CHSD170's Washington-McKinley School Hosts Family Reading Night

Chicago Heights School District 170’s Washington-McKinley School recently hosted a large number of students and their families and friends at its annual Family Reading Night in the school’s Spartan Center.

The night’s theme centered around “Dragons Love Tacos,” an award-winning children’s book by Adam Rubin.

All students in grades K - 3 and their parents and families were invited to participate in an evening full of fun reading experiences based on the content of the book.

“The goal of our Family Reading Night celebration is to instill in our students and their families both a love of reading, and an understanding of the importance of reading as an essential component of academic success,” said Washington-McKinley Principal Dr. Gretchen Sutherland.

“The superb collaborative effort of our primary grades teaching team was a vital element in securing such an amazing turnout of students and their families, and engendering all-important community involvement in our school,” she continued.

Reading Specialist, Carmen Del Toro, brought the book to life through an engaging read-aloud that demonstrated fluency, expression, and reading strategies. Bilingual Teacher Cristina Soto followed Del Toro’s presentation with a Spanish-language translation of the book.

The night continued with a series of activities including dragon crafts, bookmark making, and salsa slime making, with all participants enjoying a special dragon treat of “Walking Tacos.”

The evening’s culminating event was a big book giveaway during which each student received a bag of books to bring home.

Reading Specialists Carmen Del Toro and Maricay Mauro were thrilled with the evening’s success.

“Each year the hard work and dedication of the Washington-McKinley staff are validated through the parent and student attendance and the overall success of the Family Reading Night,” Del Toro said.

“The amazing turnout and the acceptance of our presentations by everyone in attendance was an indication of the success of our staff’s efforts to underscore the importance of reading both in school and at home,” Mauro added.

Mary Kay Entsminger, District 170's Assistant Superintendent for Curriculum and Instruction, was enthusiastic about the success of the event.

"The staff and administration of Washington-McKinley School did a fabulous job in creating an engaging evening that spurred the interest of our students while encouraging familial involvement in our academic programs," she said.

"There is no doubt that obtaining the support and involvement of the family as an essential component of the learning process will make a tremendous difference in maximizing a student's learning experience."