Steven Moinester, Head of Operations at BASIS Peoria Primary, recently published his first children’s book.
The book, titled “Friend I Will Be,” follows a boy named Kazu who lives on a colorful alien planet. Kazu is worried about making friends at his new school, but by displaying kindness and treating others the way he would like to be treated, he discovers how easy it is to make connections with his peers.
Click here to purchase “Friend I Will Be” from Amazon.
The inspiration behind “Friend I Will Be”
With over 25 years of experience in education, Moinester knows all too well how scary the start of a new school year can be! His experience working with young children at BASIS Peoria Primary was part of what inspired this book.
“At the beginning of the year, children are both excited and anxious about making new friends,” Moinester says. “I wanted to create an engrossing story that captured kids’ imagination while giving them an important social skill lesson that could be easily understood.”
Generating positivity for students and staff
Moinester has been with BASIS Charter Schools for seven years. Back in 2017, he was part of the opening team at BASIS Peoria Primary—and he remains at this same school today! In his role as Head of Operations, he is responsible for all non-academic aspects of school management, overseeing the school’s finances, HR, technology, security, and much more.
“My goal is to help provide the best possible educational experience for our kids, and the best possible work experience for our staff,” says Moinester.
He says that one of the best parts of his job is being able to make a difference in people’s lives. “It’s heartwarming to see the children smile or hear the staff talk about how much they love working here. While I am just one person in a much larger team, I feel very fortunate to play a part in generating this positivity.”
Looking forward
Moinester says he’s greatly enjoyed branching out into the publishing space with “Friend I Will Be.”
“What I enjoyed most was learning how to work with a top illustrator to make my ideas come to life,” he says. “I wanted children and adults alike to be able to enjoy visually stunning illustrations on every page.”
Moinester tells us that he is definitely interested in publishing more children’s books in the future. “I think Kazu and his friends will enjoy many more adventures together.”
Congratulations to Mr. Moinester for this awesome accomplishment! We can’t wait to see what your imagination dreams up next.
Want to read more about what our students, teachers, and staff have been up to lately? Check out the latest news and resources from BASIS Charter Schools.
