John Monfredo: Activities Set for “Reading in Our City Week” June 9
Saturday, June 07, 2014
Study after study finds that the ability to read well is the single best indicator of future economic success – regardless of family background. We know that once a child is “hooked” on reading his skill develops rapidly. The more he reads, the better he reads and the more he brings to each new reading experience. It is because of these reasons that my wife, Anne-Marie and I started “Worcester: the City that Reads” ten years ago. We have just completed collecting over 30.000 books with our “Give a Book” book drive and have been working on putting the books in the hands of our children with the assistance of the schools and various social agencies.
We have now moved on to engaging the community in literacy activities. Therefore, we have worked with many partners to arrange the following literacy activities in our community and to continue to bring a sense of awareness to the city. We hope that additional groups join in and add to the importance of literacy in our city.
Activities for the week are as follows: A proclamation has been read by Mayor Joseph M. Petty at the School Committee meeting on Thursday June 5th declaring the week of June 9th as “Reading in our City Week.”
During the week the Worcester Public Schools will also have their “Kick-off for Summer Reading.” A variety of events will take place in the schools from celebrity reading events to book character events. Also, all the children in our schools will receive books from Worcester: the City that Reads for summer reading and students in the summer school programs will receive additional books. It brings the total of 200,000 given to children during the past eight years by the Worcester: the City that Reads Committee. The Worcester Public School Nurses will wear buttons that say “Read” as a way of encouraging students to think about the importance of literacy.
The City Manager’s “Wheels to Water” program has received over a 1000 books for their summer activities. Books will be distributed at the “Wheels to Water” events.
The Worcester Public Library will have a number of events starting on Monday, June 9th with signups for library summer reading programs for children and adults. The book mobiles “Libby” and “Lilly” will also be very active during the week as they gear up for traveling from neighborhood to neighborhood during the summer months. The library will be hosting over 100 free programs including performances, activities, workshops, demonstrations, movies, story time and more. Prizes for reading and attending programs for all ages at the Main Library and all Branches will take place. Starting June 9th visit worcpublib.org to register. The kickoff celebration will begin on June 13th.
UMass Medical School will be reading to elementary classes during the week as will member of the RSVP organization.
TD Bank will kick off its summer reading program to encourage the students to keep their reading and money saving skills sharp during the summer. The program rewards children from Kindergarten to grade 5 who read ten books during the summer with a $10.00 deposit into a new or existing Young Saver account. In addition, the 2014 Reading Program brochure features a personal savings chart for tracking progress as well as suggested questions children can ask about savings accounts and the Penny Arcade coin counting machine.
According to Kristin Steinmetz, Outreach Coordinator of Mass Audubon Broad Meadow Brook, the children will have a story walk set up at Broad Meadow Brook. The Story Walk will take place at the Broad Meadow Brook Sanctuary. Children are to read the signs of nature while completing the hunt. Children are encouraged to read and solve each clue while walking the sanctuary’s gentle trails until they reach the “treasure” at the end.
Throughout the week, Worcester Head Start staff will be on the move with their books! Children will be enjoying a variety of special books in the warm spring air as they read outside both on their playgrounds and in other special outdoor spots. In addition, the teachers will complete home visits for children enrolled in the program. All families will receive their own books to enjoy with their children this summer along with a list of fun, literacy centered activities to keep them reading and moving all summer long.
Plumley Village will be having their children reading throughout the week and learn about new literacy strategies including choral reading and readers’ theater. In addition there will be a Kick-Off for enrolling students for “Catch the Reading Bug on the 12th, a six week summer program for children entering kindergarten through 3rd grade. The program will begin in July. As part the literacy sign up the children will be given free books as well.
YMCA Greendale Branch will be running a week of “Read to Me” program for their out of school summer kick-off. Middle School Children will be reading to children in grades 3 to 5. In addition, the third and fifth graders will be reading to the Pre-k and Kindergarten students.
Barnes and Noble will be announcing their reading program that requires students to read eight books and write about their favorite part in a reading journal. When the students bring their completed reading journal to their local store, they get to choose a free book.
The Jewish Community Center will have a “Drop Everything and Read” activity where everyone will be encouraged to read for 15 minutes. After school students will participate in a community reading program with related reading activities. After school students will read to younger students.
The African Community Education (ACE) will review the summer reading list with the students and work with parents and with the community outreach volunteers to teach about the importance of summer reading. In addition, according to Frank Murphy, program coordinator, “Ace will be giving two workshops and demonstrating to the students in the middle and high school how they can read to their younger siblings. They will also discuss why it is essential that children read for 20 minutes a day.” Mr. Murphy will also be visiting families and distributing pre-k books to read to families who have young children who are not yet eligible to come to the program.
Reverend Telley from the Belmont Zion Church will encourage his congregation to read to their children during the week and have the children participate in the morning service by reading the different portions of the morning program.
The DCU according to Amy Peterson, marketing coordinator, “In support of “Reading in our City Week”, the DCU and Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey Circus will be offering a certificate of accomplishment, clown nose and sticker to any school-age children who borrow a book from the main branch of the Worcester Public Library during the week of June 9th.
Girls Inc. will be encouraging teens to join their “Teen Book Club.” Students will be reading “The Maze Runner” by James Dashner. On June 13th the students will discuss the book with the coordinators of the “Teen Club.”
The books for babies program will be giving gift certificates courtesy of the Wilson Language Training group.
The Worcester Education Collaborative in partnership with the Hanover Insurance Group will continue a targeted literacy initiative: Reading Together. This is a project to get books into the hands of children along with tools for their parents and caregivers to support proficient reading and sustained literacy. According to Margaret Leroux of the WEC, on June 11 the group will read “Leo the Late Bloomer” to the kindergarten students at Lincoln Street School. This will be the fifth in a series of books that the WEC has read and distributed to the children over the course of the school year. Other schools participating in the program are Grafton Street, Goddard School of Science and Technology and Woodland Academy. Along with each book, the children receive a booklet of literacy activities do at home with their parents and siblings to support their reading and help create a culture of literacy at home.
Worcester’s newest baseball team, “The Worcester Bravehearts” in coordination with "Worcester: the City that Reads” will be giving out home game tickets during the week of June 9th for those children who completed the “Home Run Club,” reading 16 books during the month of May (K-3) or reading 400 pages (grades 4-6) to a future game at Fitton Field in Worcester. In addition, on June 12th the Worcester Bravehearts will have a “Baseball in Education Day.” According to Dave Peterson, General Manager of the Bravehearts, “Throughout the game, students will learn how subjects such as mathematics, science and geography are used every day in the game of baseball. Each student will be given a booklet to use during the game and not only will students work on their curriculum, they will be able to take part in on-field activities and enjoy a great baseball game.” The game starts at 11:05 a.m.
Edward Street Child Services will end the festivities on June 14th with the week’s celebration with “A Day of Play” at Elm Park. Corduroy bear will make an appearance and every family will receive the book “A Pocket for Corduroy” in either Spanish or English. The Worcester Public Library’s library mobile Libby will be there and families are encouraged to sign up for a library card for their children.
Other groups involved with activities include the Boys and Girls Club, Rainbow Child Development, Worcester Credit Union, Family Health Centers, Literacy Volunteers, and the Worcester Family Partnership. These groups will volunteer their time and energy to support reading efforts over the summer months.
Each year, the community has continued to become more aware of the importance of literacy in our community and thus we are moving forward and becoming a “City that Reads.” Thank you for making literacy a priority in our community.
Related Articles
- John Monfredo: Suspending Suspensions – A Critical Examination
- John Monfredo: School Committee Evaluates Superintendent Boone
- John Monfredo: Bullying Must Be Adressed at Home and in School
- John Monfredo: Make Worcester ‘The City That Reads’ on March 3rd
- John Monfredo: Some Great Ideas for ‘Read Across America Week’
- John Monfredo: Becker College Pres. Gives Stirring MLK Day Speech
- John Monfredo: Let’s Start a ‘Read Across Worcester Week’
- John Monfredo: How to Teach Kids the Importance of Giving Back
- John Monfredo: Worcester’s South High Teaches a Lesson in Giving
- John Monfredo: 10 Ways to Motivate Kids to Do Better in School
- John Monfredo: An Analysis of New Worcester Public School Data
- John Monfredo: Worcester’s Anti-Bullying Conference
- Monfredo: Addressing Chronic Absenteeism in Worcester Schools
- John Monfredo: Worcester Continues Its Crusade to Address Bullying
- John Monfredo: Appreciation Week: Thanking Teachers and Nurses
- John Monfredo: Nine Years of Engaging Readers in Worcester
- John Monfredo: Funding Education—Attend the City Council Meeting on Tuesday
- John Monfredo: Is Public Education A Priority in This City?
- John Monfredo: School Budget Needs Help From The City
- Monfredo: Former Worcester Public School Member Publishes Book
- Monfredo: How to Help Worcester Reach Goal of 30,000 Donated Books
- John Monfredo: Field Testing on PARCC Begins
- Monfredo: Colin Powell Dazzles the Crowd in Worcester Tech Speech
- Monfredo: Worcester’s ‘City that Reads’ Book Drive Needs Your Help
Follow us on Pinterest Google + Facebook Twitter See It Read It