It’s a time-honored tradition for families to gather at football fields Friday nights to cheer on their high school teams, but recently over 100 Bucyrus Elementary School families filled the field for another reason. They were celebrating the joy of reading while on the 50 yard line.
The Schoolwide Events Committee at Bucyrus Elementary organized Reading Under the Lights, a community-focused event that included opportunities for families to learn about Crawford Reads 20, the Bucyrus Backpack Program, Touchdown Club and the programs offered by the Bucyrus Public Library.
A service project netted the Backpack Program with boxes of cereal and microwave popcorn, perfect for reading snacks.
After being welcomed by members of the fifth and sixth grade football teams, families were treated to bags of goodies, free books, popcorn, photo opportunities and a story walk. The Bucyrus High School marching band and the cheerleaders fired up the crowd with songs and chants, while the Bucyrus Elementary School Staff Singers performed “R.E.A.D” — their “Y.M.C.A.” inspired tune.
Principal Sheryl Hernandez introduced community celebrity readers, including high school and middle school athletes, principals, coaches, teachers, police Chief Neil Aussenheimer, Sheriff Scott Kent and many other community members.
Families were invited to take blankets, flashlights and books to the field where they enjoyed a book with their celebrity.
The celebrity read was followed by the announcement of the “halftime huddle” by Hernandez. Sharing that reading for just several minutes every day can bolster a child’s brain development, 15 minutes were put on the clock and reading began − moms and dad reading to children, older readers enjoying a book independently and even adults modeling their love of reading with a novel of their own.
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