Our Kids Show Us How

Just last Thursday, I had the opportunity to spend some time at one of our schools to listen to first graders read in their annual interpretive reading contest.  I was amazed at how skilled these young students were as they stood in front of me, the other judges, and their peers to read their selections.  The inflection in their voices was indicative of how much they had been practicing, and how passionate they were about reading to their fellow students.

Their excitement and enthusiasm about school and the work they were doing was contagious.  Although the contest was very competitive, you wouldn’t have known.  These kids clapped and cheered loudly for each other, as only first graders can do, as each student finished their selection.  The few hours I spent with these kids caused me to learn and reflect a lot about our schools and our community.

Although I already knew, the point was driven home to me as to how skilled our professional staff is at engaging students and their parents in teaching our kids how to read.  Some of these students were as young as six or seven years old, yet they were reading at grade levels far above first grade.

I was also pleased to see how these students treated each other.  They sat quietly in the library and listened to each other read and, even though they were competing against each other, they spent most of their time cheering and clapping for each other.  It was as if they were celebrating learning to read and exercising that skill by courageously standing alone in front of their peers and judges to share their selections.  Rather than a competition, it was the pure joy and pride of demonstrating and sharing a learned life skill.  What a sense of community these kids have for each other.

I went to the school to listen and came away a learner. As we head to the ballot box on Tuesday, April 4, I am reminded of what these first graders taught me.  These children are our future, and we want them to learn to grow in schools that we courageously strive to make better.  And although we on the ballot are contestants, we are also all collectively members of a community, who, just like those first graders, want good things for each other.

These are our kids and this is our future.  These first graders will forever remember the experiences, like great interpretive reading contests, we are providing for them. Let’s work together and make those experiences even better for them, and the students coming after them.  We can learn a lot from them.  I know I sure did.

Please plan time in your day to vote on April 4^th.  Our kids deserve it.

OPPORTUNITY, ACHIEVEMENT, COMMUNITY – together we can make it happen.

Jon Cruzan

President, School District of Milton Board of Education