New Lenox Library and Schools Form Partnership for Summer Reading Challenge

School is back in session now, but the fun and memories from summer linger not too far behind. Whether families attended the Ice Cream Social, the Dog Days of Summer Party, or any of over one-hundred programs for all ages, the library was the place to be.

The New Lenox Public Library and the New Lenox School District 122 partnered for the first time this summer to offer a record-breaking joint summer reading challenge. The goal was to provide a simplified way for families to get their kids reading and to have one unified reading program that all of the kids in the district could participate in.

"Research has shown that students can lose about a month of learning over summer vacation, and more alarmingly, that loss is cumulative," says Dana Russell, Head of Youth Services. "Our hope is that by providing a summer challenge that incorporates reading and other learning opportunities, we can assist in battling that slide."

The Youth Services Department had the largest number of summer challenge participants in its history, with 2000 registered children. "We also had the largest percentage of children complete the summer challenge than ever before, with 65% of registered children finishing," adds Ms. Russell. "Having a unified summer program with the school district directly benefits the students of New Lenox."

For the past five years, the library has had a friendly contest between the local elementary and intermediate schools, to see which school had the most students complete the library’s summer reading challenge. Kids complete the summer challenge by finishing a combination of thirty-six different activities from a list, ranging from reading for fifteen minutes, to visiting a museum, to simply “unplugging” devices for a day. The winning school gets their name engraved on a trophy that the school gets to proudly display for the entire school year. All of the schools joined in on celebrating their students who completed their summer reading goals by awarding them with a party.

Students at Haines Elementary School were the winners of this year’s summer reading challenge and recently celebrated their victory. Dr. Michelle Hall, principal at Haines said, “All of the students have enjoyed the wonderful parties and events they have had at each building to celebrate their summer reading success! From bouncy houses to sled dogs the experiences were fabulous! We are so proud of the students and their commitment to keep their skills fresh over the summer!”

“Partnering with the New Lenox Public Library was a great experience this year! Working together to promote reading makes us all successful! We are looking forward to a partnership again next summer,” Dr. Hall added.