HOOKED ON READING
Onekama Elementary Celebrates March is Reading Month

Onekama Elementary students are making a splash this month. The theme for this year’s “March is Reading Month” celebration is Hooked on Reading.  Throughout the month, students in Kindergarten to Fifth Grade will be involved in a boatload of fun activities designed to get them excited about reading.

On Friday, March 1, guest speaker Megan McCarthy came to school to kick off Reading Month. McCarthy is the Creative Director for a company called FishingKids, and she helped to write a series of children’s chapter books about two characters, Spinner and Bobber, and their fishing adventures.

McCarthy gave two presentations, to the Kindergarten through Second Grade, then to the Third through Fifth Grade students. The presentations focused on the writing process, and the steps an author takes to transform an idea into a finished piece of writing. Students will be able to apply what they learned as they work on writing their own original stories over the course of the month.

Throughout the month of March, students will participate in a reading contest.  For each 20 minutes that students read, they can fill out a paper fish titled “Reel in a Good Book” and enter to win a prize. On Wednesday, March 20, winners will be announced. Students will have the chance to win a fishing pole & reel combo, a FishingKids fishing vest, a FishingKids tackle box and compass set, a set of FishingKids books, and an Onekama Portagers sweatshirt. 

On Friday, March 8, the school will host a book exchange called “Fishing for a Good Book.” Students can bring in their used children’s books in good condition.  For each book they bring in, they can exchange it for a new book. The book exchange will take place in the Onekama Media Center.

During the week of March 11 – 15, students have the opportunity to “Write a Fish Tale.”  At the end of the week, classroom teachers will choose the best writing in their classrooms.  The selected student will receive a prize and their writing will be showcased on the FishingKids website.

Additionally, during the month students may be “Caught Being Good.”  Peacemakers and Safety Patrol students will be on the lookout for good behavior.  If they “catch” a student being good, then the student will receive a fish sticker. 

The Reading Month celebration will conclude with Young Author’s Day on Thursday, March 21. During this event, students will share the books they have written with an audience.  Some classes will make traditional bare books, while other classes will use a program called Student Publishing to create a book online which the company will print. Families are invited to join and see the young authors present their original works.

With the many clever activities taking place at Onekama Elementary this month, students are certain to be “hooked” on the excitement and enjoyment of reading.

Onekama students are hooked on reading! Back Row (L to R): Zoe Vasquez (3rd), Emily Draper (2nd), Hunter Harthun (3rd), Laketon Cordes (2nd) & Noah Pate (1st) and Front: Taryn Bronson (1st)