By Sarah E. Murphy
Falmouth Public Schools held a district-wide PreK-4 Family Literacy Night at Mullen-Hall School on November 30, and although the event coincided with heavy wind and rainfall, the weather did nothing to dampen spirits or deter attendance. To the contrary, the halls were bustling with Clipper families.
Hosted by the Falmouth Public Schools’ literacy team, the program was organized by Elementary Literacy Manager Erin Custadio and her team of reading specialists from the four elementary schools - East Falmouth, Mullen-Hall, North Falmouth, and Teaticket.
The evening also featured participation from the FPS English Language Development team, and community partners, including Eight Cousins Bookstore, Falmouth Public Library, and the Coalition for Children.
It was the first time the elementary schools collaborated on the event, for in previous years, each school hosted its own program. Dr. Custadio explained that the decision to offer a district-wide event was to take advantage of the combined skills and experience of the FPS literacy team.
“We have nine reading specialists in Falmouth Public Schools, so one of the things we considered when planning this event was the power of coming together, and the chance to offer some really engaging ideas that would benefit everyone,” she said.
To that end, the evening was centered around the theme of “light” to represent literacy, with age-appropriate activities at multiple learning stations, such as a light table for early readers, to identify and spell designated words, and a black light station enabling students to form letters and words with glow sticks and glow necklaces. Older students were challenged to identify specific elements, such as verbs or action words.
Other cross-pollination content was offered through challenges related to the theme, such as building a flashlight, which required reading and following instructions, in addition to vocabulary comprehension.
Dr. Custadio said that while the event is meant to be an engaging way to show children literacy can be fun, it’s also geared as a lesson for the adults.
“We do this to get kids excited about reading, but another important aspect is to help parents and caregivers learn what they can do at home to encourage reading practice. We offer suggestions to make it an enjoyable experience, and ways they can use materials they might not necessarily think of, that don’t seem so obvious,” she said.
Each student was presented with a passport for the evening, allowing them to earn stamps for each completed station, and Falmouth Public Library provided library card applications. Eight Cousins awarded lucky attendees with store giveaways.
Dr. Custadio credited all three for their time.
“Their invitations were met with such enthusiasm, which was so lovely, and because of the theme, there was a real sense of unity and cohesiveness,” she said.
“I’m so glad our Clipper families got to see that the schools really work in tandem with community partners throughout Falmouth.”
Eight Cousins Co-Owner Sara Hines appreciated being included.
“We were really happy to be part of the evening. We enjoy working often with Mullen-Hall, since they’re our neighbors, but what I loved about this particular event was that it involved all of the elementary schools,” she said.
“It’s really important for kids to know that the community supports literacy. It’s also important for parents to see that there are resources outside the schools that work together. Our missions overlap.”
This was the first year the event was geared to PreK, therefore Early Learning Coach Jaime Rapoza created three stations for early childhood learners, with an emphasis on kinaesthetic techniques.
“I wanted to offer some creative ways for students to interact with reading, to show them it’s not always about sitting down with a book, and that there are different ways to access literacy,” she said.
She was also glad families had the opportunity to learn from her colleagues.
“The biggest thing that stood out to me about the evening was the feeling of community, both with our partners and the four schools. Families were able to see that our teachers and reading specialists in the district all work together rather than individually. We all support each other,” she said.
“It was also a great opportunity for students to show off their reading skills in front of their families, so it was really nice for them to have that spotlight.”
Sonia Tellier, Assistant Superintendent of Falmouth Public Schools, and Director of Teaching and Learning, said the primary goal was to provide entertaining yet educational ways to not only engage but also expand students’ interest in reading.
“As we’re emerging from the pandemic, there’s been a narrative around learning loss, but it’s not our narrative in Falmouth Public Schools. We’ve worked really hard to look at our data objectively to understand where our students are, and one of the things we’ve been shifting is our practice around foundational skills in early literacy,” she said.
“When we started planning this event, we knew we wanted to share ways in which literacy is fundamental but also fun, and how families can work together to develop those skills in the very beginning to bring reading into their daily routine, and not as homework.”
Dr. Tellier also credited the collaborative nature, both from the district and the town.
“The event was so well planned. The students had so much choice, all of it reflecting our instructional beliefs, and it was presented to them and their families in a very accessible way. We’re lucky to have such strong community partners in Falmouth,” she said.