HELENA — In celebration of World Read Aloud Day, Helena Public Schools have launched different campaigns and activities to encourage reading.
Librarian, Jena Marshall, enjoys sharing her passion for reading with the students at Warren Elementary and to celebrate World Read Aloud Day, Marshall is taking her passion with a school-wide project.
“This time of year, everybody starts to lose momentum a little bit,” says Marshall. “So, we thought we would use it as an opportunity to kind of get kids excited about reading. So, we're kicking off a little school-wide read-a-thon."
Every time a student at Warren finishes a book, they fill out a paper strip. At the end of Spring, the paper strips will be combined to make a large paper chain around the school buildings. Warren is not the only school celebrating, Jefferson Elementary is also involved by having the students make crowns symbolizing reading aloud. Also, their parent council purchased about 30 new books.
“Reading is what I preach. If a kid learns to read, a kid can learn to do anything,” says Susan Sielbach, the Jefferson Elementary Librarian.
Students can learn anything and also persevere. That is the message Broadwater Elementary wishes to send by introducing books about historical figures in Black History Month and beyond. The school has also begun their annual One School, One Book Campaign where every student receives a book to keep. One Broadwater teacher says this helps connect with the community in the pandemic.
"This campaign is to get closer with kids and families that we can sort of all relate to. [Our librarian is] reading books about people that have persevered and we're hoping to give the kids the same message of perseverance and that we're there for them and the families," says Ann Swenson, a teacher at Broadwater Elementary.
More celebrations took place throughout the district. Hawthorne Elementary hosted a virtual read-a-thon with a school in Costa Rica and Central Elementary is collecting videos of students reading aloud.
