The Herkimer Central School District Elementary School kicked off its Pick a Reading Partner program for this school year with an assembly on Monday, March 20, that featured storyteller Regi Carpenter and this year’s PARP theme.
“That’s our goal is to inspire reading – to get you to want to read,” Herkimer Elementary School Principal Renee Vogt said, during the assembly. “Our theme this year is ‘Let’s taco ‘bout books.’ Who doesn’t love tacos?”
PARP for the Herkimer Elementary School will last until Monday, April 3. Students are asked to read with a partner for at least 20 minutes on at least five out of seven nights during both of the two weeks, said Jennifer Olds, Herkimer Elementary School library media specialist.
“Don’t forget: Read at home, pick a reading partner and turn those sheets in,” Olds said, during the assembly. “It’s only two weeks, so challenge yourself to read a little bit more.”
The assembly
Vogt and Olds spoke about PARP to open the assembly, and Olds led students in the “PARP Pledge” promising to meet the reading goals.
“The library has over 14,000 books,” Olds said. “There is a book for you that you will love.”
Herkimer fourth graders Sofie Burns and Aryanna Farington, who are Library Club members, went up to the front of the assembly and spoke about a book they enjoy, “The Little House.”
Vogt then introduced Carpenter, of Ithaca, who has been a storyteller for more than 25 years. Carpenter enthusiastically and humorously told folk and fairytales during the assembly.
“I love to bring the joy of reading and books to children and celebrate their love of story,” Carpenter said, prior to assembly.
In addition to the fun stories and songs during the assembly, Carpenter spoke about how she wasn’t able to read up until the age of 7 and preferred to make up stories and songs in her head. A remedial reading teacher helped her to begin reading – starting with how to sound out and read the word “bat.”
Carpenter said her family was on welfare when she was growing up, and she ate a lot of peanut butter and jelly sandwiches. She loved the sandwiches, so when she was asked to write for school, she wrote a short play about a slice of bread with peanut butter on it meeting a slice of bread with jelly on it.
Herkimer fifth grader Sawyer Ferrera and third grader Noah Filkins volunteered to go in front of the assembly and act out the play – with Sawyer as the jelly side and Noah as the peanut butter side. The story ended with the students hugging as the sandwich was formed.
Carpenter also stuck around after the assembly and spoke with library classes for the rest of the morning – telling them additional stories and teaching them how to tell little stories they could share with family and friends.
Carpenter said she is a big supporter of PARP.
“I enjoyed reading with my kids when they were little,” Carpenter said. “I think it’s kind of the heart of the family.”
PARP program
To go along with the PARP theme, elementary students will all be making “Let’s taco ‘bout books” crafts and reading the book “Dragons Love Tacos.”
Elementary art teacher Heather WheelerStapf created items for a “Let’s taco ‘bout books” display with tacos and cactuses for the front of the library in the hallway. WheelerStapf and library licensed teaching assistant Brenda Spanfelner put up the display.
There also will be a PARP Family Fun Night 6-7:30 p.m. on Thursday, March 30, at Herkimer Elementary School, where students will be able to participate in a variety of activities.
Additionally, Elementary School Library Club members will be talking about books that they like during the morning announcements every school day.
In a letter home to parents and caregivers, the Elementary School included this message: “We are asking students to put down their electronics and make a commitment to read a book, magazine, comic or recipe to themselves, a parent/caregiver, a pet or a friend! We encourage you to partner with us to instill the love of reading in your child.”
Students also received timesheets to track their reading each day.
If Herkimer Elementary School students all combine to read a total of 50,000 hours during the two weeks of PARP, Vogt and Assistant Principal Cristi Paragi will participate in a Principals’ Challenge during an assembly on Thursday, April 6. The challenge would involve Vogt and Paragi trying to break a piñata while blindfolded. The class that reads the most hours of books would then receive the candy from the piñata.
During the assembly, Olds urged students to help the school reach the goal for the Principals’ Challenge.
“We need everyone in here to do their part in PARP,” Olds said.
Storyteller Regi Carpenter helps Herkimer Central School District fifth grader Sawyer Ferrera (left) and third grader Noah Filkins (right) act out a short play about a peanut butter and jelly sandwich. Carpenter performed at an assembly on Monday, March 20, to launch the Pick a Reading Partner program at Herkimer Elementary School.
From left: Jennifer Olds, Herkimer Elementary School library media specialist, holds the book “The Little House” as fourth graders Sofie Burns and Aryanna Farington, who are Library Club members, talk about the book during a Pick a Reading Partner assembly on Monday, March 20.
Storyteller Regi Carpenter performs during an assembly on Monday, March 20, to launch the Pick a Reading Partner program for this school year at the Herkimer Central School District Elementary School.
The Herkimer Central School District Elementary School Library entrance is decorated with the Pick a Reading Partner theme for this school year: “Let’s taco ‘bout books.”
Herkimer Elementary School Principal Renee Vogt (right) and library media specialist Jennifer Olds (right) speak about the Pick a Read Partner program during an assembly on Monday, March 20.
Storyteller Regi Carpenter helps Herkimer Central School District fifth grader Sawyer Ferrera (left) and third grader Noah Filkins (right) act out a short play about a peanut butter and jelly sandwich. Carpenter performed at an assembly on Monday, March 20, to launch the Pick a Reading Partner program at Herkimer Elementary School.
Herkimer Central School District fourth graders Sofie Burns (left) and Aryanna Farington (right), who are Library Club members, talk about the book “The Little House” during a Pick a Reading Partner assembly on Monday, March 20.
Storyteller Regi Carpenter performs during an assembly on Monday, March 20, to launch the Pick a Reading Partner program for this school year at the Herkimer Central School District Elementary School.