So, I am putting my head above the parapet with pen to paper to wish you all a great summer as you set off to your well earned holidays. Of course, here in England, the schools will not be out until the end of July for a “long six weeks.” The newspapers in the UK will be full of the annual stories of the 'calamity to learning' of such a long break. Is there something in this, or is it all nonsense? Are we missing the point about authentic learning? To ponder questions like these, we are launching an online community where you can compare notes with other educators across the world - to compare best practice, to converse, to be inspired. It is called the North Star Community, see more in the article below.

Except for Paul, who will be at Pepperdine presenting his final research (on virtual learning communities and storytelling,) the FableVision team will be at NECC looking forward to meeting old friends and new alike. Do come and see us. Our presentation schedule and booth information is listed in our Calendar below. Hope to see you there.

Jane Reynolds, Executive Partner, FableVision-UK

FableVision has been at our current Pleasant Street location for 10 years, sharing the space with many creative media and design companies and compatriots - most notably Broad Street, formerly Cosmic Blender - another media company Paul Reynolds helped to found nearly twenty years ago. A big warm thanks to all of our good friends at 44 Pleasant Street, we will miss you.

The FableVision team will be settling into its new digs in August, so the July FableFlash will have all the pertinent contact information. We hope you will save the date of September 15th to come help us celebrate our opening - party details to come!

Given the amazing feedback we keep receiving, we wanted to deliver the news to the program's original designers Ogden Morse and his son Ogden III. So the Reynolds and Morses recently had a delightful spring celebration lunch. Ideas were flying and visions growing as we enjoyed each other's company. Ogden Morse Jr. is a consultant to the College Board where he has been responsible for developing/co-developing three major initiatives: Building Success, English Vertical Teams, and Pre-AP Writing Tactics in English. Ogden Morse III is a high school English teacher in Falmouth, Maine and was key to the success of Get A Clue's development.

The Morse's devotion to students, learning, and the English language is inspiring. They have now teamed up with FableVision providing research on the program and developing new vocabulary words to add to Get A Clue in the upcoming months. They have also developed a great companion product to Get A Clue, for support in studying literature. Literary Companion is an online literature- enhancement software for grades 7-12 that improves students’ understanding of classic texts.

To get an early look at our new list of Get A Clue words under development, email Carol Donahue, Director of Learning Solutions, at carold@fablevision.com

Recently Apple chose Stationery Studio as a product in the new Elementary Tools Apple Digital Learning Solutions (ADLS) bundle as well as being a Complimentary Curriculum Product. All the products in the ADLS bundles also support the Universal platform.

Watch your July FableFlash for release information on *new* Stationery Studio holidays and seasons downloadable templates. Suggestions for many of these templates came from folks using the program in class, at home, or in after school programs. Stay tuned!

This summer is wacky, kids! Aside from packing and moving FableVision HQ, here's a short list of where we'll be if you'd like to track us down:

July 3-8 - N ational Educating Computing Conference (NECC), San Diego, CA - Peter H. Reynolds & FableVision crew attending, featuring sessions with Dr. Peggy Healy Stearns - booth # 1601. Click here to get detailed session/event info at NECC.

July 12, 19, 20 - Join Peter H. Reynolds for a special workshop series with illustration, animation, and art at his book and toy store, The Blue Bunny in Dedham, MA.

August 11 - Brewster Bookstore Store, Brewster, MA on Cape Cod - 10AM - Peter H. Reynolds Book Signing.

The year started out with some fun activities to introduce the parts of a story (setting, character, kickoff, feelings, resolution, etc). They broke into groups of three to five children with a parent "editor" who took down the dictation of the children. Louise Valente recalls, "It was quite amazing to us what the children could create when the physical boundaries of writing were removed and they were inspired by beautiful artwork and a willing adult. The stories created were fantastic combinations of magical butterflies, swashbuckling pirates, and sometimes (when girls were combined with boys) magical butterflies rescuing swashbuckling pirates."

As the year progressed, they created their own book covers and continued to hone their skills at developing their own fables. Louise shares, "The delight in their eyes when their story was read aloud to the class was indescribable. An unexpected surprise was the class's interest in identifying who wrote which part of the story, 'OH - that was Isabella - she loves flamingos', 'Underpants in a story? That had to be Joshua!' "

In June, they planned a party where the favorite stories created by the children will be read, plus cookies decorated with character faces, and blank story paper for summer stories from the Stationery Studio paper boxes will be handed out. Louise said, "Thank you, Dr. Stearns and FableVision, for a product that removes boundaries and unleashes the reader and writer in all of us! As a parent and a speech therapist, I can see amazing opportunities for language development and FUN in this program."

BONUS - *Order BrainCogs and/or Essay Express individually or in a bundle by July 31, 2006, and you'll get FREE UPS GROUND SHIPPING (in the US only). **When you check out, simply write BCEESP06 in the place for comments and questions. We will subtract the shipping cost when we charge your credit card. (Don't worry if it appears on your confirmation page/email -- we will take it off when we fulfill the order).

Click here for more information (and downloadable demo) of BrainCogs and Ess ay Express.

Sharing the same maternity ward was FableVision Ambassdor Renee Greenfield of the Newton's Franklin School. Renee gave birth in the SAME hospital on the same day to daughter Lavery Katherine Greenfield. They even had a few conversations while they were there together. We wonder if it was about making baby templates in Stationery Studio... How is that for partnership!
Notes of congratulations can be sent to aziza@fablevision.com to read upon her return in mid- September.