Second grade students Issabell Barr and Leda Gitchel reading with flashlights during Camp Out Day.

In the CTA Elementary, we celebrated reading all month long in March! Our celebrations included:  dressing up for Beach Day, “camping out” in our classrooms, having special visitors share their favorite books, and having a grand Battle of the Books showdown for students in grades third through sixth!

Beach Day occurred on the wettest day of the month, so all activities were forced indoors. Students took it all in stride though and still donned their sunglasses while reading their favorite books on beach towels. We at CTA don’t allow a little rain to bring us down!

The Hard Covers team (L to R): Sage Sidlauskas, Jack Fulkerson, Kate Norman (5th Grade teacher), Kylee Turoski, Austin Fisk and Ethan Slock.

Camp Out day was a very cool day, too! We had many students bring in their favorite camp-out flashlight to read as though we were under the stars! Classrooms were pitch-black dark, except for the glowing of the flashlights. You could hear a pin drop throughout the halls except for an occasional “This is so cool!”

We had a few very special visitors throughout the month of March. On March 11, we had the Red Flannel Queen and Court come and read their favorite story books. Then, on March 25, the very busy State Representative Rob VerHeulen visited our school to share one of his favorite books, Duck for President!, with the students. Thank you Representative VerHeulen for your very informative visit!

State Representative Rob VerHeulen read to Kindergarten and First grade students during National Reading Month.

As the end of National Reading Month drew to a close, we celebrated by having a Battle of a Books competition. Mrs. Norman, the fifth grade teacher at CTA, worked endlessly to make the battle a huge success. Five teams – The Book Hoarders, The Readinators, The Book Wizards, The Hard Covers, and The Book Dominators – went head-to-head to answer really tough questions about pre-selected books. The battle lasted seven rounds and ended with a tie breaking question, pushing The Hard Covers forward with the win; The Book Dominators came away with the second place win!

It was another great Reading Month at CTA! We can’t wait to see what next year’s celebration brings.

Kindergarten and first grade students enjoy sledding as a reward for meeting their reading goals.

The elementary students were able to enjoy some winter fun before the snow melted!

The kindergartners and first graders earned a sledding party because they have worked so hard to meet their reading goals this year. Mrs. Bialkowski, the first grade teacher, and Miss Bostic, the kindergarten teacher, wanted to celebrate their students’ successes!

What better way to celebrate in the winter than with a sledding party followed by hot cocoa and a special treat!

“It was a blast seeing the excitement from these little ones and knowing that all this happened because they had been working so hard in the classroom,” said Miss Bostic. “These kids can make any situation exciting and enjoyable, even this small sledding hill!”

Thank you to all the moms and dads of the first graders and the kindergartners who made this celebration possible! Now they are on to setting and meeting even more goals for the year with National Reading Month right around the corner!

Guest reader, Amanda Litz, a local author, reads to the kindergartners

March is National Reading Month. Superintendent VanDuyn stopped by Cedar Trails and read to Mrs Bellamy, Mrs. Dault, Mrs. Shoffner and Mrs. Debri’s Kindergarten classes at Cedar Trails Elementary. Additional guest readers included Associate Superintendent Cairy, Local Author Amanda Litz and WOOD TV Miranda.  Thank you to all our special guest readers!

Gators night at Beach Elementary was a great night of families focused on kids and reading!