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Park Avenue Elementary School kicks off 'One Book, One School'

| 03 Nov 2015 | 03:25
    Photos by Maureen Westphal Warwick Valley School District Park Avenue students say "cheese" and read.
    Photos by Maureen Westphal Warwick Valley School District Park Avenue students say "cheese" and read.
    Members of Donna Berghahn's first-grade class carry their "One Book, One School" banner.
    Members of Donna Berghahn's first-grade class carry their "One Book, One School" banner.
    Warwick Valley School District Director of School Operations Richard Linkens delivers Ralph the Mouse from Beverly Cleary's "The Mouse and the Motorcycle" to the Park Avenue student assembly on Oct. 15.
    Warwick Valley School District Director of School Operations Richard Linkens delivers Ralph the Mouse from Beverly Cleary's "The Mouse and the Motorcycle" to the Park Avenue student assembly on Oct. 15.
    Warwick police officers support the district's efforts to keep students reading.
    Warwick police officers support the district's efforts to keep students reading.

WARWICK — All the students of Park Avenue Elementary School attended an assembly on Oct. 15 to kick off the “One Book, One School” program, which gets everyone in the school reading the same book at the same time.

“Reading aloud at home is valuable because it better prepares your child to be an effective reader and it’s also a fun, worthwhile family activity,” said Park Avenue Principal Sandra Wood. “Through the 'One Book, One School' read, we aim to build a community of readers at our school. Everyone – students, parents, teachers, even support staff – will be participating and we can all reap the many benefits.”

During the assembly, students were introduced to Beverly Cleary’s “The Mouse and the Motorcycle.”

Motorcycles and a mouseWood and Park Avenue librarian Polly VanderKruik welcomed the students and teachers, along with Superintendent Dr. David Leach and Warwick Middle School Principal Cindy Leandro.

VanderKruik told students that she read “The Mouse and the Motorcycle” when she was in elementary school.

Students were then surprised by the arrival of the assembly’s special guest, Ralph, the title character of the book, who was escorted by a contingent of motorcycles.

Led by Warwick police officers, the motorcycle escort included some teachers and other personnel who volunteered their services for the assembly.

Participating in the motorcycle escort were Carol Mindnich from the school district's transportation department, school bus drivers Eugene Nowacki and Paul Lang, Warwick Police Chief Thomas McGovern Jr., Warwick Police Lt. Thomas Maslanka, Warwick Police Officer Brian Luthin, Warwick Police Lt. John Radar, high school teacher Chris Persad, middle school teacher Shad Scarpula and school district administrator Richard Linkens.

“'One Book, One School' is a novel program in that children at all grade levels listen to the same book as it’s read aloud to them at home,” VanderKruik said. “Reading professionals recommend reading material out loud that is beyond a child’s own reading level. And we also believe that you can and should continue reading chapter books with your older children, even when they are able to read by themselves.”

Foundation grant At the end of the assembly, Ralph the Mouse joined student senate members to hand out copies of “The Mouse and the Motorcycle” to all Park Avenue students.

Books were purchased through a grant from the Warwick Foundation for Excellence in Learning.