On Wednesday, September 12th Mrs. Rowe's third grade class at Midland Elementary School in Rye, celebrated their class library with a grand opening. For the first weeks of school, the students studied the library. They learned how the books are categorized, leveled and how to choose books that are just right for them. On the big day Mrs. Rowe set up a red crepe ribbon and the class gathered for the big event. The class invited the principal Dr. Grille and the school librarian Mrs. Andrews as well as other school personnel: Mimi Dreckermann, Mrs. Yusi and Mrs. Manfredi to the ceremony.
The ceremony began with a speech about the work the class had done with the library followed by a poetry reading led by student Tim Desmond entitled "The Library Cheer" by Brod Bagert. Next, the class librarian of the week Daniel Roberts cut the red ribbon symbolizing the beginning of something very special. Each student, new book bin in hand, toured the library selecting books. The classroom was buzzing with book recommendations, smiles and excitement about reading.
"Children need to spend a whole bunch of time reading books on their level in order to practice thinking deeply about literature. When it comes to reading, lots of practice paired with individual coaching gives students the best chance at success. I try to maximize their time with books in hand and foster an exciting buzz about books in my classroom. When students are motivated to read, it is hard to get them to stop!" said Mrs. Rowe.
