This summer, the 2,000 Warwick School District elementary students and their families will use their imaginations to travel to a desert island during the inaugural summer edition of the One Book One School One Community reading program. Funding for the summer program was provided through a grant from the Warwick Education Foundation (WEF).
The summer edition was created because of the program's popularity during the school year and because no author visit was held in the winter, noted Barbara Mobley, executive director of the WEF.
Each child has received a copy of "Nim's Island," written by award-winning author Wendy Orr and illustrated by Kerry Millard. Mobley said that parents are asked to read to their children 15 minutes a day. The Warwick teachers have also provided a daily reading schedule, chapter discussion starters, and 17 related activities to extend the time families spend immersed in the story. One of the activities is to watch the 2008 movie version, which stars Abigail Breslin as Nim and Jodie Foster as her favorite author. Other activities include reading other survival stories, like "Island of the Blue Dolphins"; visiting the National Aquarium in Baltimore to learn more about marine life; building a raft out of coconuts; or constructing a volcano like the book's Fire Mountain.
The Warwick Education Foundation funds programs beyond the school district's budget to enrich learning opportunities for students in kindergarten through 12th grade. The funding supports teaching grants, like One Book One School One Community, as well as many other tools and resources. For more information, contact info@WarwickEF.org.
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