On Feb. 4, State High hosted SCASD Reads K-12 Family Night, a community event inviting State College Area School District students to a night of reading, learning, and building connections. But SCASD Reads takes place over more than just a day, and actually encompasses two weeks of activities and three days of read-alouds via Google Meet.
“[When] we’re in school, we do many things around a theme, and this year it’s building stories. And then we do nighttime readings where kids can log in and listen to us reading. And then it kind of concludes today, which we have on this date because it’s World Read Aloud Day,” Paige Davis, the SCASD Library Coordinator and librarian at Corl Street Elementary School, said.
Every year, the library department at State High comes together to select a theme for SCASD Reads. Last year, the theme was “Animal Adventures,” and this year’s theme is “Building Stories.” Many activities aligned with the theme, such as the LEGO building lounge in the HUB and a Jenga station. Additionally, staff wore neon construction vests.
“We always try to do something that we think someone can connect to in some way. Something so global that anyone can find a way to connect,” Davis said. “We came up with ‘Building Stories,’ and we just thought that could really encompass so many things: art, literature, writing, building, crafting, music.”
The doors opened at 6 p.m., and by 6:30, the hub and surrounding areas were packed. As students and parents walked in, they were guided to a table with slips of paper. Students were instructed to write their name on it and tape the paper to a poster corresponding to their elementary or middle school. Outside the small gym were the famous book characters Piggie and Gerald from Mo Willems’s classic children’s book series “Elephant and Piggie.” The characters waved and posed with the kids for pictures. Next to the characters was a table where students could make their own Elephant and Piggie paper crown.
Inside the small gym, club-affiliated booths lined the walls with activities for the kids to do. Some of the booths included Boy Scouts, State College Hockey, State High Building Construction Class, Environmental Club, Lions’ Digest, National Technical Honor Society and The Squirrel & Acorn Bookshop. Students also got the opportunity to meet Lucy, State High’s therapy dog, and the author of “The Memory Spinner,” C.M. Cornwall.
“We have a trifold about how pollinators build their own ecosystems, and then after they learn about pollinators, they can contribute to our poster, where they can just color different pictures of pollinators,” senior Kazie Dingwell, Environmental Club’s president, said. “I mean, just by creating our booth, we’re teaching kids a lot about pollinators, which I think is really important. And also, just like the little bit that I’ve walked around and looked around, there are a lot of interesting things that you might just not learn in a classroom, that is really cool, especially to see how it’s applied to real life.”
Walking down the main stairs in the HUB, visitors could look out and see all the activities and kids participating. In the HUB carpeted area, kids gathered around inflatable pools of LEGO. Children’s books were laid out on tables, and students sat down with parents or friends to read. Kids were hard at work constructing a large tower out of a fort-making kit near the entrance. Booths lined the edges of the HUB, including State College American Association of University Women, Delta, and National Honor Society photo props, State High DECA members, and Jenga with State High Administrators.
“I think [SCASD Reads is] a fantastic event for K-12. You can see students of all ages getting involved in reading, or doing things that are ‘hands-on’ for kids to be able to participate in,” Brett Wilson, State High’s Associate Principal, said. “I think it gives everyone an opportunity to see teachers, to see librarians, to see administrators in a fun environment where they can engage with reading.”
In the hallway around the library, booths from Freshman Senate, Quiz Bowl, Happy Valley Improv, and Spanish Club were set up with crafts for students to make. In the auditorium, SCASD groups such as Tri-M Music Honors Society, State High Thespians, and middle school drama clubs performed, and after 7:30 p.m., the stage was opened up for karaoke.
Near the Snack Bar, World Cafe hosted a multi-lingual read-aloud, where State High English learners read children’s books in different languages to a crowd of kids. Also in the cafeteria was a short story dispenser, cookies made by culinary students, face painting, origami, and a booth for The Makery, a non-profit craft studio that hosts parties, classes, and summer camps.
“We’ve been here for the past three years, and it’s really fun. We like to make different kinds of bookmarks. We’re a non-profit, so we like to do things in the community,” junior Ella Caldwell, a volunteer for the Makery, said. “This event is really special to me because I get to see all the little kids be really happy. And we do that at the Makery every day, but it’s fun to be in a different environment and space. And you can see the kids from the past years that have come to this event grow up.”
Additionally, SCASD school board members were stationed at a long table in the cafeteria, getting to know the kids who came up to talk with them or ask them questions.
“The reason the school board wants to participate is just so that we can be available to answer questions, get to meet some parents, meet some kids, and just be a part of the community,” Deborah Anderson, a SCASD school board member, said.
Overall, teachers and administrators alike appreciated the event. “I think it just really instills in them how important literacy and community and school events are,” Davis said. “It really encompasses literacy, community, play, and just trying to get everybody in the community out on this winter day.”
The joy on students’ faces was evident as they ran around the hub, played with their friends, and learned new things. School Board members smiled as they chatted with kids and parents. The 6th annual SCASD Reads K-12 Family Night fulfilled its goal of bringing together students, teachers, and administrators and promoting lifelong literacy.
