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BUTLER - Reading program celebrates diversity
(by April Plantamura - Staff Writer - June 04, 2008)
BUTLER - In hopes of encouraging students to read for pleasure rather than obligation when school is out, the school district recently launched an initiative to create a new summer reading program with an overriding theme of celebrating diversity.
“Butler Reads” was created and planned by district teachers and will be piloted for the 2008-09 school year, replacing the traditional summer reading program. Superintendent of Schools Dr. René Rovtar said that the program has been in the works since January and that the idea evolved from a desire to inspire students to read.
“We wanted to put something in place that the students would enjoy,” Dr. Rovtar said. “We believe that the books we have selected are very engaging.”
As part of the district’s former summer reading program, students at the elementary school level were given a suggested reading list, while students in the high school were given a specific list of books for required summer reading. Dr. Rovtar said that this system often made students feel like they were being forced to read.
“Frequently, students leave it (the reading) until the last few weeks of summer,” the superintendent said. “Then they have a lot of work to get caught up on.”
The new summer reading program will have every student in a certain grade level reading the exact same book. The book list was compiled by district teachers under the program’s theme of “Celebrating Differences.” The titles range from “My Many Colored Days” by Dr. Seuss for students in kindergarten to an the inspirational book titled “No Excuses: The True Story of a Congenital Amputee Who Became a Champion in Wrestling and in Life,” by Kyle Maynard at the high school level.
“We feel that because it is one book (that all the students will be reading) and it is very inspirational, that we will form a kind of connectedness and unity within the building,” Dr. Rovtar said.
The district is also looking to involve the community in the new summer reading program, even encouraging local residents to read the selected books along with the students. Activities are also being organized for the 2008-09 school year that will stem from the selected books and the program’s theme of celebrating diversity.
Some of the activities will include community members visiting the different schools to discuss their opinions on the books, creating small literature circles. Gail Bignell, teacher at the high school and member of the reading program’s planning committee, said that no specific activities have been outlined yet, but that there definitely will be a feeling of unity within the schools.
“We are looking to make reading more fun and exciting,” Bignell said. “The faculty is going to read the book as well. It will be one book, one city. We hope this will encourage others who might not normally read to pick up a book.”
Assisting Bignell in her efforts at the high school are fellow teachers Vito Morgese, Peg Lynch and Wayne Dilts.
To help kick off the “Butler Reads” summer program, an assembly was held on Tuesday, June 3 at the Butler High School. The assembly was aimed at getting the students excited about the new reading program and included several guest speakers who have overcome physical disabilities, including former Kinnelon student Darren Templeton.
Templeton, who graduated from Kinnelon High School in 2004, was involved in a boating accident the summer of his senior year and has been confined to a wheelchair ever since. Templeton is currently a full-time student at Ramapo College, and since his accident, has been sky diving and skiing.
“He is a very positive person,” Bignell said. “He has not let his accident stop him from doing other things.”
Bignell said that having people like Templeton visit the school and reading books by individuals like Maynard shows the students that things could be a lot worse than they are.
“This makes you ask the question of ‘What am I complaining about?’” Bignell said. “(Maynard’s book) is very inspiring and uplifting. It leaves you feeling very good. We are all extremely excited about this program.”
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