Nevada student’s book project

Nevada student’s book project highlights the success of LAUNCH project

Nevada High School senior, Calissa “Callie” Derrick, poses with her book, “Cubbie and the Perfect Gift.” Photo by Marlys Barker

By Marlys Barker Contributing Writer

ANevada High School student’s completed book project is a shining example of why the district’s LAUNCH program is earning its stripes. Calissa “Callie” Derrick, 18, a senior at Nevada High School, will present copies of her book, “Cubbie and the Perfect Gift,” to both the Central Elementary Library and the Nevada Public Library. At approximately 20 pages, the children’s book features the Nevada School’s mascot and many images of places in the community.

On the final page of her book, Derrick explains a little bit about LAUNCH — Learning, Application, Understanding, iNquiry, Compassion and Honor. “Students lead their own class, creating a final project that they then present. This book was one of those projects,” she wrote. Derrick, daughter of Beth and Tim Derrick of rural Nevada and a student worker in Nevada’s Public Library, was in her second term of LAUNCH (each term being roughly 2 to 2 1/2 months) when she decided she wanted to create a book as her class project. She’d taken LAUNCH first term, when she completed a ghost tour of Nevada. “I researched the history of Nevada and used old records and books and listened to stories from residents about different ghost experiences,” she said of the firstterm project. “Then I walked down main street and talked about the history of Nevada (during a fall tour).” Her favorite haunting in town, she admitted, was Evergreen Lane, shared with her by Nevada Historical Society member Kris Corbin. Her second-term project combined her passion for writing and art, Derrick explained, noting that she plans to pursue a degree in art education when she starts college next year.

“I got the suggestion from a friend to make it about Cubbie, and it kind of grew from there,” she said. Her ideas were also inspired by the Ames Public Library’s Smyles books, she noted.

Derrick used pictures she’d taken in the community and inside the school, and even a few pictures from friends, working on those and her Cubbie character in a digital art program called Paint Tool SAI. “I’ve done digital art on my

own for a while now,” she said.

Getting the right Cubbie for the book was a big task. “I actually went through around 30 different designs for him, trying to make him the cutest Cubbie he could be.” As she worked on his image, she consulted friends to help her choose the features they liked most in each Cubbie to get to her final “most adorable” one.

While many students were enjoying winter break, Derrick was continuing work on her project. “I spent most of my winter break working on the illustrations,” she admitted. This project demanded time, and wasn’t easy, especially the writing of the story. “It was a lot harder than I imagined to write a story for children. ... It was actually kind of difficult to construct a story for children so that they could understand and enjoy it.”

The story of her book, she explained, is about the school principal’s birthday and Cubbie’s desire to find the principal the perfect gift. Cubbie leaves school and heads out into the Nevada community for his search.

Derrick admits she isn’t quite sure how she came up with that idea for the story. “I just knew I wanted a plot that would show off the different sites in Nevada,” she said.

In the end, it all came together, and because the task of actually getting the book published would take too long, Derrick printed several hard copies of her book through Shutterfly. “I had one printed for my (LAUNCH) teacher (Kimberly Huegerich), one for my parents, one for my sister (Brianna, who is studying elementary education at Iowa State University) and one for myself.” She plans to print two more copies, complete with jackets (an option Shutterfly allows), to give to the school and city libraries.

The book has already been tested on some of its most important critics.

Derrick visited the room of kindergarten teacher, Terrie Heiden (the teacher she’d had in kindergarten) and read it to Heiden’s class. “It was so great to see what they thought. A lot of them said the same thing, ‘I really liked your book.’” Even big kids, like Derrick’s parents and teachers, are amazed at what she did with this project. “My dad said it

looked so professional. ... (Mrs. Huegerich) really liked it. And I’m glad that she did. I knew I had put in a lot of work on it.”

Huegerich even passed it around her classroom to show other students, and Derrick said it’s been suggested to her by friends that she use the book as her “signature book” at her graduation party this year.

Nevada Schools Associate Superintendent of School Improvement Justin Gross is glad that the Nevada Schools curriculum is providing students the LAUNCH opportunity.

“I am glad that we are able to provide our students with opportunities to engage in projects that allow them to follow their passions and apply their learning in ways that have value beyond school. This (book project) is just one example of many that showcases what happens when you give students voice and choice over their learning,” he said.

Derrick’s biggest hope the book she created is that it will inspire kids to tell their own stories. “That’s what the book is meant to be.” She wants to show younger students that “it’s important to be able to share your experiences and your different perspectives that you have with the world.”

On the last page of her book, she also talks about the goal of highlighting Nevada and Nevada High School through Cubbie. “This book shows how stories and creativity are gifts to be shared, and it in itself is a gift to the town of Nevada and its people,” she wrote.

Callie Derrick has written a children’s book, whose main character, Cubbie, is based on the Nevada High School mascot. Photo by Marlys Barker