Greene County Middle School students continued their ‘reading ways’ during the second trimester of the school year, amassing a collective 1,495 books completed for the 12-week period. The independent reading initiative is a part of the Greene County School’s efforts to ensure that all students become successful readers.
At the beginning of the trimester, each grade, under the leadership of English/language arts teachers Tammy Mohr and Tammy Brophy, set their own grade level goal. The 112 eighth graders decided to aim for 800 books. The seventh grade, a significantly smaller group at just 89 students, set a goal of 600 books. By the end of the term, the 8th graders had completed 872 books. The 7th grade also reached its goal by totaling 673 books.
Collectively, the two grades read 1,495 books, or an average of just less than eight books per student.
“Needless to say, we are incredibly excited about the accomplishments of our students in the area of reading,” said principal Shawn Zanders. “Just as importantly, it pleases us to know that so many kids are developing a love for reading, and becoming good at selecting works that appeal to them personally. This is a really important part of encouraging young people to read. The more they understand their own taste in writing and the more resources we provide to them to satisfy that taste, the more they will read.”
For the third and final trimester, the students have invited the staff to join in their goal setting. Collectively, the Greene County Middle School students and staff are committed to reading 1,600 additional books before the end of the school year. If successful, the students (and staff) of GCMS will have read over 4,400 books during the school year—a feat for which they will truly be proud!
