Sometimes all the rules adults have for students makes a kid just want to curl up with a favorite story for a good long read. Read for the fun of it and for escape, without worrying about tests or journals or homework. Sometimes a kid just wants to grab that favorite really weird book and get lost.
“The Read-In day is dedicated to reading for fun,” said Jen Citrolo about Friday’s Rockland Read-In, an event that encourages students to read that particular book they’ve been dying to bring to school and read.
Well, Friday, February 18, kicks of the 28th Annual Rockland Read-In, sponsored by BOCES Library System, an event that celebrates reading for fun. All five Ramapo Central Elementary Schools take part in Friday’s daylong event.
“This is all about reading as recreation, where kids have fun with reading,” said Jen Citrolo, public information specialist with the Ramapo Central School District. Citrolo wears many hats for the district and most recently was responsible for producing the Excelsior Winter 2012 school board newsletter Sloatsburg residents received.
“There are so many different kind of things kids want to read,” said Citrolo, “whether it’s the student who really can’t get enough of fiction or is interested in series like Harry Potter, Diary of a Wimpy Kid or Magic Treehouse. The Read-In day is dedicated to that kind of reading, reading for fun.”
To help celebrate the Read-In at Sloatsburg Elementary School, Mayor Carl Wright will make a morning appearance and read to students. Additional guest readers make appearances throughout the day to enhance the independent periods of student reading, including parent volunteers. Even Sloatsburg Principal Eric Baird gets in on the fun and will hone his public reading skills. The atmosphere is relaxed during the Read-In and lends itself to a bit of rule bending as some teachers encourage students to bring a favorite reading pillow or stuffed animal to keep them company.
Although not a competition, Sloatsburg Elementary School Library Media Specialist Christine Morciglio will track student reading minutes for the school and submit the results to BOCES to see how Sloatsburg Elementary fares against other district schools.
BOCES (Boards of Cooperative Educational Services) was created in 1948 by the New York State legislature to provide shared educational programs and services to school districts within the state. Today there are 37 BOCES, incorporating all but nine of the state’s 721 school districts. BOCES partners with districts to provide a range of services, from alternative educational programs for students countywide to the Family Resource Center and continuing adult education classes.
Sloatsburg resident Charlene Vasilik coordinates the Family Resource Center at Sloatsburg Elementary School, which, in conjunction with BOCES and Rockland 21C, provides early childhood playgroups and the “Start Something” afterschool program.
According to BOCES statistics, in a previous Rockland Read-In, 34,000 students in 60 school buildings across Rockland County read a total of 4,048,338 minutes. Anthony F. Hosmer, BOCES School Library System Coordinator, who helps coordinate the Rockland Read-In with individual schools throughout the county, reported that participation in the Read-In this year has increased 9% over last year’s — more schools and more students are participating. Schools with the largest totals of minutes read will be recognized.
