PRESQUE ISLE, Maine – Volunteers from the Presque Isle Rotary Club have spent one day each month throughout this school year reading to first grade classrooms at Pine Street Elementary School as part of the club’s new “Rotary Reads to ME” program. A pair of volunteers visited classrooms of eager students to read a pre-selected book aimed to engage students in discussion about the book and real-life connections.
The books are selected intentionally to include content that is relatable to upcoming seasons, local events or have social lessons to promote student engagement. In addition to reading, Rotarians also take a moment to share about their careers, community connection and share a little bit about Rotary’s projects and goals. At the end of each visit, volunteers leave the book with the students to add to their classroom library.
The “Rotary Reads to ME” program began in September and is funded in part by a Rotary District 7790 grant. Nearly 50 books were purchased locally and donated to classrooms as part of this program and the club distributed one book to every first-grade student in May at the end of first year of reading. The club also helped support an end of the year celebration that was coordinated by the first-grade teaching team and focused on literacy, math and other learning concepts.
“The Rotary Monthly Reading Program has enriched our first-grade reading program. Because the Rotary Club provided regular, engaging reading sessions and access to diverse books, students have demonstrated a heightened enthusiasm for learning and made valuable connections to our community,” said Bill Guerrette, principal at Pine Street Elementary School. “The program’s structured yet enjoyable approach has fostered a love for reading, setting a strong foundation for their academic journey.”
The Rotary Reads to ME program was developed by 2023-24 PI Rotary Club President Jordyn Madore, who also serves as the clubs Youth and Literacy chair. “Our club supports several literacy projects each year, from participating in the Literacy Tea event and purchasing Great Maine Book Tournament reading materials for fourth to eighth grade Easton students to hosting our own annual Thesaurus Day program for third graders in four local communities,” says Madore. “One of my main goals for this year was to engage younger students and help get them excited about reading. I am really thankful that the Literacy Committee and broader club were supportive of this project and made it such a success!”
The Rotary Club and Pine Street Elementary School are already making plans to continue the project into the next school year. For more information about this program or the Presque Isle Rotary Club, visit www.presqueislerotary.org.
