Monfredo: All Aboard For “Love A Book Month”
Saturday, February 07, 2015
As co-chair of the committee along with my wife Anne-Marie our goal is to promote literacy throughout our city. We have singled out the month of February as “Love a Book Month” since February 14th is Valentine’s Day and READING is the Heart of learning we felt our reading theme would fit nicely in this month. It is our hope that schools and businesses will encourage reading activities throughout the month and that reading will continue to be encouraged by all in the ensuing months.
We must keep in mind that reading and literacy are more than just skills. They represent a means of participating in the exchange of the ideas, feelings, and information that define a thriving society. A recent study found that the ability to read well is the single best indicator of future economic success regardless of family background.
Under the umbrella of “Worcester: the City that Reads” a variety of events have been planned and we hope more activities will be sponsored by other groups as well.
Through the City Manager’s office books donated by “Worcester: the City that Reads” will be distributed to the children at the “skating rink” (Oval) at the winter vacation break during the week of February 16th. The books are courtesy of Houghton Mifflin Company.
One of Worcester’s restaurants, O’Connor’s Restaurant located at 1160 West Boylston, will be distributing books throughout the month y means of a raffle for the children.
Rainbow Child Development has embraced the spirit of the month with the “Family Child Care Program” by giving out pamphlets on “Reading Aloud to your Children” and giving out books to their students. Finz, mascot from the Worcester Sharks, will visit their site as a celebrity reader… visits to the library and the distribution of library cards will also take place.
UMass Memorial employees will be visiting neighborhood schools to read to the children. The Belmont A.M.E. Zion Church, through their “Yes, We Can” Homework assistance program, will have a variety of reading activities throughout the month encouraging students to read.
Students in the transitional program at Great Book Valley, sponsored by the Worcester Housing Authority, will be spending time focusing in on Book Club activities from books donated to the program by the “Worcester: the City that Reads.”
Worcester Head Start classrooms will pick one of their favorite children’s stories and will work together to recreate the pages of the story using their own illustrations. They will continue to take home books from their classroom lending libraries that include activities for both the child and family to work on together.
The Worcester Public School will have a variety of activities taking place at all the elementary schools. A quick look at a hand full of schools and their activities are as follows: Chandler Elementary there will be weekly themes – Black History Month, Celebrity Readers, Chandler EL students LOVE to read, and they will be dong parent workshops K-3 promoting early literacy and giving books to each parent … Chandler Magnet School will have their intermediate students partnering with the primary grades in “share a book time ” and classes will be doing a favorite book bulletin board….Columbus Park has caught the “Kindness Bug”. For the month of February they will be recognizing and celebrating random acts of kindness within their school. Teachers and students will be on the lookout for acts of kindness that will be recorded. Each day they will share one act that was submitted during their daily announcements. In addition teachers have been asked to share books related to their school-wide theme of kindness and caring.. a sample of some of the books are The Giving Tree By: Shel Silverstein, The Crayon Box That Talked" by Shane DeRolf and Thank You, Mr. Falker by Patricia Palocco.
The Goddard School will be hosting an early childhood literacy event for families with children six months to age four. The children in grades K-6 will also be presenting fairytale, folktale and biography projects to parents and families. Older students will pair with younger "book buddies" for various reading experiences throughout the month
Grafton Street …. each child will be given a free book to promote reading 20 minutes at home every day …Heard Street will be combining Black History Month with reading. Students and teachers will be reading about famous Black Americans. There will be a variety of activities at the school centered on this theme…. Worcester Arts Magnet School students and staff will be “advertising” their favorite books over morning announcements each day in February to encourage reading daily, both in and out of school.…. Roosevelt will conduct a book fair and have a variety of reading programs throughout the month …
Union Hill has several events planned …all students will create a paperbag/ cereal box advertisement, character from a book or a review of a selected book..
In addition, the school will be holding trading post Fridays where students can swap and trade books throughout the month.
Primary classes will have mystery readers from the community and grade 3 is holding their annual wax museum where students dress as a historical figures from American history and dress in character and share this learning with the parents. At Thorndyke Road School, to coincide with the celebration of the 100th day of school, intermediate students at the school will be creating a bulletin board in the front foyer depicting 100 reasons why they like to read. Also during the morning announcements, one student will promote their favorite book and share their thoughts and favorite parts of the book with the entire Thorndyke Road Learning community.
Burncoat Elementary as part of Black History Month will focus on biographies about someone significant in black history. In addition, the Primary grades will work on an illustration project with students focusing on characters from their favorite books. Also, the entire school will vote on a favorite book and students will decorate a large piece of butcher paper on their classroom door to represent the cover of the book. As one walks through the school, each door will be a different book.
All other schools in Worcester will be involved in a number of reading activities from celebrity readers, to book character day to special events surrounding their favorite book.
The Adult/ESL Center in February will be having several workshops for their students … “Family Math Fun,” “Talking to your child’s teacher,” and “Families that Read Together.” In addition, books will be given to the parents for their children. All events will be held at the Fanning Building on Tuesday evenings from 5:30 to 8:00 p.m.
The School Nurses and Health Center nurses in our schools will be wearing buttons that state – READ! They will also encourage our students to read by displaying books in their office.
The Guild of St. Agnes, pre-school center will collaborate with student volunteers from Holy Cross to be celebrity readers each week in February. The volunteers will unwrap a book hoping to stir the interest of children with a book and at the end of the month the children will choose their favorite book, make a book jacket and express their thoughts in a roundtable discussion.
The YWCA, according to Darlene Beliveau, director, is embracing Love a Book month with open arms. They are inviting board members and parents to come in and read a story. They will provide a literacy raffle basket and the children will be participating in numerous literacy activities…e.g. making books, role-playing, and authors’ week. The YMCA will also have a number of special events… For President’s Day they will read the book, What Does the President Look like? There is an app that goes along with the book. In addition, they will have Our White House and the White House They will use the book as an inspiration for the children as they use Geometry and Math problems as the work on the drawing of the White House. Later they will watercolor their art work. Other activities include … Sam and the lucky money – Chinese new year story… The Snowy Day – outside play and games in the gym… The Empty Pot – working with clay.
The African Community Education Program (ACE) has planned many activities for in the Saturday Middle School program the students will read Sadako and the Thousand Paper Cranes . They will then turn the event into an art project. On the high school level the students will read excerpts from Making it Home: Real Life Stories from Children Forces to Flee. A collection of refugee children’s stories will take place. At the elementary level and adult ESL parents will read together for 30 minutes each Saturday.
The Worcester Historic Society will conduct their annual Valentine writing contest in partnership with Worcester Loves to Read and the Worcester Public Library…
Our Worcester Public Library will have a host of activities throughout the month of February and the public is encouraged to call the library for more information. “Remember our Worcester Public Library is the best bargain for all its citizens in Worcester”. Some of the events are as follows:
February
World Language Storytimes, Performer Training (6 hours!)
With Shannon Schinagl, Early Literacy Consultant
Monday, February 9
10 am - 4 pm
Children’s Program Room
Interested in helping to perform storytimes in Vietnamese and Portuguese for children at the Library? Our World Languages Storytimes is looking for adults interested in training as a performer for the upcoming World Languages Storytimes. Please call 508- 799-1671 or stop at the Children’s Room Desk for a flyer and application, and for more information.
Every Child Ready to Read @ Your Library: Family Storytime
Saturday, February 14th,
2:30-3:00 pm, Children’s Program Room
Bring your whole family out to enjoy stories, songs, and movement activities that help foster a love of books and reading in your child. Supports the 5 Literacy practices of Every Child Ready to Read. Parents and caregivers are encouraged to participate! Recommended for families with children ages 6 and under. Just Drop in!
Monday Crafternoons for Kids
Mondays, February 9th, March 2,16,30, April 13
4:00 pm, Children’s Program Room
Just drop in! Create a craft designed just for kids! Ages 12 and under.
The Chocolate Book Club
Tuesdays, February 17, March 17,
4:00-5pm, Children’s Program Room
Children develop their first sweet experience of reading, spelling and writing about a story in a group. For Kindergarten and First Grade.
Learn to Draw Manga
Fridays February 20, March 6, 20, April 3, 17
4-5 pm, Banx Room
Learn to draw in the manga comic style from instructor Jamie Buckmaster, a faculty member at the Worcester Art Museum. Ages 7-12.
Sponsored by Friends of Worcester Public Library
February 3, 6, 10, 13, 17, 20, 24, 27
Develop literacy and critical thinking skills through books and hands-on activities with Legos. Supports STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Mathematics)! Ages 5-12.
Every Child Ready to Read @ Your Library: Community Workshops
Mondays, February 2, March 2, March 30
10:00-11:00am, Children’s Program Room
Come learn about the research-based Five Early Literacy Practices, talking, singing, reading, writing, and playing, along with interactive activities that you can use to help your children get ready to read. For parents and caregivers, teachers, and adults working with children--come prepared to play and learn together with your child these simple but powerful early literacy skills. Young children welcome. Refreshments will be provided.
Every Child Ready to Read @ Your Library: Early Literacy Activities to Share With Your Child
Mondays, February 23, March 9, March 23, April 6
9:30-11:30am, Children’s Program Room
Participate in a variety of self-directed literacy activities that go along with the ECRR workshops that support the five early literacy practices of talking, singing, reading, writing, and playing as identified by the Every Child Ready to Read initiative. Recommended ages 5 and under. For parent workshops see February 2.
In addition, all the branch libraries will be highlighting special reading activities and everyone is encouraged to call your neighborhood branch library for more information.
“Remember, we all have a stake in motivating children to read!” Perhaps Dr. Perri Klass, Assistant Professor of Pediatrics at Boston University School of medicine said it best, “Growing up without books is growing up deprived and with a deprivation that puts one at risk for failure.” Please join with us and support “Love a Book Month” with activities that will motivate our children to read.
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