Matula students get creative with books and pumpkins

Fourth graders at Mary H. Matula Elementary School got a chance to celebrate reading and literacy with glue, paint, glitter and a pumpkin the week of Oct. 26 as part of the school's fifth annual Character Trait Pumpkin Project. The project requires students to pick and read a book of their choice, and then select a main character to model a pumpkin after.

Student pumpkins were on display in the library and cafeteria, and were featured as part of the school's "Fall Festival" held Oct. 30 for parents, students and the Matula community. Popular choices this year included the characters Bella and Edward from the "Twilight" series, the "Cat in the Hat" from the Dr. Seuss series, and Ramona from the "Beverly Cleary" series.

Barbara Simmons, a fourth-grade teacher at Matula, said the idea behind the project is for students to have a fun and creative way to practice reading skills. Parent volunteers were also on hand to help students complete their pumpkins.