|
Published: Jan 23, 2008 - 10:56:22 am CST
Vardaman schools celebrate first annual reading fair n Winners proceed to district level. By Natalie Spencer Monitor-Herald VARDAMAN - When elementary school teacher Jean Ann Casey saw that Bruce schools were hosting a reading fair for their students, she saw no reason why Vardaman students couldn’t do the same. Having had a little experience with reading fairs during her time as a teacher for Tupelo schools, she soon made sure Vardaman elementary, junior high and high school students found themselves in a red-hot, countywide competition to create storyboards to emphasize the importance and fun of reading, not just for learning, but for enjoyment. “We started with having the teachers work with the students on a ‘classroom’ board about a book they had read together, to give the students an example,” Casey said. “It was also a great teaching tool - and could then be entered in the ‘Group’ category for judging.” Casey went on to say how supportive all of the other teachers had been of the project, as well as students’ parents. Soon, books were being read and the creative - and competitive - juices started flowing. Nearly every class participated, resulting in a gymnasium full of storyboards to be judged. There were, of course, requirements to be met in the storyboards. The reader had to explain and show 10 different elements of the book, including plot summary, characters, the publisher and publication date. Age-appropriate However, the judges were also looking for that something else - proof that the student had done most of the work, and that the book and efforts were age-appropriate. “It’s great that parents and siblings at home helped the kids,” Casey noted. “But the judges really wanted to see that the student had done most of the work by themselves.” However, the family who reads and draws together can win together; categories for families and for groups gave those extraordinary boards a chance to win. Students were entered as individuals in their age categories, but they could also work with their classmates or friends and enter another board in the group category, giving themselves three chances to snag a prize. “All first place winners in each category will go to the District Fair for judging on Jan. 30 in Pittsboro,” Casey explained. “For grades fourth through twelfth, the first, second and third-place winners will be judged for potential district placement.” The storyboard adventure might not end there, however - regional judging in Oxford follows, then state judging in Jackson in May. For students or families who didn’t place this year, remember what they say after the Super Bowl: there’s always next year. “We will be doing this annually,” Casey promised. “The best part really was the Parents’ Night we hosted after the judging was done. We had a good turnout from parents, and they were able to see what had been expected from the project.” That knowledge in hand, no doubt that competition will really heat up next year, making a cold January interesting for students and teachers alike. But the project’s leader is satisfied the first time around. “I’m really happy with all the effort and the results, the support and participation,” Casey said. “From the teachers, students, parents. It just adds to the proof that Vardaman can hold its own in any kind of scholastic competitions.”
|
