Westmont Elementary Students to Take Part in National Reading Celebration

Students at Pomona Unified’s Westmont Elementary School will participate in a nationwide effort to “Read the Most Coast to Coast” on Friday, Feb. 27. They are among hundreds of thousands of students across the nation who will join in this fourth annual reading celebration.

The event, to take place from 8 a.m. to 3 p.m., launches Read Across America, a week-long celebration of literacy in honor of Dr. Seuss.

“Read the Most Coast to Coast is a fun-filled event that enables students at multiple grade levels to join in a shared reading challenge,” Principal Cynthia Badillo said. “Students are engaging in valuable reading practice, all while taking part in an event that joins students across the country in a collaborative effort focused on reading. We’re so proud of our students.”

Read the Most Coast to Coast celebrates reading with a one-day event that encourages students to read as much as they can. In 2013-14, students set a new one-day record of 4,987,949 books read. Students will also complete Accelerated Reader quizzes on the books they read.

At Westmont, as many as 380 students will take part in this shared effort. They will wear pajamas for the day to maximize comfort during their read-a-thon. Big buddies will pair with younger students from 9 to 11 a.m. All students who participate will receive a Certificate of National Participation.

“Our students, all of whom participate in Accelerated Reader, have strengthened their reading and literacy skills, and this celebration is a great opportunity to showcase to the nation how well-read PUSD students are,” Superintendent Richard Martinez said.

The Accelerated Reader program enables teachers to manage independent reading practice. Students read books at the appropriate level and then take a quiz to show they understood what they’ve read. During the event, national quizzes will be tracked on its hosted database and share progress online at www.renaissance.com/read-the-most.