It is time for the annual Jazz Reading Contest! What does this mean? It’s time to read, Read, READ! The actual Jazz contest is with other school. the top 10 schools that read the most minutes per student get to have a Jazz player visit their school. We’ve been on the top every year that I’ve been at the school, and I’m going to do my part to make sure we are again!
The school has set our goal at 1,140,000 minutes. That’s an average of 50 minutes per student per day. That includes everyone, K-6. It’s usually up to our higher grade students to really boost that average. I have challenged my class to beat my students from last year. Our class goal is 78.013 minutes. That’s an average of 3,120 minutes per student; an average of around 105 minutes per day. This includes all reading before and after school time, whether it be as a family, by themselves, or to a sibling… it all counts as long as there is a live person reading.
There are a few things in place we have in place to help this process. The first is early morning reading. the school is offering this in the elementary gym from 7:30-8:15. 6th grade has decided to make this available all week, so each teacher has volunteered one morning to have this happen:
Monday – Mrs. Mayer
Tuesday – Elementary Gym
Wednesday – Ms. Walker
Thursday – Mrs. McGuire
Friday – Mr. Pratt
Keep in mind, this is not a time to come into the school to play around, this is time to help get in those reading minutes!
The school will also be hosting their annual PJs, Pancakes, and Pillow Party! This will be on Monday February 3rd from 5-8 pm. Feel free to wear your PJs to this fun activity, east some pancakes and have a reading party with storytellers. Be sure to bring a book and a pillow to sit on!
So, here’s what I currently have for motivators:
* If we reach the school goal, there will be a movie day as well as an ice cream prize.
* If we reach our class goal, the students have decided that I get to dress like them for a week. I have decided to add to this; the top 5 readers will be put into a hat, and the one who gets pulled will get to choose a school appropriate song for me to sing (so long as I can find a karaoke track of it) at the celebration assembly.
* I have purchased 3 prizes. The top three readers will get to choose from these prizes in order of placing.
* Twice throughout the month, I will be offering a homework pass, simply for the students who are entirely up to date on turning in their minutes.
* I do like to collect reading minutes everyday. I do it as a class, taking up just a few minutes of class time. This is my of making sure the reading contest stays in the forefront of their minds.
I do use a bit different calendar than the rest of the school which does require guardian initials every day. Thanks for be cooperative on this. If your student has lost their copy of the calendar, it is available to print from right below.
There have been a few amendments to the prizes in the reading contest. I just wanted to make sure everyone was aware. In just one day, I have seen huge amounts of unhealthy competition so I have changed the rules of the prizes just a bit to hopefully steer away from it. There are a total of 5 prizes for the class:
* A full size basketball
* A stuffed monkey
* A puzzle
* a $10 gift card to Wingers (courtesy of the Stowe family. Thank you!)
* Choice of what I perform at the celebration assembly.
Now the change comes from how those prizes are going to be awarded. Rather than the top 5 readers, we have set a goal for each student. This goal is based on our class goal. Our class goal is 78,013 minutes. If you divide that by 25, it around 3,120 minutes per student, which is around 52 hours.. To up the ante a little bit, we’ve taken it up to 60 hours, or 3,600 minutes. Any students who is able to exceed that goal will be put into a drawing for the prizes.
I do like friendly competition. However, when friendly competition turns to name calling, bragging, and fighting among friends, it’s gone too far, and I feel it necessary to do something to stop it. This is why I’ve changed the rules a bit. It still gives everyone equal opportunity to win, but eliminates a bit of the pressure.
Thanks for your support from home in getting the students to read, read, read!
(: THIS IS OUR LAST TIME TO DO IT!!!! THEN, *sniff sniff* WE GO INTO JR. HIGH!!! D-: