Golden Tickets, Special Guests: Clinton Elementary Celebrates ‘One School, One Book’

The Clinton Elementary School community has completed another unforgettable literary journey!

Throughout the month of May, students, families, teachers, staff members and community members joined together to read Roald Dahl's beloved classic, “Charlie and the Chocolate Factory.” This marked the exciting third year of Clinton Elementary's "One School, One Book" initiative, which continues to foster a shared love of reading across the community. Clinton Elementary is truly grateful to the CCS Foundation for purchasing books for the entire elementary student body, teachers and staff, and many community businesses who joined in the fun! This year's month-long celebration culminated in a spectacular two-day grand finale that brought the magic of the book straight to life.  

On June 15, the entire Clinton Elementary student body gathered in the theater for a special screening of the 1971 classic film, “Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory.” The students were riveted watching Gene Wilder, Jack Albertson and a young Peter Ostrum bring the familiar characters from their nightly reading assignments to the big screen. 

The absolute highlight of the screening came when Charlie finally peeled back the wrapper of his chocolate bar to reveal the shimmering prize. The entire viewing audience in the school theatre burst into a massive round of applause at that exact moment, celebrating Charlie's luck as if they had won golden tickets themselves! 

The excitement reached a whole new level the very next day. On June 16, students returned to the theater for a once-in-a-lifetime surprise: a live presentation by Dr. Peter Ostrum, the actor who played Charlie Bucket!

Ostrum captivated the audience by sharing what it was like to be a 12-year-old boy working on a massive Hollywood movie set in Munich, Germany. He even brought a piece of cinematic history with him – the original film clapboard used on the movie set! 

To show students what making a movie is really like, Ostrum invited student volunteers up to the stage to use the clapboard. Together, they demonstrated the filmmaking process, giving everyone a firsthand look at just how many takes are sometimes needed to get a single movie scene perfect. 

Students listened closely as Ostrum shared behind-the-scenes secrets and answered a flurry of eager questions: 

• On the Chocolate Rivers: He revealed the fun realities of working on the magical set and working alongside iconic actors like Gene Wilder.
• On Life After Wonka: He spoke about his choice to leave acting behind to follow his true passion – becoming a veterinarian right here in Upstate New York.
• On Finding Your Passion: He left students with an inspiring message about the importance of working hard, exploring different interests and choosing your own career path.

Ostrum ended the event by sharing the powerful life lessons that can be learned directly from “Charlie and the Chocolate Factory.” He reminded students that, just like Charlie Bucket, characteristics like honesty, kindness and staying true to yourself are far more valuable than any piece of candy or material wealth. 

To keep the reading momentum going, every student received a copy of the sequel, “Charlie and the Great Glass Elevator,” to enjoy over their summer vacation!

Thank you to all of the amazing Clinton Elementary families for reading along this spring and making the third year of "One School, One Book" the most magical one yet!