Herkimer Elementary School gets ‘Wild About Reading’ with PARP program

The Herkimer Elementary School Fourth Grade Library Club helped the school kick off its Pick a Reading Partner (PARP) program for the year with a “Get Wild About Reading” theme.

The entrance lobby, library and hallways are decorated based on animal biomes, and animal decorations and stuffed animals were in the cafeteria/auditorium for the assembly on Monday, March 23.

Just as those decorations took a group effort by teachers, reaching this year’s PARP goal of 50,000 reading minutes will also take a group effort by students, said Jennifer Olds, the Herkimer Elementary School library media specialist and Fourth Grade Library Club advisor, who led the assembly along with the club members.

“If we all get together and read, we can all make PARP really special,” she said.

It’s estimated that the 50,000 reading minutes goal will be achieved if all students read with their PARP partner for 15 minutes per night during PARP, which is sponsored by the Herkimer Elementary PTA and runs until Thursday, April 2. Students have sheets to track their reading that they will turn in on April 2.

If students reach the goal, Herkimer Elementary School Principal Renee Vogt has agreed to kiss a goat during the PARP closing assembly on April 2. Teacher Kate Lesniak will be bringing a goat from her family farm, Lesniak-Hill Farm.

Vogt joined Olds during the assembly to agree to the “Mrs. Vogt kisses a goat” challenge and to encourage students to read for PARP. Olds also told students to be “greatest of all time – GOAT” readers.

Another highlight of this year’s PARP is expected to be PARP Night from 6-7:30 p.m. on Thursday, March 26 at the Herkimer Elementary School. The Utica Zoo’s ZooMobile will be part of the event.

 “We have games, we have prizes, we have learning, and this year, guess who’s going to come: real animals,” Olds said, during the assembly, as students reacted loudly and excitedly.

Other aspects of PARP include a Spirit Week March 30 to April 2, cross-grade-level reading buddies, opportunities to win books and raffles, time to explore the school book fair, “drop everything and read” time, animal-themed crafts and research projects, a Bookmark Contest based on the “Get Wild About Reading Theme” and morning announcements with an animal joke and animal fact.

The Fourth Grade Library Club will be acting as reading buddies, judging the Bookmark Contest and making the morning announcements. During the assembly, they demonstrated fiction and non-fiction books, gave an example animal joke and animal fact and put on a “reader’s theater” presentation of the book “Alligator Baby” by Robert Munsch.

Members of the Fourth Grade Library Club are: Haedyn Adams, Waylon Anderson, Aiden Bennett, Wyatt Bernier, Kayden Booker, Alaina Brown, Alex Bubnov, Hannah Dennis, Willow Farrington, Alexa Gauthier, Abbigail Harrison, Ben Lesniak, Genevieve Martin, Kairah Martinez, Gwendlyn Martinez, Quinn McAloon, Selena Narvaez, Solyani Segarra, Trey Simmons, Ellie Ward, Sawyer Weakley, Savannah Wessinger and Kevin Zoeckler.

“It’s just a great club,” Olds said, during the assembly. “If you love books, I’m hoping you’ll join when you’re in fourth grade.”

To end the assembly, students said the PARP pledge along with Olds: “I promise to get wild about reading every night during PARP.”