Through the power of reading, some local students are choosing to help their peers after Tropical Storm Irene caused many to lose all that’s familiar to them.
This year, the Saratoga Independent School is partnering with the Schoharie County School District to provide books to students through the Independent School’s local Reach Out and Read program. Each year, the money raised through the program is donated to a local cause to purchase additional books for children in need.
“It is important that children understand that they can make a difference in the lives of others,” said Felice Karlitz, director of education for SIS. “They know that while they are improving their own reading, they are enriching reading opportunities for other children.”
For the past 10 years, books have been donated to local organizations for children through the school’s ROAR program. The purpose of the program is to inspire students to set a reading goal for each school year and achieve it.
At the beginning of each new school year, students at the Independent School are asked to set a page goal for how much they will read by the end of the year. For every two pages read, 1 cent is earned for the ROAR fund through pledges from parents, relatives and community members.
On Fridays, teachers record the number of pages read by each student for the week. This year’s goal for the school, which has about 50 students from kindergarten to 6th grade, is 100,000 pages.
“We do the calculations each week and set the goal higher depending on the rate they’re reading,” said Karlitz. “Last year’s goal was also 100,000 pages but we ended up with 165,000 pages read.”
On average, the school raises between $500 and $700 each year. All of the money goes towards purchasing books. The school also uses the points earned through the Scholastic book fairs to provided additional books to the cause picked by the students, instead of keeping the reading for themselves.
“It helps the money go farther,” said the Director of Schools Melissa Verga. “Since joining the Saratoga Independent School in July, I have been impressed that not only do our students embrace our school motto of ‘We take care of ourselves, each other and our community,’ but they truly exemplify our mission by employing teamwork to solve a problem that enriches both their childhood and the childhood of others.”
In the past, books have been given to the Saratoga County Head Start program, the Franklin Community Center and The Double H Ranch, a Lake George camp for children with critical illnesses.
The students decided to where to donate the money this year after resident Carol Kurto gave a presentation at the school about the damage that was sustained in Schoharie County during the storm. She had been helping people clean out their homes and wanted the children to understand that some local residents and children just like them had lost everything they owned.
“She presented a slide show to the kids and they were captivated, almost in disbelief,” said Karlitz.
The presentation has inspired the students to give back in other ways, too. Since the presentation, Karlitz said the students learned that residents could use gift cards, so they are working on ways to raise extra money to donate those as well.
Along with donating the books in June, the school is working with Superintendent of the Schoharie Central School District Brian Sherman, so the elementary schools can create a lasting educational partnership. Through Skype, written correspondence and coming together for some special events, the hope is students from both schools will improve their communication, reading and writing skills.
“We are very pleased to be able to connect with other schools so that our students can share ideas, opinions and be able to talk with others about what has happened here, but also to make special connections to students outside our area,” said Sherman.
In the coming weeks, Sherman said a classroom or two with a significant number of students who have been moderately to severely impacted by the flooding damage will be connected with students from the Saratoga Independent School. The donations of books will be given to students who have lost their possessions due to the storm damage. The district has a special team that has been monitoring specific families in high need and is focusing resources to them.
“Although the children are young, I think this endeavor will also serve to instill a sense of ‘we are all working together to help those in need’ that will carry forward for the rest of their lives,” said Sherman.
