We have a Winner! Actually, we have TWO Winners!
Thanks to everyone who participated in this year’s contest. We look forward to doing it again next year. The winners have already been notified via email and received their prizes. Here’s a look at the two winning contest entries.
Top Prize / Grand Prize Winner
Colleen Danilson – Elementary Reading Specialist for Grades K-4
Collegium Charter School in Exton, PA
First Runner-Up Winner
Timmons Elementary School – Chagrin Falls, OH
Colleen Danilson Winning Entry
Timmons Elementary School Runner-Up Entry
Timmons Elementary School (TES) celebrates the concepts underlying Read Across America – embracing the idea of, instilling and promoting the love for, and celebrating reading.
Although there are several events during the school year that encourage Timmons students to read, the specific program in place at the school on The National Read Across America Day is a program called One School, One Book (OSOB). The OSOB program involves a “community” of participants – students, parents, teachers, administrators, bus drivers, and auxiliary school staff.
This year, throughout February “community” participants read the first 17 chapters of Elise Broach’s book the Masterpiece. On March 2nd, National Read Across America Day, all participants will read Chapter 18. Throughout the remainder of March, everyone will read chapters 19 through 38.
If 700 elementary school students, and their supportive community members, reading the same book at the same time, doesn’t appear inspirational and motivational enough, consider a few other activities the school’s administration implements to augment this remarkable program:
- Daily chapter vocabulary words and trivia questions with accompanying contests
- Guest visitors each day during the students’ library session that focus on different attributes of the book
- Special afterschool science and math related programs that relate to key concepts from the book
- A community service project that ties in key messages from the book
- Art and gym activities that keep the book very much alive
- A dedicated lunch associated with the book
- Key messages / quotes from the book posted on hallway walls
To hear the perspective of one group doesn’t properly express the success of a program. As a result, it’s appropriate to hear the thoughts (testimonials) of several of the reading participants:
“It is nice to have an activity where the whole school comes together as one! Plus, it is fun!”
Teacher
“I have taught for over 25 years, and this is one of the most fun "projects" I have been a part of! The parents are fully involved with their child … and the students are enthusiastic about reading because of the fun things that go along with it … they could be heard discussing the book with their friends while trying to figure out what may happen next!”
Teacher
“Just wanted to send you a quick e-mail to let you know how excited my daughter was when she came home from school today. She couldn’t wait to tell me all about the special unveiling of “One School, One Book”… She was so excited!
Parent
“I just wanted to take a moment and tell you how much we are enjoying the book as a family. We read with the boys every night before bed – always have – but it is really neat that we and the school are all reading this book at the same time. The fact that everyone at TES is reading it has made a big impression on my son and sends a great message from all of you … that reading is important.”
Parent
“We have such struggles getting our son to touch a chapter book … he has done a 180 and is so fired up over reading this book. We have never seen anything like it. I guess the whole school book idea has inspired him!”
Parent
