A library-sized number of community volunteers encouraged Huntington Elementary School students to expand their love of reading during a special schoolwide activity.
 
Guests visited each classroom for the inaugural Huntington Read Across America Week in early March. Volunteers from Lincoln Fire and Rescue, Lincoln Police Department, Lincoln Board of Education, University of Nebraska-Lincoln, The White Cane Foundation, CASA of Lancaster County, Lincoln Community Learning Centers, Lincoln Public Schools and other organizations spent time reading books with students.
 
Jeremy Mitchell, a fire captain with Lincoln Fire and Rescue, smiled as he moved through the pages of a baseball-themed story for third graders.
 
“Being with kids and being part of the community is always a good thing,” Mitchell said. “It’s been really fun today. It’s nice to come here and have the kids see us in something other than an emergency situation.”
 
Other Eagles displayed happy expressions the following day when Lincoln Public Schools Interim Superintendent John Skretta presented “The Red Jacket” to them. Skretta exchanged a suit coat for a red Nebraska pullover jacket before delivering the story to Megan Simsic’s class. He then fielded questions for more than ten minutes about his job duties, what he liked about reading and where he went to elementary school.
 
Huntington teachers Maddie Israel and Regina Neemann both said the new initiative was helpful for students in many ways.
 
“I think it’s been very important for the students to see these adults taking the time to read with them,” Israel said. “It shows that they matter to people outside of our school community.”
 
“Having role models come to read to kids is incredibly beneficial,” Neemann said. “It can inspire a love for reading by showing children that people they admire value and enjoy books.”
 
The idea for Huntington Read Across America Week came from the school’s new family communication team. Principal Kristi Schirmer organized the team this year to review attendance data, foster engagement with families and build more bridges with the Huntington community.
 
“We are really trying to focus on that green triangle of the strategic plan, family and community engagement,” team member Anna Schlecht said.
 
“Students of all ages should have the opportunity to have people read to them,” Neemann said. “This schoolwide activity has allowed us to be unified in our message to our students that they all belong and their education matters.”
 
“It has been really nice for it to be a schoolwide activity,” Israel said. “The students are able to share the same experience with their friends and family who also attend Huntington.”
 
“I’ve been really proud of what I’ve seen from everyone,” Schirmer said.
 
Learn more about the wide range of reading initiatives at Lincoln Public Schools by visiting home.lps.org/reading.
 
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