Smith Street School Celebrates Literacy

Uniondale Union Free School District’s Smith Street Elementary School recently held a book celebration for Pre-K scholars. All scholars were gifted the book Thank You Omu by Oge Mora.

“We are fortunate to be able to provide inclusive books to our scholars that contain diverse characters,” said Principal Elaine DeBono. “Thank You Omu is a story of a woman who develops friendships through cooking, introducing readers to Nigerian cultural traditions and teaching lessons on kindness, gratitude and community.”

Superintendent of Schools Dr. Monique Darrisaw-Akil and Early Childhood Education Director Milerbin Genao introduced the book through a read-aloud to kick off the celebration. The scholars loved to see the emotion portrayed through each scene by the Superintendent and Director. Assistant Superintendent for Curriculum and Instruction Rhonda Taylor and English Language Arts Director Michelle Peterson-Davis also joined for the read-aloud.

“One of the most important components of early childhood literacy education is to remember to make reading fun,” said Dr. Darrisaw-Akil. “When we hold read-alouds, acting out scenes, the scholars are engaged and learn that reading can be a form of entertainment.”

In the evening, pre-K parents were invited to the school to attend a literacy workshop highlighting literacy initiatives parents could take on at home. At the workshop, parents also received a book to read aloud with their children.

Uniondale is proud to have a successful English as a New Language (ENL) program, offering instruction geared toward providing scholars with the necessary tools to meet the rigorous academic standards of the curricula. In line with the ENL program, scholars chose between English or Spanish copies of the book.

For more information about the Uniondale Union Free School District, please visit the District’s website at https://district.uniondaleschools.org, and ‘like’ our Facebook page https://www.facebook.com/uniondalek12.