Local principal writes children’s book to celebrate school community

“Emilio and the Spirit Tunnel” by Brightwood Elementary School Principal Danielle Delgado is available on Amazon.
Reminder Publishing submitted photo

SPRINGFIELD — Danielle Delgado is so grateful to be the principal of Brightwood Elementary School that she wrote a children’s book to celebrate it.

“Emilio and the Spirit Tunnel” began as a passion project, she said, and “became a celebration of the Brightwood community, which I’m so happy to serve.”

Delgado said she wanted to share the spirit of Brightwood with as many people as possible. While she said that she is a natural oral storyteller, she had never attempted to write anything down. However, she has always loved reading and was the instructional leader for reading and writing before becoming principal.

Personally, Delgado said, she prefers children’s books to adult novels. “A children’s book is able to bring you back to your childhood joy, endless wonder and excitement that we lose as adults,” she said.

The book is based on the real-world tradition Brightwood has of greeting people with spirit tunnels. A spirit tunnel — a tradition made famous as a backstage ritual on the Jennifer Hudson Show — involves people lining both sides of a hallway, dancing and singing to celebrate the people walking through it and amp up their energy.

Spirit tunnels at Brightwood came about when renowned educator and author Ron Clark was scheduled to visit the school. Delgado wanted to do something special to welcome him, something that would express the spirit of Brightwood. She was inspired to create a spirit tunnel for his arrival. She said they changed the lyrics to the Jermaine Dupri song “Welcome to Atlanta” — Clark is from there — to “Welcome to Brightwood” for the event. To Delgado’s surprise, not only was Clark excited by the spirit tunnel, but the students were also.

Since then, she said the students do a spirit tunnel going into the art program each day. For larger events, like the recent graduation of Brightwood’s fifth graders, the entire school lines the halls for a spirit tunnel. Delgado said the boost it gives to student confidence cannot be overstated.

“They have a moment to celebrate themselves. They cheer just as loud for the last person as they did for the first person” going through the tunnel, she said. “It’s helping them to take a risk,” Delgado said. “You can show off whatever dance moves you’ve been practicing” and “not worry about what to say or do.” She said that confidence translates into the classroom when students take a risk to read aloud or try to solve a difficult math problem.

“Emilio and the Spirit Tunnel” is not about any one student, Delgado said. “It’s taking the moments that we’ve all experienced at Brightwood,” she said. For example, numerous students have told teachers that they want to work at the school when they grow up, and — warning: spoilers ahead — at the end of the book Emilio becomes the principal of Brightwood.

“Emilio and the Spirit Tunnel” can be purchased on Amazon. All proceeds go to a scholarship fund for former Brightwood students who graduate from high school. “I just wanted to give back to the community that has given me so much,” Delgado said. “Brightwood is a beautiful community and I’m… grateful to be a part of it.”