The fourth graders of Yavneh Academy presented their annual Storytelling Festival of Folktales to students, parents and guests in an exciting program. They proved that in this fast-paced, media-driven world there is still room and love for the spoken story which continues to engage the imaginations of young and old alike. Ms. Julie Della Torre, Yavneh’s beloved resident storyteller for over 12 years, presented five workshops to the students teaching them about characters, dialogue, setting, presentation and morals. Classroom teachers Mrs. Lynn Bloom, Mrs. Linda Gans, Mrs. Alison Landa, Mrs. Talya Mandelstam and associate teacher Ms. Aviva Woolf guided the students through choosing, analyzing and learning their stories along with Yavneh librarians, Mrs. Rachel Glasser and Mrs. Susan Thaler. They shared their multicultural folktales with Yavneh students in a school-wide festival during morning classes and to parents in two evening performances. The school was filled with excitement and accomplishment as all were transported to foreign lands and cultures through the children’s stories.