Summer Reading Success

from Bettina Forman, Terraset Reading Specialist

Sometime last winter our principal asked a few of us to think of ideas in case we received funding for some sort of summer school program. I thought it would be wonderful simply to have the library open, and teachers available to help students choose just right books for summer reading. My friend, special ed teacher Maria Newman, thought wouldn't it be wonderful if we could feed children over the summer. And so began what turned into a program that did both and a bit more.

This summer our school provided breakfast and lunch on a daily basis-- free of charge, and with choices-- to any child, eighteen or younger, who wanted to dine. We opened the library from 9:30-11:30 every Tuesday and Thursday morning and provided, teenage, senior, and teacher volunteers to play games, create art projects, make play dough villages, help choosing books, read books together,do puzzles, learn chess, work on the summer assignment, write stories, listen to read alouds, and see their favorite teachers.



Teachers and older friends are all there to help with
letter recognition... a first step!

Typically, we had at least thirty kids come each time. Sometimes parents accompanied children and stayed for the fun. Several younger children came with their sisters and brothers. We had wonderful volunteers from South Lakes HS and Langston Hughes. Many rising seventh graders came as well as children about to enter kindergarten in September.

This program was totally Terraset grown and accomplished entirely through volunteer efforts with only a small stipend from PTA for materials. Many of the games were borrowed from teachers. All of the loving care came from staff and community. We are so thankful to have had this wonderful opportunity to spend this special time enriching our Terraset students over the summer and hope it's the start of something lasting.