On March 17, In Reach staff and guest readers from Kentland Palmer Park’s Transforming Neighborhoods Initiative (TNi) celebrated Read Across America day with eager elementary-aged students from the area. Each year, on Dr. Seuss' birthday, March 2, students everywhere celebrate his life and legacy by reading a good book. Inclement weather conditions may have delayed the celebration this year but not the fun of two events enjoyed in one - Dr. Seuss and St. Patrick’s Day. The Kentland Community Center’s Aftercare program services all school-aged students, while most commonly students are kindergarten to sixth grade.
After In
Reach staff gave a hearty welcome, students watched Dr. Seuss on the Loose, a short film collection
of three Seuss sing-a-long stories The
Sneetches, The Zax and Green Eggs and Ham. Shortly afterwards,
students were separated by grade level and our guest readers took over. Each
guest reader read as many of their favorite childhood stories as they had time
to read. With enthusiasm and the excitement of young children themselves, it
was apparent, by the brightness in the children's eyes, that the adults were fully engaging
each one of them and having a great time as well.
Before
dismissal everyone enjoyed a delicious treat of St. Patrick’s Day themed cake
and each student was able to choose one Scholastic book and a bookmark to take
home. This celebration marked the official launch of In Reach’s Catch
Them by Third Power of Literacy Program
pilot at Kentland Community Center for second grade students designed to
inspire and help them build literacy skills, ensure that they are able to
continue to develop literacy skills throughout the summer, and help families
foster language and literacy skill development in their young children.
Thank
you to our awesome TNi guest readers: Lavinia Baxter, Ralph Moultrie, and Alexia
Clark, and In Reach’s Dream Team: Katrina Robinson, program
manager; Samantha Trotter, AmeriCorps VISTA partner engagement specialist and organizer
of the day’s activities; Randi Coward, afterschool program facilitator; and
Toni Smith, executive director.
