Dutch Broadway School Hosts Three-Weeks Long Reading Celebration for PARP
To spark a deeper love of reading and strengthen the partnership between school and home, Dutch Broadway School annually hosts its Pick a Reading Partner celebration. PARP, a New York State program launched in 1987, encourages families to make reading a shared experience while helping students build stronger comprehension skills.
Throughout the three-week celebration, with a theme of The Great “Subway” Reading Race, students were inspired to become lifelong readers through themed dress-up days, such as Comfy Commute Day and Train Colors Day, as well as engaging assemblies, read-alouds and a family literacy night.
Each scholar received a reading record sheet to track the minutes they read at home each night, reinforcing the importance of daily reading habits. At the end of the celebration, a grand prize will be awarded to one class and one student at each grade level who logged the most minutes, celebrating dedication and enthusiasm for reading.
Among the highlights was a virtual field trip to Elmont Memorial Public Library, where the librarian introduced students to digital and community resources and shared a reading of “The Three Ninja Pigs” with students in grades 3-5.
The celebration continued on March 2 with Read Across America Day, when teachers designed creative, literacy-focused activities that encouraged students to explore stories in new and exciting ways. Students also discovered new titles during a two-day Scholastic Book Fair.
Another memorable moment featured special guest reader Videsh Muneshwar, a former Dutch Broadway student and current senior at Elmont Memorial High School. He shared his own children’s book, “Alex and the Wishing Well,” with students in grades K-4, answering their questions about the writing process.
A culminating event of the PARP celebration was a vibrant Multicultural Night on March 12. Members of the Fashion Show Club researched and shared writing about their families’ countries of origin, highlighting the diversity within the school community. This year also marked the introduction of the Multicultural Club, a new addition that further enriched the event. As an extension of the celebration, the school community was encouraged to wear cultural attire during the school day.
The school's PARP activities were organized by the PTA in collaboration with the Building Advisory Committee.
Photo captions:
1-2. As part of Dutch Broadway School’s PARP celebration, Elmont Memorial High School senior Videsh Muneshwar read his book, “Alex and the Wishing Well.”
3-4. Dutch Broadway School students shopped the book fair during PARP.
5-6. Dutch Broadway School hosted Multicultural Night on March 12.
Photos courtesy of the Elmont Union Free School District
