In honor of American Education Week, Sleepy Hollow Elementary School will host several events spotlighting and celebrating education this week.

Events include a poetry assembly, student crafts and activities such as door decorations depicting scenes from the students' favorite books.

One highlight is the annual family reading night when families are invited to a pajama party at 6:30 p.m. Tuesday, Nov. 17. Magician Eldon Roark will be there and there will be a special reading by Sleepy Hollow staff members of the popular picture book "Cookies: Bite Size Life Lessons." Cookies and milk will, appropriately, be the refreshments that evening.

Sleepy Hollow students had the opportunity to give back to the community on Veterans Day when they hosted a Salute to Our Nation's Veterans. The program was organized by Sharon Waterman, fourth grade teacher and Jennifer Troy, music teacher. The emcee was the school's "resident veteran" and second grade teacher, Randy Bruce. Bruce was an Air Force member of the Military Police during Operation Desert Storm.

Guest veterans were invited to accept the donations that the students collected, through a schoolwide service project, for veterans at the Hines VA Hospital and at the Elgin State Hospital. The items included toiletries, underwear, socks, books, DVDs and candy.

If you would like to meet one of Sleepy Hollow's great teachers, literacy teacher Laura Crawford will be signing her new book, "The American Revolution From A to Z," from 2 to 5 p.m. Sunday, Nov. 22 at the Barnes and Noble at Spring Hill Mall.

Singalong: St. James Episcopal Church, at Sixth and Washington streets in West Dundee, will be host to a Christmas Carol Sing as part of Dickens in Dundee Celebration at 3 p.m. Sunday, Dec. 6.

A choir made up of singers from area churches will lead the singing. The concert will include handbells, instrumental music, and brass along with organ and piano accompaniment. Traditional Christmas carols will include "O Little Town of Bethlehem" and "It Came upon a Midnight Clear." There will be a reception after the concert in the Boynton Fellowship Hall. A free will offering will be taken.

The Rev. Don Frye is the long term supply priest for St. James and Phyllis Connelly is the director of the choir and St. James Handbell Choir. Anyone in the community is invited to sing in the choir. Rehearsals will be Sundays before the concert at 11:30 a.m. and at 1:45 p.m. on the day of the concert.

Phyllis organizes the wonderful Lenten Organ Concert series so you know that this will be a beautiful musical event. Call (847) 515-8743 to register for singing in the choir.

Fair Trade Sale: St. Catherine of Siena Church, located at the 845 West Main Street in West Dundee, will hold its fourth annual Catholic Relief Services Fair Trade Sale to benefit the needy in the community.

The sale will be in the Church's entrance from noon to 9 p.m. Friday, Nov. 27; from 9 a.m. to 9 p.m. Saturday, Nov. 28; and from 8:30 a.m. to 3 p.m. Sunday, Nov. 29.

"We are pleased to offer a wide variety of unique gift items, including chocolates, chocolate Advent calendars, jewelry, Christmas decorations, handmade baskets, children's toys, musical instruments, and religious articles from over 20 different countries that are available for purchase," explained Deacon Hank Schmalen, coordinator of the event.

"Purchasing a gift during our sale is a chain reaction that benefits the recipient, a Third World country individual, and ultimately a local person or family in need."

Catholic Relief Services, in conjunction with SERV International, provides Fair Trade items from Third World countries. The product makers and/or growers receive a fair price for the sale of their products, and 100 percent of the proceeds made by the sale at St. Catherine's will support people in the local community who are in need.

For information, contact Debbie Schmalen at (847) 426-7326.