Volume 3, Issue 7

Last month, we talked a bit about the “Quarter 3 Slump” that educators and students face in January/February. The best thing about March? That slump comes to an end, and spring arrives along with a slew of fun activities for students and families alike!

As always, a big focus of March is literacy…because March is National Reading Month! It’s been an annual tradition to celebrate reading here at Huron Academy, and this year will be no different. From our Book Bingo night to guest readers (from parents to state senators) to fun contests for the kids, we are doing everything in our power to remind students that reading is a powerful skill, and a fun one too.

Reading, whether as a family or by yourself, is perhaps the best habit one can have to keep their mind sharp and increase their base of knowledge. Model this to your children by reading books, magazines, or newspapers around your kids. Support the book fair and get the kids a few new books. Take a trip to Barnes and Noble or your local library (we are blessed with some great ones in our county). In short, anything you can do that gets the kids reading and excited about it is a great thing.

Our team recently reviewed our winter NWEA testing data. While the results are promising, and there’s been some significant improvement and growth in the past few years at our school, one thing is clear – nationwide, literacy rates are decreasing. Because literacy is one of the most accurate indicators of future real-world success, this trend at schools across the country could prove detrimental to the world that we leave for our children. While schools will do all they can to raise literacy rates (again, we are seeing some growth, which is great), we also know that what goes on at home is as impactful, if not more impactful, than what we can do at our schools.

So for the next month (and beyond), try incorporating more reading at home. Try some of the above ideas, or check out this link for some more ideas: https://familieslearning.org/blog/celebrate-national-reading-month-with-your-family/ At the end of the day, your kids will benefit from it while your family has fun in the process.

Happy reading, and hope to see you all at Book Bingo!

Sincerely,

Joshua Sobczak,
Superintendent