Key Takeaways:
Grant Funding: Mrs. Tammy Routson, librarian at Van Buren Elementary School, secured a $3,761.00 HancockREADS grant from The Findlay-Hancock County Community Foundation, marking the second time she has received this funding to support the school's literacy initiatives.
Program Offerings: The funding will sustain the fifth annual Elementary Summer Read program, running from June 8 to July 23, which offers flexible weekly sessions featuring reading logs, family incentives, guest presenters, and crafts.
Community Resources: To further promote a community of readers, the program provides families with access to the Findlay-Hancock County Public Library Bookmobile on a weekly basis to sign up for library cards and check out books.
Van Buren Elementary School is proud to announce that elementary school librarian Mrs. Tammy Routson has applied for and been awarded a HancockREADS grant for $3,761.00 from The Findlay-Hancock County Community Foundation. This is the second time she has received the grant, and she will use the funds to continue hosting the elementary Summer Read program to provide access to reading materials, build reading skills, and instill a lifelong love of reading.
This summer is the fifth that Routson has offered Summer Read to enrolled students, their siblings, family members, parents, and children of school staff. Participants can attend the evening session on Mondays and morning sessions on Tuesdays, Wednesdays, and Thursdays.
When attending, participants use reading logs to track how many minutes they are reading or being read to each day. Students reading or being read to for 1,000 minutes or more over the course of the summer will be able to participate in the 1,000-minute breakfast event in July. Families are also able to participate in a reading incentive program for the opportunity to earn prizes.
In addition to reading, volunteers provide presentations about their hobbies, jobs, and special skills to provide students with an engaging learning experience. Participants also have the opportunity to create crafts and color during the sessions.
The Findlay-Hancock County Public Library Bookmobile will also be at the school weekly during Summer Read hours to help people sign up for library cards and offer additional books students and families can check out to read.
In addition to the money from the HancockREADS grant, Routson has also secured other grants to cover the cost of supplies to provide an outstanding experience for the participants. “Summer Read is a great opportunity to develop reading skills benefitting individuals for the rest of their lives. Opening the program to families also provides them with reading time together to ensure good reading habits are developed at home. Finally, the social interaction among peers and families will continue to help us grow a community of readers, which will benefit us for years to come,” Routson said.
This year the program will run Monday-Thursday from June 8-July 23 with a one-week break from June 29-July 3.
Anyone who would like to participate can reach out to Mrs. Routson at troutson@vbschools.net to learn more.