News
High School: Welcome to Reading Break!
Dear High School Parents,
I trust that all of you are looking forward to some beautiful autumn weather as we settle into the school year, surely it can’t be that far away.
For those of you who may not know or who may need a little refreshing … in order to develop lifelong readers, as well as improve reading skills amongst our high school students, we take a Reading Break each day so that students will have 30 minutes simply to read a book of their choice.
Students in grades 9-12 have Reading Break either before or after lunch with their assigned family groups. All students will have accountability for reading in their English classes.
The most crucial requirement for Reading Break to be successful is that each student must have a book with him or her each day. We have done everything we can to ensure that students have books from which to choose. The Student Resource Center (formerly the library) has an abundance of books that students can check out; in addition, we have created a Reading Break collection of popular books, located in Room 105, that students can check out as well.
As parents, please keep an open line of communication with your children about what they’re reading. It is important that you understand that the books students read during Reading Break are for them to choose (similar to when they are encouraged to bring a book to read in case they finish an exam early). Students will never be assigned books to read during Reading Break, so their choices will be based on conversations with you. We will be intentional in teaching students strategies for choosing a book that is right for them, but there is no way that we can read every book to provide specific guidance. Much of the popular fiction today touches on relevant teenage themes. Sometimes, an author may create characters who make questionable choices that do not line up with biblical standards. Although we would not condone inappropriate language or some behaviors that can be present in some young adult fiction, this can allow for healthy, beneficial talking points in English and Bible classes as well as in your home. If your child begins reading a book that he doesn’t like, or you find objectionable, he can simply set it aside and find another. That discernment in itself is a great life skill.
I am thrilled to see our students continue to grow as readers! If you have any questions, please feel free to email me.
In Him,
Kim Cox
Reading Break Coordinator