Students at the Roosevelt Avenue School celebrated this year’s Reading Week with a special visit from Caldecott-winning author Brian Lies.
On Monday, March 4, Caldecott Honor-winning author/illustrator Brian Lies visited the school to kick off this year’s Reading Week, “Roosevelt Goes Batty for Reading.” During his visit, Lies shared a sneak peek into how an author/illustrator creates a picture book, including sketchbook drawings, original artwork, and a live drawing demonstration.
“On behalf of the Roosevelt community, we would like to thank Mr. Lies for visiting our school and teaching our students the importance of making their writing come alive with vivid details,” Principal Jeannine Magliocco said. “I would also like to recognize our brilliant students and their commitment to their reading goals. Each year, this week serves as a reminder to them that reading can be fun!”
Lies’ books, including “Bats at the Library,” “Bats at the Beach,” “Bats at a Ballgame,” and more, served as the meaning behind this year’s theme. Ahead of his visit, students read some of his books to familiarize themselves with the themes of his work.
In addition to Lies visit, students also took part in daily activities. On March 5, students, faculty and staff wore their favorite team apparel. On March 6, students and staff showed their school spirit by wearing their wackiest clothing and enjoyed a poetry walk around the school.
Students got to be sleuths on March 7, during a literary scavenger hunt and bat fact activities. The week culminated with a beach theme on March 8, and the opportunity for students to read their favorite books during class.
Daily “mystery readers” also read a poem during the morning announcements and students were then asked to guess who the reader was. Classes with the correct answer were then put into a drawing for prizes.
In addition to its mystery readers, several guest readers visited classrooms, including Town Manager Michael Borg, North Attleborough Electric Department General Manager Pete Schiffman, Superintendent John Antonucci, Assistant Superintendent Michelle Mckeon, Town Councilor Darius Gregory, and more.
Outside of school, students, staff and faculty were challenged to read for at least 20 minutes daily and keep track of it on the Reading Challenge’s Bat Reading Log. Students will return their logs during the first week of April, and the class with the most participation will win a special prize.
