LITERARY LUNCHES   The Berkeley Heights Education Foundation prides itself on organizing programs and events that help enrich both the Berkeley Heights school district and the community at large.  We believe that community involvement is essential to maintaining a strong educational system.     During the 2003/2004 academic year, the BHEF sponsored the Literary Lunches program at Columbia Middle School. This intergenerational book club brought local senior citizens and seventh & eighth-graders together to eat lunch and share their thoughts about books they read. Twenty-five Columbia students and fifteen senior citizens met for lunch four times last year to discuss books, such as A Tree Grows in Brooklyn and They Cage the Animals at Night. As a result, one hundred Columbia students were able to participate in this wonderful program. The Literary Lunches program was so successful, it was expanded to include sixth-graders.    Literary Lunches would not be possible without the work of Katherine Venditti, former District Supervisor for Language Arts and Social Studies, Cheryl McKibben, Media Center Specialist and the middle school Language Arts teachers. These professionals select the books for Literary Lunches and facilitate the group discussions that take place.    Participating seniors and students enjoy viewing stories through each other's eyes, as they develop a newfound respect and admiration for each other.  Due to the overwhelmingly positive response to Literary Lunches, this program will continue in the 2006/2007 school year with the following schedule.  Please note that this program is limited to those students who signed up for each session, along with our registered group of senior citizens. If you would like more information about Literary Lunches, please e mail us at bhef@bhef.info.             2007/2008 LITERARY LUNCHES SCHEDULE GRADE DATE Time NOVEL 7 October 10 12:05 – 1:05 The Thief 6 November 14   1:30 - 2:30 Squashed 8 December 12 12:20 – 1:20 The Alchemist 7 March 19 12:05 – 1:05 The Watsons Go to Birmingham 6 April 16   1:30 - 2:30 Al Capone Does My Shirts