West Broward celebrates the impact of reading during Literacy Week

Read Time:2 Minute, 44 Second

By Mariana De Jesus

THE FRIENDSHIP: English one teacher Brooke Acosta reads “The Friendship”to her class. Acosta volunteered to read to classes for Literacy Week. Photo by Izabella Perez

In an effort to promote lifelong learning through literacy, West Broward celebrated Literacy Week from Jan. 24-28 and held World Read Aloud Day on Feb. 2. Literacy Coach Elizabeth Rivero organized Literacy Week and prompted students and staff to dress up following specific pre-chosen categories to celebrate the event and promote literacy to students.

Throughout the week, students had the opportunity to appreciate the importance of reading through interactive displays. Along with selected dress-up days, World Read Aloud Day incorporated teachers and staff who volunteered to enter different English classrooms and read a book of their choice to students.

“Literacy Week this year was district-wide so every school in the district did the same five drss-up days,” Rivero said. “It was fun getting to celebrate literacy and show that reading has many literacy components.”

On the first day of Literacy Week, Jan. 24, students wore mismatched attire following the “Wild About Reading” theme. Tuesday was “Reading Our Way into College” where students wore merchandise of their favorite university. On Wednesday, students were able to dress as their favorite book character. The theme on Thursday was “Reading Sends a Positive Message” and students were prompted to wear a shirt with a positive phrase. Lastly, on Friday everyone wore only one color to symbolize how reading adds color to lives. Each day highlighted the magnitude that reading plays in a student’s life.

“For character day, Mrs. Zorn dressed as ‘Where’s Waldo’ and we put her out in the courtyard and hid her in the middle of all the kids,” Rivero said. “We had a lot of fun throughout the week because people got very creative with their costumes.”

On World Read Aloud Day Principal Fatout read the book “The Seven Habits of Highly Effective Teens’’ by Sean Covey, and Assistant Principal Diane Hurtado read an excerpt from “A Song of Solomon’’ by Toni Morrison. Hurtado claimed to have chosen this excerpt because it highlighted the proper way people should be treated in relationships through a conversation between an older brother and sister.

“As an administrator, I have been exposed to a lot of students who have had issues with relationships and who do not know what a positive relationship looks like,” Hurtado said. “I chose the excerpt to show that a good relationship should be one that lifts you up and does not bring you down.”

Celebrating Literacy Week and World Read Aloud Day exposed students to the beauty of literacy. Students were able to grow as teachers and staff emphasized the significant role literacy plays in society.

“Reading opens the world to so many different viewpoints,” said English one teacher and Yearbook advisor Brooke Acosta. “I feel like the love of reading has been lost in education. I do really wish that we fostered that level of reading more.”