Mrs. Vicki Dziewulski, Library/Media at Oblock Junior High and Holiday Park Elementary, and Mrs. Kelly Wickersty, MTSS Reading Intervention Teacher at Holiday Park Elementary School, had the idea to participate in World Read Aloud Day and it was a success with over 1,224 views and 90 hours of engagement from participants from across the District. 

World Read Aloud Day celebrated the importance of sharing stories and the joy of reading your favorite book out loud. The global effort is shared in over 173 countries and was created by LitWorld, a non-profit organization that helps strengthen kids and communities through the power of stories. Theevent makes space for shared experiences in a time  when making stronger connections is needed  more than ever. 

Experts say  reading to children has been shown to not only improve their reading, writing and communication skills, logical thinking and concentration, and general academic aptitude, but also  inspire a lifelong love of reading.

 The virtual collaboration was conducted on Flipgrid, a digital platform that allows participants to record and share short videos. Students were able to listen to their favorite teachers and administration read aloud selections l from poetry, beginning readers, Black history month, classics, and beginning of chapter books, picture books in Spanish, and more. Title of selections included, but were not limited to:

Click Clack Moo Cows that Type (read by Dr. Boyers)

The Snowy Day (read by Mrs. Haupt)

The Homework Machine (read by Dr. Sciullo)

Brown Girl Dreaming (read by Ms. Denise Sedlacek)

Pick Yourself Up (read by Donesha Thompson)

Oso Pardo, Oso Pardo, Qué Ves Ahí (read by Mrs. Kociela)

Yes Day! (read by Mrs. Wickersty) 

Dr. Fran Sciullo, Principal of Holiday Park Elementary, says, “Through the efforts of teachers Ms. Wickertsy and Mrs. Dzeiwulski, we pulled together a group of adult readers for our students to embrace, listen, and learn how powerful reading stories can be. As reading is the backbone of all learning, it is essential to maintain this culture of literacy.  World Read Aloud Day supported our literacy efforts.”