On Thursday, October 25, eighth grade students at Valadez Middle School Academy participated in the annual event, “Read for the Record.”
Jumpstart’s Read for the Record is a national campaign to bring millions of young children together with valued grownups in their lives to read the same book, on the same day, in communities all around the world. The campaign highlights the importance of building early literacy and language skills for every child, so that all students have the opportunity to succeed.
Each year, the Valadez Eagles collaborate with first grade students from their feeder elementary schools, Rio Vista and Melrose, in order to enjoy and celebrate reading. This year, eighth grade students paired up with their first grade buddies were eager to read the book “Maybe Something Beautiful,” by F. Isabel Campoy and Theresa Howell.
After a warm welcome from the school’s Principal, Cuco Gracian, keynote speaker and Valadez’s first principal, Minerva Gandara, spoke to those in attendance. She now serves as the Placentia-Yorba Linda Unified School District’s Director of English Language Development and AVID.
“Today, we are part of a national movement to raise the awareness of the importance of the power of reading,” she shared. “It is a great tool to empower kids to make a better world!”
Gandara also offered the students reminders about the importance of community and making a positive difference.
Side by side, the middle and elementary school students then began reading all at one time in the Valadez quad. Throughout the morning, big and little buddies participated in activity rotations which included two art projects, a candy guesstimate, a math worksheet, and more.
Before the day was over, the little buddies from Rio Vista and Melrose received their own copy of the book, “Maybe Something Beautiful,” to take home and read again and again with their loved ones.
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