When the inevitable question was asked at the beginning of the school year – “What did you do over the summer?” – most students from Roosevelt Elementary School could honestly answer in a single word: Read.
For the fifth consecutive year, Roosevelt School earned a trophy for having the highest student participation in the Park Ridge Library summer reading program. Roosevelt Principal Kevin Dwyer thanked Library Information Specialist Taryn Handlon for “recognizing the importance of reading over the summer and having some great marketing efforts with the school community.”
Overall, District 64 had 1,484 students in the program. Of the 689 students at Roosevelt, 440 (64 percent) participated by reading at least 20 minutes a day for a minimum of 20 days. Carpenter School received second place with 50 percent participation while Washington School hit 48 percent.
The reading program includes listening to books, reading to others and listening to someone else read. Participants earned stars on folders each time they reported in at the library and received prizes for their efforts. A few larger prizes were also presented to lucky participants including toys, gift cards and tickets to Cubs games.
All participants were given a book at the end of the program.