Family groups have been a popular addition to the Gerald Elementary School curriculum for the last several years. Each teacher is assigned a group of students from a range of grades to meet with regularly to work on a variety of projects.

This allows students to develop relationships with others outside their classrooms and to share different experiences. Hopefully, younger students will find an ally with some of the older students. Older students may be reminded of how confusing it could be as a younger student finding their way in the big school.

At last week’s family group sessions, the theme was friendship.

Third grade teacher Katie Filla chose to apply the lesson using handmade bookmarks.

The students began by defining friendship and then coming up with sayings to describe friendship.

They were then turned loose to create bookmarks on the topic using colored pencils and crayons. They were provided with precut strips of sturdy paper for the project. They carefully selected their designs and colors to create their one-of-a-kind masterpieces.

Staying with the friendship theme, the students will give away their book mark creations. They plan to have them available at the Gerald Area Library, 357 S. Main St. later this week.

The library will also make the bookmarks available during Trunk or Treat, Saturday, Oct. 31, when they also hand out candy and books.