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MARCH 11, 2024—A reading-focused club is bringing together Middle and Primary School students under one roof to build bonds, one page at a time.

The club is called “Reading Pals,” and it’s a once-a-month tradition that continues to grow.

We stopped by the March meeting, which happened on a warm and sunny Friday afternoon. A bus full of middle school students pulled up to PMP and stepped out to get their room assignments.

Normally, a student stays in the same classroom throughout the whole year. But today, club organizer Lisa Goldan had to do some rearranging. 

A few students couldn’t make it, so a couple of readers had to double up in classrooms.

 

It was then time to get to a class,  as they have every first Friday of the month.

The type of reading may be different from classroom to classroom. Goldan says it depends on what works for the kids and the teacher: some read as a whole group, some read in small groups, and some read one-on-one.  

What’s not different is the time range, as each reading session is roughly a half-hour long. The time limit is to allow for primary students to get ready before dismissal. 

We stopped into Mrs. Lindstrom’s Universal Pre-Kindergarten classroom, where the one-on-one reading was underway.

Erika, a seventh grader, just sat down to read a picture book, “Elmer the Patchwork Elephant.” The student she was reading to chose the book.

"They usually already have the book picked out for me,” Erika said.

Erika would soon switch to reading in another classroom down the hall after finishing the book.

Upstairs, Avery, another seventh-grade reader, was in the thick of reading “The Three Little Pigs” to a group of students in Mrs.Barnes’ class. He sat in a corner seat while the students formed a semi-circle behind him.

He’d soon finish the book, only to be welcomed with excited requests for other books. This was nothing new to him, as both he and Erika are in their second year of reading in the club.

They both said they were interested in the club because they can connect with the younger students.

“It’s a great opportunity to help out,” Avery said. “Just give the kids a little afternoon off and listen to some cool books.”

The club started 10 years ago, with what Goldan says was 10 - 15 kids. She says the numbers significantly dropped off during the COVID lockdown and the restrictions that followed, but there’s been a change.

This year Goldan says the club has its largest group, with 24 regular members. 

“I love the fact that not only have they volunteered their time, but a good number of them have also been in the club since they were 6th graders,” Goldan said. “The fact that they come back every year tells me they see value and enjoy what they are doing.”

And Goldan added there’s more value to the effort than just sharing a good story. She says the purpose of reading pals is to build relationships between the students and to foster leadership for the middle school students. 

It’s part of why they keep students like Avery and Erika in the same classrooms. Goldan says the primary students see the same face and look forward to seeing their “person.”

Erika and Avery backed that statement up.

“All the kids are like yay yay Erika’s here,” Erika said. “It’s so fun to see their reaction, and so fun to see their reactions to the books I read to them.”

“I enjoy their reactions,” Avery said. “They get a kick out of the littlest things, and it’s really fun reading to them.”

The half hour ends, and it’s time for the pals to part ways. But they’ll be back together again soon.

As for Erika and Avery, they tell us they plan to read again next year, and they encourage other students to join them.

Goldan says any interested middle school student can join when the club does sign-ups in the Fall.

  • Palmyra-Macedon CSD
  • Palmyra-Macedon Middle School
  • Palmyra-Macedon Primary School

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