A to Z Larchmont: A Murray Avenue Lesson in Community

Click to read Larchmont A to Z

by Cate Jarrett

(December 6, 2006) It is an annual tradition at Murray Avenue School, the unveiling of Maureen Moriarty’s 1st Grade alphabet book. The book is written and illustrated by the class and then unveiled and shared in a “Reading Celebration” with parents and siblings. But this year’s book has taken on a greater significance for the larger community as the theme centered on Larchmont.

At a "Reading Celebration" on Friday, December 1, Ms. Moriarty and the children shared the book with parents and other visitors.

After researching the genre of ABC books – Ms. Moriarty’s class read over 30 ABC books – the class brainstormed ideas for their own work. Ideas included A to Z candy; A to Z vacations and A to Z under the sea. But inspired by Ann Eburg’s E is for Empire about New York State, the children voted overwhelmingly to write A to Z Larchmont.

Students picked their letters from a hat and the research began. And that’s when the ABC book grew from a typical classroom exercise to a lesson in the meaning of community and history.

The first graders used a variety of research sources found in the community. In addition to the traditional resources available in the school library, the children used the Internet and accessed The Larchmont Historical Society’s website (www.larchmonthistory.org) where they read about the historical significance of various Larchmont sites and were able to download photographs.

Teacher Maureen Moriarty is surrounded by her first graders, authors of Larchmont A to Z.

They also spoke to community members, including Miriam Curnin, a former Larchmont mayor, and Joyce Papazian, a Larchmont resident and former Murray Avenue School teacher. Several class parents who grew up in Larchmont also provided their insights and guidance.

"The first graders learned such wonderful skills - research, writing, proofreading - as well as a greater appreciation of their community," said Ms. Curnin, whose grandson is in the class.

As the children began to collect ideas for their letters and think about places in Larchmont, significant discussions ensued. Ms. Moriarty asked the children to think about the “sparkly” Larchmont things. She challenged her 1st graders to consider why choosing Sheldrake for the letter “S” was a better choice than Starbucks. Why choosing Gazebos was a better choice than the Gap. The children were encouraged to write 2 to 3 possible book entries (letter permitting). This exercise prompted further discussions about what places in the community truly made Larchmont special.

Discoveries were made along the way: Flint Park was named after a prominent Larchmont family; the Fountain Square fountain is named the “Mermaid’s Cradle” and was donated by the Flint family. Lou Gehrig was a Larchmont resident. Rockingstone Avenue is named for the large boulder in the middle of the roadway that used to rock.

Ms. Moriarty noted that “the enthusiasm surrounding this book and its topic was contagious.” The end result is a book that captures unique aspects of the community along with the refreshing perspectives of Larchmont’s youngest citizens.

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