‘Readers are Leaders:’ Bordewich Bray Elementary School promotes literacy as part of Reading Week

Students in grades K-5 at Bordewich Bray Elementary School made a vow in unison to Ronald McDonald Monday morning: to read every day.

As part of the kickoff to Reading Week Feb. 27-March 3, the character from fast-food giant, McDonald’s, pumped up students with literacy games to promote the importance of reading.

In competition with teachers, the goal for students is to read 48,000 minutes in one week, along with attending story time sessions with appearances made by community figures.

Many of them include Assemblyman Al Kramer, Carson City School District Superintendent Richard Stokes, Secretary of State Barbara Cegavske, and Lt. Gov. Mark Hutchison.

Students also are encouraged to participate in theme dress-up days relevant to literature throughout the week.

“We’ve been fortunate to have community leaders to read to us twice a year,” said Karen Simms, principal. “It encourages our students that reading gets them everywhere in life.”

Although this week’s theme will give students something to look forward to on a regular school day, the event may benefit students in the long-run. In a 2016 report of State Improvement Plan, published by the Nevada Department of Education, the goal is to have students at Nevada schools to be proficient in reading by the end of third grade. The action also was addressed during the 2015 Legislative Session, billed as Read by Third Grade, also known as RBG3.

In an another report by NDOE, The Every Student Succeeds Act — to be officially released in March for public comment — Nevada has the fourth fastest improving state status on 8th grade reading.

Among many reasons for those results, promoting theme events such as Reading Week could be help students achieve that status, as they’re practicing in K-5 years.

The report also stated 307 school sites are currently being served through the RBG3 grant and are required to follow the law.

It also said schools should develop and implement an early warning system to predict whether a student is on track to be proficient by the end of their third year; 90 percent of school will follow the system by June.

That’s why local leaders and businesses, such as Kassity Management Group, are helping schools get a head start on literature.

The group owns 13 McDonald’s restaurants in the Northern Nevada region, including two in California. Those restaurants are in partnership with Kassity Family School Fund, an organization to assist local schools.

“We want to stay involved with the community as much as possible,” said Nicole Abowd, business manager of Kassity. “We’re family-people. Not only do we want to get involved with the community, but we also want to get involved with the kids.”

Abowd also added the group is involved with promoting education at other region schools, and are always open to present at more locations.

The largest event of Reading Week at Bordewich is Thursday for Family Reading Night. Students and their families will have an opportunity to explore literature genres with a dinner.