Science Hall Elementary second-grader Kensley Miller reads from 2010 Read for the Record selection The Snowy Day on the video hook-up she, her classmates, and students in Bradford, Penn. shared in an exciting long-distance learning experience. Science Hall instructional technologist Amy Bradfield handles the technical duties. (Photo by Jim Cullen)
by ANNE WHITE
Special to the Hays Free Press
Science Hall Elementary students recently participated in “Read for the Record,” a yearly program presented in partnership with Jumpstart and the Pearson Foundation. It is a campaign to bring kids and adults together to read the same book on the same day, in communities all over the world, with a goal to break the world record for the number of people reading the same book at the same time. The Jumpstart Foundation helps prepare preschool children in low income neighborhoods for school by providing books and other services.
This year’s Read for the Record book was The Snowy Day by Ezra Jack Keats, Caldecott Medal award-winner in 1962. It is a timeless story about a young boy in an urban setting, waking up to a snowy white world after the first snowfall of the year – and the hope of capturing that fun forever.
Students listened to the story in their classsrooms and were encouraged to dress in white to represent the snow. For extra fun they also got a snowcone after lunch. Several first and second grade classes participated in a distance learning project with George Blaisdell Elementary School in Bradford, Pennsylvania (the librarian’s hometown) to read the book together and discuss the differences in winter weather here and in Pennsylvania. Rannie Hewitt, marketing manager at Kyle’s Broadway Bank, generously donated ten copies of the book to assist with the program.
Science Hall participated in the program in order to promote reading for literacy and enjoyment.
