Alongside dad Richard Jean, Carver Elementary School fourth grader Jaden Joseph proudly poses with his new bike and medal. Jaden tied with Mardochee Capricien as the top boy reader in Mr. Powell’s class during the school’s Pedaling Towards Reading Success challenge. (Kathy Grant Westbrook|mountolivetribune.com)
The stage at Carver Elementary School is filled with third and fourth graders who won bicycles and helmets during a month-long reading challenge. Standing with the students in the middle row, from left, are Assistant Principal Becky Broadway, Communities Supporting Schools Executive Director Selena Bennett, and CSS Success Coach Wendy Hooks. Principal Karla Smith is standing in the center of the group. (Kathy Grant Westbrook|mountolivetribune.com)
Carver Elementary School Principal Karla Smith addresses students, parents, guests, and staff during the Pedaling Towards Reading Success Bicycle Awards Assembly. (Kathy Grant Westbrook|mountolivetribune.com)
Mrs. Guagliardi (known school-wide as Mrs. G), far right, stands with her class, the third grade winning homeroom in the school’s month-long reading challenge. (Kathy Grant Westbrook|mountolivetribune.com)
Mr. Powell, far right, stands with his class, the fourth grade winning homeroom in the school’s month-long reading challenge. (Kathy Grant Westbrook|mountolivetribune.com)
Joshua Rivas Chirinos explains how he tied with Gregory Furr and Joseph Cumberlander for most-improved reader in Mrs. Justice’s fourth grade class: ‘I did my hard work.’ Here, alongside mom Heyoni Chirinos, he shows off the bike he won during Carver Elementary School’s reading challenge. (Kathy Grant Westbrook|mountolivetribune.com)
Standing beside her mom, Maria Gamez Sanchez poses with the bicycle she won for being the top girl reader in Mrs. G’s third grade class. Maria was also the overall top winner in the school’s reading challenge. (Kathy Grant Westbrook|mountolivetribune.com)
Numerous businesses and several individuals donated gift cards and cash that were used to purchase bicycles and helmets for the winners of the Carver Elementary School reading challenge. (Kathy Grant Westbrook|mountolivetribune.com)
Brand-new bicycles and helmets line the stage at Carver Elementary School. The bikes were awarded to third and fourth graders who won the school’s month-long Pedaling Towards Reading Success challenge. (Kathy Grant Westbrook|mountolivetribune.com)
At 1 p.m. on Friday, the stage in the multi-purpose room at Carver Elementary School was filled with a long line of brand-new bicycles and helmets. What’s more, bikes and helmets lined portions of the walls to the right and left of the stage, as well. But, by 2 p.m, the bicycles were disappearing fast, as students wheeled them out into the parking lot and, with the help of their parents, loaded them up to take home.
This was the scene at the Pedaling Towards Reading Success Bicycle Awards Assembly, capping off not just National Read Across America Week, but a month-long challenge the school had issued as a means of improving its students’ reading abilities, given the significant increase in the number of students reading well below grade level since Covid. Additionally, Carver Elementary has many students who enter the school unable to speak English fluently, thus hampering their reading skills.
The reading challenge ran throughout the month of February, and started out fairly modestly, with the school hoping to garner enough donations from local businesses to be able to purchase six bicycles and six helmets, with three to be donated to the top boy reader, top girl reader, and most improved reader in the third grade, and three to be donated to the top boy reader, top girl reader, and most improved reader in the fourth grade.
“Since this was the first year doing it, we were starting small,” Principal Karla Smith explained. “But we ended up raising almost $6500, so we were able to broaden our vision.”
This broadened vision meant that the school was able to give bikes and helmets to the top boy and girl readers in each of the school’s six third-grade classes, to the top boy and girl readers in each of the school’s four fourth-grade classes, and to the two most improved readers in each of the 10 classes. Because there were ties in some instances, more than 40 bikes and helmets were given away. Winners were determined based on how many books they read and had a perfect comprehension test score on.
Additionally, throughout February the school gave out weekly incentives, with students being recognized on Facebook and over the intercom. “It’s just been exciting,” said Smith, noting that the students had responded to the challenge even better than expected. “They’ve just done incredible and we’re so proud of them.”
Of course, none of this would have been possible without the support of local businesses and even a few individuals. Some donated Walmart gift cards for the purchase of bicycles, but most donated money, which the school used to purchase bikes directly from bicycle-manufacturer Huffy (the company gave them a good deal). The P.E. staff assembled the bikes.
Smith also acknowledged the invaluable assistance the school has received from Communities Supporting Schools, which has funded many challenges during the school year to encourage reading. She offered a special note of appreciation to two CSS representatives who were present for the ceremony: Executive Director Selena Bennett and Success Coach Wendy Hooks. “Your organization continues to amaze me,” she told the women.
Several other special guests attended the event, including Wayne County Public Schools Superintendent Dr. Marc Whichard. Many parents and other family members were also present.
When addressing the crowd, Smith quoted English essayist Joseph Addison, saying, “’Reading is to the mind what exercise is to the body.’”
She went on to note, “I’ve said so many times, to the students in this room, the only way to become a better reader is to read more.”
She then looked across the sea of excited third- and fourth-graders seated shoulder-to-shoulder on the floor and asked, “Do you think we’ve become better readers?” The answer was a resounding chorus of “Yes!”
“’The more that you read, the more things you will know. The more that you learn, the more places you’ll go,’” Smith said, quoting an author who seemed to be a favorite of just about everyone in the room, Dr. Seuss. She then added, “This is just the beginning for these students. We are so proud to celebrate each of you today. Your name may not be called, but you are still a winner.”
When asked if the school would do this challenge again next year, Smith did not hesitate. “Absolutely!” In fact, she explained, they’re hoping to expand on this year’s success by adding another grade level. And, the event was livestreamed to the younger grades to get them motivated now.
Third grade students who each received a bicycle and helmet were: Lourdes Etienne, Kevin Cruz Roa, Abigail Sander, Hunter Tucker, Maleny Villegas Vega, Walter Hernandez Perez Jr., Maria Gamez Sanchez, RayVon Brown, Winter Faison Wright, Neymar Roblero Lopez, Emma Loria, Carter Gatlin, Natalia Vega-Castro, Ken’Dex Ashford, Geysha Lopez Eias, Martin Ponce, Nadia Vega-Castro, Elian Canuelas Perez, Nathaly Velasquez Velasquez, Zianya Rodriguez, Jamari Lemon, Kaliyah Owens, Jayceon Carr, April Aparicion-Pina, Elias Gonzalez, and Kamia Winn.
Fourth grade students who each received a bicycle and helmet were: Liyah Morrison, Dolman Bernardo-Lopez, Johnecia Bell, Kaleb Davis, Aydin Lee, Johnya Bell, Jaden Joseph, Mardochee Capricien, Tracy Edouard, Austin Bellamy, Gregory Furr, Joseph Cumberlander, Joshua Rivas Chirinos, Aubrey Mott, Matthew Mendez, Mia Calderon, Ernesley Joseph, Nayely Bartolon Gutierrez, and Armando Sanchez-Cabrera.
