Visiting Author Matt Esenwine presents his books and talks about writing to Moharimet students.
Moharimet Celebration of Reading Week
Article by Helen Holmes
Moharimet School held their annual Celebration of Reading Week March 10-13. Through special activities and events, students and staff were exposed to different facets of reading and the joy it brings.
When someone is reading (or being read to), the doorways of imagination and information are opened and continue to be opened well after the book is closed.
Celebrating and focusing on reading for the week helps foster good reading habits, and reminds us all to make time to read.
The week was filled with opportunities to explore reading throughout learning spaces, formally and informally. The outline for the week and the newly penned Moharimet Library song were presented on Friday, March 7, during an assembly by the Celebration of Reading committee. The students loved it, and the energy was high!
Each day of the week had a spirit theme such as choosing to dress as a favorite book character or bring in items that reminded them of a book.
To kick off the week, students were asked to bring a book from home to read quietly, together, in the wings and classrooms. The quiet concentration of that reading time was a wonderful sound.
As part of the yearlong theme of “Journeys,” many classes also read books from different continents throughout the week; as they “read around the world,” classes posted a copy of their book on a world map.
Matt Forrest Esenwine, poet and author of children’s books, visited the school for two days and presented his work to all students and staff in small groups. Mr. Esenwine’s evolution from working in radio, raising his children, and then turning poems into children’s books impressed our students. Mr. Esenwine didn’t publish his first book until he was 50 years old, which is an inspiration to us all.
Other reading week activities included a visit from the UNH men’s soccer team to read books to students in their classrooms and share their stories of how reading has shaped their lives and even their sportsmanship.
Moharimet’s Sustainability Club also set up a book swap for gently used, age-appropriate books for students to expand their own personal libraries.
The week was a happy success. Many thanks are due to the Celebration of Reading Committee and all the readers of Moharimet School.
In the words of our favorite librarians…Read On!
Moharimet library staff kept spirits high by dressing up as characters from their favorite children's book!