ROME, GA—Anna K. Davie Elementary Principal Brant Amerman offered a smile and a celebratory fist-bump to each student upon entering the gymnasium, on Wednesday Aug. 10, where the hype was heavy as AKD kicked-off their Reading Incentive Program for the new 2022-2023 school year.
Across the room, excited voices rose along with AKD’s special twist on the song “I’ve Got a Feeling,” by Party Rocker. Sung and recorded by AKD’s own Ammie Bruce (music teacher) and Angela Byrne (ESOL), “Gotta keep reading, cause this book’s gonna be a good book,” sprang from the speakers as students widened their smiles and waved their hands in excitement.
RCS Reading Incentive Program Director, Julie Reid, joined students and faculty for the special “Read Like a Wolf” kickoff as Amerman challenged AKD students to read 5,000 books by the end of the first semester of school. Students responded with loud cheers and exuberant applause when asked if they could do it.
Throughout the building, thermometers are posted to the walls where reading progress will be updated for all to see as students work toward their goal.
Information about the program, reading homework, incentives and goals were sent home with each student in their Reading Incentive folders to share with parents and caregivers.
The kids went wild as the kickoff went into relay mode. Students engaged in fun competition as four teams raced to collect the most books in their team's basket. More than one race ensued and allowed for faculty members to join in the fun as well.
Each member of the winning teams received a book to take home and a red "Readers are Leaders" water bottle with a few sweet treats inside. This was only the beginning of the incentives and rewards to come. Cheers heightened when the bags of swag came out and items were tossed into the crowds of outstretched hands.
Kay Scherich, fourth grade teacher and AKD Reading Incentive Director, smiled when she said,
"We are excited to create a culture of reading at AKD, with everyone buying in. We want every child to discover a love for reading that stays with them their whole life."
Amerman expressed his hope that the incentives offered will help generate a great motivation about reading. A bonus incentive for students is that upon reaching their goal they will get to witness a face-off between their principal and none other than Willie the Wolf!
"I'm sure the kids will also be excited about a challenge between myself and Willie the Wolf,” he said. “We're going to do anything we can on our end to encourage students to read more in the classroom and at home as well.”
As the program embarks on a new year, resources for students and parents are plenty.
In addition to visiting the AKD Media Center, where Media Specialist Velvet Ferrari can help students find exactly what interests them, Amerman confirmed that ChromeBooks will be going home with students within the next couple of weeks, which will allow students further access to books digitally through programs such as MyOn.
Amerman expressed gratitude to Scherich, Ferrari and Reid for their hard work and dedication to spearheading the Reading Incentive Program at AKD, and for RCS as a system.
As AKD looks toward a goal of 5,000 books read, Amerman says that even once they achieve that goal, his encouragement will never wane.
“I will say, they have to keep reading,” he smiled. “Just like the song says. If they put their minds to it and they work hard, they’re going to meet that 5,000-book challenge with no problem.”
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