St. MARYS, OH (WLIO) - Some St. Marys Roughriders kicked their creativity into high gear, as they took a piece of paper and turned it into a 3D character.
Thanks to the Grand Lake Area Literature Festival and the Ohio Arts Council, author and paper engineer Merrill Rainey was showing the students at St. Mary Intermediate School how to build and create paper toys. Rainey has a series of books that show how to tap into your creativity to transform a sheet of paper into a 3D character. The act of creating isn't always putting something on paper; it's the act of problem-solving in their heads.
"We are all using the creative thought process to try and figure it out. The electrical engineer is trying to figure out how to get the power to your house, the mechanical engineer is trying to figure out how to make that car go, and I am trying to turn sheets of paper into something 3D, you know," says Merrill Rainey, author and paper engineer. "So, it's a really cool thing. I think it allows the kids the opportunity to know that they can build things too."
And the creative fun doesn't have to stop after the school day ends.
"Every time I go into a school, I am hoping I can inspire one kid to go home and keep building their own creations. Whether it's paper toys, or whether it's going out to the backyard, building a fort, or taking a box and turning that into something," adds Rainey.
All this school year, Saint Marys has been promoting picking up a good book with the "Riders are Readers" campaign. Around 40 posters of students, alumni, and staff have been created to show them reading, with a QR code to give students reading recommendations. But one group of students knows that reading is better with friends. Mrs. Shelby's Book Club has tackled six books this year, like "Where the Red Fern Grows" and "The Grimm Conclusion," to discuss, learn about, and laugh about together.
"I've known a lot of these girls for like my whole life, and if you join a book club, you could probably get closer to everybody that you have already known, and it makes you feel really happy that you just want to keep reading books," says Layla Baker, a 4th grader in Mrs. Shelby's Book Club.
And reading and making friends are a big part of the Grand Lake Area Literature Festival this Saturday, April 13th, from 9:30 a.m. to 3 p.m. at Tri Star Career Compact, located at 7655 State Route 703 Celina, Ohio, 45822. There will be 20 authors there, like Merrill Rainey, selling and discussing their books. Plus, there will be lectures for your aspiring author and free activities and crafts.
