Menu
Rally stirs up students to read
Students and staff at Eugene Ware Elementary School kicked off the school's Ready, Set, Read program on Friday with a rousing pep rally that included performances by Fort Scott High School football players and cheerleaders.
The rally was the school's way of getting students excited about reading. The rally came as first-graders are beginning their Ready, Set, Read challenge. From Feb. 2 to March 14, first-graders at Eugene Ware are challenged to read at least 30 books as part of the six-week program. The students who meet the 30-book challenge will have the chance to take a book of their choosing home with them, first grade teacher Cristin Stark said. Those students will also be honored at an award ceremony in March.
To help encourage the students during the program, awards will be given along the way as incentives to excel. Students will receive prizes for reading 10 books, 20 books and ultimately 30 books.
Though 30 is the minimum requirement for completion of the program, students who read 50 books or 100 books will be given special awards
"This challenge is really a challenge for all of us," Stark said. "At school, teachers will be encouraging students and providing the incentives."
At Friday's rally, FSHS cheerleaders performed cheers related to the importance of reading, and FSHS football players and head coach Don Epps talked to the students about reading.
Stark said the Ready, Set, Read program helps students become excited about reading, which is a vital tool in their educational growth.
"This is a critical time in building a child's reading enthusiasm," she said.
Parents will also play a part in the program. Each parent will be asked to fill out a form after his or her child completes a book. The student will then return the form to the school to get credit for reading the book and so teachers can mark his or her progress.