I chaired the PARP program this year at Aidan’s school. PARP stands for Parents As Reading Partners but really includes all adults who play an important role in a child’s life, such as grandparents, guardians, and caregivers. The children are challenged to read with an adult for a specific number of minutes over a three week period and record those minutes.
The principal and I chose the theme of Reading Safari - Go Bananas for Reading! All during the three week program we had special activities that related to the theme, and we had guest readers from the community for each class. The students each received an animal-themed bookmark at the beginning and a treat each week - ice cream, popcorn (we called it "PARPcorn") and bananas.
The overall school goal was 93,000 minutes and I am proud to say that they read 170,000 minutes! Their reward for meeting the goal was a visit from the zoo at Wednesday's morning meeting; they saw two boa constrictors, two skinks and an owl. I had the best time watching the students’ faces as they saw the animals, and the rep from the zoo was amazing in the way she interacted with the students. When the owl pooped as she walked it around, she didn't miss a beat and talked about "what goes in, must come out". I think the owl scat may have been the highlight of the presentation for many of the students!
Prizes were awarded to the two top readers in each class plus one honorable mention chosen by the teacher. After the morning meeting, I distributed the prizes (books bags with lanyards and library card holders) and books for each student, chosen by the teachers but purchased by the PTA.
Several parents told me the next day how much their children liked the zoo presentation and this year's PARP program. Of course there was one woman who made a point to tell me that she didn't like the book her daughter received; there is always one, isn't there? I am relieved that it is now over, but I had fun coordinating it and working with both the principal and the school librarian.
1 comment:
Go, you! I *love* that theme. And, of course, anytime poop can be linked to literacy, everybody wins!
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