporation. The original article also mentioned local destinations such as the Tustin Area Museum and Old Town Tustin.
Explore Unicorn Jazz
- Learn about author visits and school programs.
- Explore Unicorn Jazz books and merchandise.
- Find music and songs and activity printables.
Thank you to the Sycamore Magnet Academy community for supporting literacy and the joy of books and learning.