scholastic – Page 14 – Marsha Forchuk Skrypuch

Winterkill Webinar from CUCS series

Cuthbertson MS and Winterkill

The final virtual visit for 2022 was with Cuthbertson Middle School’s 800 grade 6, 7 and 8 students in 29 different classrooms. Check out this pic!

Michele Bost had done an amazing job prepping the students and they were visibly engaged in the discussion. There were oodles of questions and we could have continued for quite some time but the school day was ending. Here are more pics from the other side of the screen:

Winterkill and Cuthbertson HS

I loved speaking to the six classes of grade 9-12 students at Cuthberston HS in NC about Winterkill and the Holodomor. Students asked such perceptive questions!

Ms Green sent me this pic before the visit!

New Sarepta AB, presenting to a single class of older students

One of the things I like most about presenting is that no two audiences are ever alike. This single class of grade 7/8 students was quite a change from the big groups of younger students. Different questions, but also more time for discussion. We talked about the kind of research an author does to write a book like Winterkill and how to find resources when the historical event has been hidden or suppressed. I am so grateful to HREC and HREC ED because their databases of resources are a great starting place for Holodomor research. This page on Rhea Clyman is one of my favorite places to send students. And this page is another superb resource that I used myself extensively. I particularly like the report to Congress because the massive database of survivor testimonies is searchable by word.

Winterkill and Benefield ES

Some 5th grade students were in the library and others watched from their classes. Thank you, HREC ED and HREC for your resources and funding. I love speaking about the real history behind Winterkill. It gives me an opportunity to talk about the connections between the current war waged by Russia onto Ukraine.

Nov 23 visit with Cardinal Josef Slipyj school

Visiting Cardinal Slipyj school always feels like going home. I love the teachers and the kids and love the caring environment where those taking refuge from Russia’s war can feel a sense of security. Many knowledgeable questions and conversations about Winterkill and the Holodomor and the current war.

Books of Wonder virtual event

Thank you, Books of Wonder, for hosting this chat! Not only was it an honor to speak about Winterkill but it was so interesting listening to Jennifer Chambliss Bertman, Anika Fajardo, and Sara St. Antoine speak about their books, their writing process and their inspiration.

Winterkill in-person launch at Brantford Public Library

Thank you, Brantford Public Library for hosting Thursday evening’s launch of Winterkill, in the midst of Holodomor Memorial Week. This was the first in-person book event for me since the pandemic began and I was a little bit nervous. A small but mighty group of people came out, including students from Laurier Brantford (this pic was taken by student Ayse Aras), mothers and daughters, a friend from CFUW Brantford, friends from the Brant Historical Society, and one of my fellow kidcritters. Thank you, Zile for the intro and set-up. And thank you, everyone who came out for the great conversation.

Prince of Wales, Hamilton, visit

Grade 7&8 students from Prince of Wales listened to the audio edition of Winterkill and studied my picture book, Enough. We talked about the war in Ukraine and the parallels between now and the Holodomor.

St. Martin Ukrainian Bilingual School

It was an interesting experience, speaking with St. Martin students from Edmonton AB this afternoon. We always log in on the virtual visit fifteen minutes or so early to ensure everything is working, and it was. But Microsoft Teams gods were not with us, because once the students settled in, the screens for both classrooms went blank and no matter what Ms Pohoreski or Ms Alexandruk did, that’s how the screens remained. So I presented to two blank screens. When students asked questions, their voices were crisp and clear and their questions were well-considered. I made eye contact with the web-cam and pretended it was a student. I was grateful to get this pic to see all the lovely students I was talking to! Many thanks to HREC ED for the funding!