Deer Park Middle School Connects Students Through Snowman Project

ENL and life skills classes collaborate on creative storytelling and crafts.

Published on Feb. 13, 2026

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Students at Robert Frost Middle School in Deer Park, New York recently took part in a cross-classroom collaboration that celebrated language, creativity, and community. English as a New Language (ENL) students authored wordless books titled 'The Snowman,' then visited a life skills classroom to share their stories. The ENL class then led a hands-on craft activity where the life skills students created their own 'melted snowman' projects, practicing social language and communication skills throughout.

Why it matters

The collaborative lesson provided a supportive, low-stress environment for students to practice English and build connections across classrooms. The activity helped strengthen the school community by showing students that their voices and ideas matter.

The details

In Christy Villalobos' ENL class, students created wordless books titled 'The Snowman,' using illustrations and sequencing skills to tell a complete story. They then visited Rachel Burkel's life skills classroom to share their books, reading and discussing the stories together. The ENL class then led a craft activity where the life skills students made their own 'melted snowman' projects, practicing social language and communication as they worked side-by-side.

  • The collaborative lesson took place in February 2026.

The players

Christy Villalobos

An English as a New Language (ENL) teacher at Robert Frost Middle School.

Rachel Burkel

A life skills teacher at Robert Frost Middle School.

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What they’re saying

“It is so important for students to have opportunities to practice English in a nonthreatening, supportive environment. Experiences like this allow students to build confidence while learning from one another. Collaboration between teachers also strengthens our school community and helps students see that their voices and ideas matter.”

— Christy Villalobos, ENL Teacher (Patch.com)

The takeaway

This project demonstrates how cross-classroom collaboration can create engaging, low-stress opportunities for students to practice language skills, build connections, and develop confidence in a supportive environment.