Churchville-Chili Elementary School (CES) showcased its first Page Turners reading exhibition on December 16. Three teams of voracious fourth-grade readers faced off in front of the entire fourth-grade class in the school gymnasium. They were determined to share their knowledge of the five books they read this semester as a result of their participation in Page Turners. Questions were asked by reading teacher Betsy Pereira and third-grade teacher Amy Ciszak, and the answers came quickly and confidently from the teams. During short breaks from the action, team members shared with their audience why they love reading so much.
“This is our first year of Page Turners,” said Pereira. “It’s a wonderful enrichment opportunity for students who love to read, or who want to learn to love to read. Surprisingly, many of our most enthusiastic team members were not the most accomplished readers to begin with.” The extended day activity is a way to build stamina, confidence, and reading comprehension – skills that were impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic.
Club members committed to reading five grade-level books on their own time and meeting together once a week after school for book-related discussions and related activities. The 21 students read books ranging from graphic novel Dog Man by Dav Pilkey to the historical novel I Survived: The Shark Attacks of 1916 by Lauren Tarshis. Books are chosen by a committee that includes Pereira, Assistant Principal Kim Giancursio, and teaching assistant Kathleen Hartwig.
The current CES Page Turners members are Nick Anderson, Lily Bridenbaugh, Grant Dobson, Mya Green, Aaron Hoose, Kinsley Keller, Carter Maysick, Iliana Melnik, Brody Meyers, Wyatt Micheli, Mason Morrison, Skyler Phillips, Olivia Placito, Ella Skuse, Madeline Smith, Reid Stedman, Elijah Tanksley, Damien Taylor, Corey Venturo, Zachary Wahls, and Anabel Wilkinson.
Page Turners at CES begins again in January with a new list of exciting books and hopefully many new members. Readers of all levels are encouraged to participate. Page Turners has been made possible with funding from the American Rescue Plan of 2021, which supports afterschool, summer, and extended school day programs that promote enrichment opportunities, student engagement, and learning recovery due to the pandemic.
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