What's New With U September 2017-January 2018 | Page 21

Media specialist Karen Franciosa always comes up with new and exciting ways to engage her students to read. This year is no exception. Earlier this week Ms. Franciosa kicked off “The Amazing Reading Olympics Challenge: 5 Rings, 5 Continents, 5 Grade Levels,” at both Battle Hill and Hannah Caldwell Elementary Schools. Her inspiration for this event was a quote by Dr. Marion Blank who stated, “For a child, being able to read a book is like winning an Olympic Medal.” The goal is to encourage her students to fulfill their reading challenge to coincide with the Winter Olympic Games beginning in February 2018. Like the Olympics, “The Amazing Reading Olympics,” kicked off with the opening ceremonies, including the Parade of Nations where students each held up flags representing different countries, and the ceremonial lighting of the Olympic torch signifying the start of the games. Students will received medals based on the number of minutes they log each month, Gold Medal for 3,000 + minutes, Silver Medal for 2,000-2,999 minutes, and Bronze Medal for 1,000-1,999 minutes logged. Let the reading begin!

reading olympics