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Essex Elementary School Foundation Funds Author and Illustrator Workshop

The Essex Elementary School Foundation (EESF), a nonprofit volunteer organization that provides independent financial resources for worthy educational projects, enrichment programs, and other initiatives at Essex Elementary School (EES), recently arranged and funded an Author/Illustrator Workshop at the school. The event was presented in loving memory of Paul Marden who was a great friend to EES, bringing the Readers’ Aloud program to the school and volunteering to facilitate the EES Chess Club for many years.

On Jan. 29, New York Times best-selling author and illustrator Jarrett J. Krosoczka spent a full day with the students of EES. Krosoczka is well-known by many of the Essex Elementary School students for his popular Lunch Lady graphic novels, Punk Farm, and the new Jedi Academy series with Star Wars: Jedi Academy: A New Class. The day included an All School Assembly with the author, smaller class size graphic novel workshops, illustrator’s workshop, and concluded with a book signing.

Since its inception in 1996, the Essex Elementary School Foundation’s primary goal has been to create a significant endowment that can support the school’s strategic vision to engage all students in a rigorous and collaborative educational program. Each year, five percent of the EESF endowment is allocated for supplemental enrichment programs and projects proposed by the Essex Elementary School administration that would otherwise not be available through traditional funding by the school system and budget. Programs funded include the Justus W. Paul World Culture Program, literacy support materials, equipment for musical and physical education, playground improvements, logical thinking games, audio/visual equipment, 3D printer, an iPad lab, and an Engineering with Legos program.

For more information about the Essex Elementary School Foundation or to make a tax-deductible donation, contact info@essexesf.org or mail a donation to: Essex Elementary School Foundation, P.O. Box 882, Essex, CT 06426.