CEA Advisor_April 2022

CELEBRATING

16 CEA ADVISOR APRIL 2022

(Photo at left) Keily Benavides Canas and Cleavon Dosina hold up free books they have selected to take home. Students were able to choose books written in English or Spanish. (Photo above) CEF President Joslyn DeLancey and college basketball player Alexander Lin take turns reading to students.

READ ACROSS CONNECTICUT SCORES BIG POINTS WITH TEACHERS, STUDENTS

After a COVID hiatus, everyone’s favorite big blue reading bus was back on the road delivering books, activities, and miles of smiles to Connecticut schoolchildren in celebration of Read Across America. Add to that a few surprise visits, read-alouds, and video messages from celebrity athletes, and this year’s event was, as they say, one for the books. CEA’s nonprofit arm, the Connecticut Education Foundation (CEF), sponsored the weeklong extravaganza with partners iHeartRadio and the National Education Association. “We were so excited to bring back the beloved reading bus tour for our 2022 Read Across Connecticut celebration,” said CEA Vice President and CEF President Joslyn DeLancey. “It’s truly a favorite. The reactions we get from teachers and students when they see the bus pull up to their school, and the utter excitement when children climb aboard—these are some of the many moments we missed during COVID and that we’re so happy to return to.” The wheels on the bus go read, read, read The reading bus started its weeklong tour of eastern Connecticut on February 28, making its way to New London’s Winthrop STEMElementary Magnet School Jennings International Elementary School, Harbor School, and Nathan Hale Arts Magnet School before wrapping up on Friday, March 4, at Plainfield Memorial School. At every stop, third- and fourth-graders were treated to read-alouds, craft projects, and a bookbag of school supplies and other goodies, including a free

Joining the UConn alum and former Chicago Bulls star were threeplayers from SCSU’s basketball team, who helped distribute bookbags to Harbor School students, answered questions about their own personal favorites— including Magic TreeHouse , The Very Hungry Caterpillar , and Salt in His Shoes: Michael Jordan in Pursuit of a Dream —and took a turn at the front of the class reading to students. “It’s so wonderful to have local celebrities here to underscore the importance of reading no matter what direction your ambitions take you in life,” said DeLancey. “We’ve had students tell us that they want to be

(Top photo) Winthrop School students display their Dr. Seuss spirit during Read Across Connecticut. (Bottom photo)

athletes, teachers, chefs, doctors, police officers, and engineers. Read Across America and this year’s special guests shine a light on how reading will help get them there and ensure that they excel at what they do.” “Our kids are excited to have guests in the building,” said New London Education Association President Rich Baez. “Reading is what’s going to open up the future for all of our students. The ability to read will transport them anywhere they want to go, and it gives them a rich experience. It’s important for someone like Scott Burrell to come to our schools because we need role models who represent our students. Our students need to know that if they want to succeed, reading is the way. And to have someone come in and say, ‘I made it, and reading got me there,’ there’s no better role model to present to our students. To bring someone here they see on TV, someone they hear about, someone their parents know—that goes a long way.” Ticket to fun “This event is an excellent opportunity for our students to see the importance of reading,” said Harbor School fourth-grade teacher Ruby Robledo. “Look at them—they’re so engaged!” “This bur tour is so hands-on and provides a great reprieve from the pandemic, where we’ve had no field trips,” said fellow fourth-grade teacher Kiely Smith. Third-grade teacher Joe Restaine agreed. “It’s so nice for our students to get out of the classroom for such a special occasion.” Students were invited onto the customized, 38-foot blue reading bus decorated with well-known Dr. Seuss characters and outfitted with bookshelves, benches, carpeting, and hundreds of new books. “This is incredible!” fourth-grader Jose DeAndre exclaimed. “I’d like to live on this bus!” Third-grade teacher Ernest Covino echoed students’ enthusiasm. “Read Across Connecticut promotes the joy and love of reading and shows the many connections between our schools and our communities,” he said. Students create their own color scratch bookmarks to take home. In addition to the bus tour aimed at elementary school children, Read Across Connecticut expanded offerings that grew out of the need for online resources during COVID. This year, those resources included inspirational videos for students in the upper elementary and middle grades, featuring celebrity athletes with Connecticut roots. Speaking on camera about the importance of reading were former NBA star Scott Burrell, former WNBA star and UConn standout Morgan Tuck, and professional rock climber Nina Williams. Watch—and find literacy-building games, puzzles, bookmarks, and reading certificates—at cea.org/read-across-connecticut/ . MORE READING RESOURCES ONLINE

English- or Spanish-language book of each child’s choosing. More than 1,000 students received free books over five fun-filled days. “We know that children who are exposed to books and literature are much more successful later on in life,” said DeLancey, who visited multiple schools throughout the week and led book talks with students. She told them, “You can be a reader at any point in your life; you just have to find where your interests lie. Books can take you places, and the more you read, the stronger a reader you become.” Read-aloud books were chosen to reflect the focus of each school. They included How I Learned Geography , by Uri Shulevitz; Never Play Music Next to the Zoo , by John Lithgow; and The Girl with a Mind for Math , by Julia Finley Mosca and Daniel Rieley. Slam dunk Midweek, Harbor School students were treated not only to free books, literacy-themed craft projects, and a spirited read-aloud but also to a team of MVPs who shared how books in the classroom have led to success on the basketball court. Former NBA basketball player and UConn standout Scott Burrell, who now coaches the men’s team at Southern Connecticut State University, paid a special visit to the school to tell students how important reading has been in his academic and athletic careers. He encouraged students to read as much as possible as a way of achieving their own dreams and reminded them how important teachers are to reaching their goals. “Reading is important because it gives you options,” he told students. “Being able to learn what you’re reading about gives you choices in life.” Harbor School students, educators, and special guests gather outside the big blue bus. Joining in the fun is former NBA star Scott Burrell (far left).