Uniondale students celebrate reading progress with museum night event

A free night at the Long Island Children’s Museum was the reward for Uniondale elementary school students who had improved their reading skills, and the July 31 event marked the halfway point of the summer.

“We want all students to be ready to read on grade level by the end of third grade,” district Superintendent Monique Darrisaw-Akil said. “Summer is a time for play, but it’s also about exploring passions and learning new things, and we want to do that in a very fun, invitational way.”

The summer reading program was implemented for the first time this year by My Brother’s Keeper as a way to promote literacy, which is one of the organization’s core goals, according to Keith Coles, one of the lead advisers for its Uniondale chapter.

President Barack Obama launched My Brother’s Keeper in February 2014 in response to the death of Trayvon Martin. The organization aims to address the gaps in opportunity that boys and young men of color often face.

“We feel like literacy is going to help students in the future, right?” Coles said. “So why not start at a very young age?”

MBK scholars volunteered to help out at the two-hour event, distributing free books to the students and keeping everything organized.

“They’re putting in the work and seeing the fruits of their labor,” Coles said, “in terms of being able to know that they were there once in their lives, as young as these students, and being able to give back to the community.”

To earn an invitation to the museum night, students needed to log at least 15 read books in the month of July. They log their reading journey on Padlet, a digital bulletin board for each school that allows administrators to stay up to date on each new book read.

Bilal Polson, principal of Northern Parkway Elementary School, said he was thrilled to partner with the children’s museum, especially because it’s in the community, and he hoped the event would encourage families to visit it more often.

“There’s not a better place to have a party and a place to play that’s surrounded with so many artifacts that are child-friendly,” Polson said. “We get the chance to celebrate reading with music and snacks.”

A DJ played music, and snacks were provided. The kids were also given bags donated by Shop Rite that they filled with as many free books as they could fit, another way to encourage their continued reading. The books were provided by the school district and MBK.

The children were free to explore the first floor of the museum. The Thomas the Tank Engine Room, a temporary exhibit until Sept. 8, was a big hit. They raced trains along a track and played in a large model of Thomas himself. Ausir Boyd-George, 6, said he loved the room because “it has a big track.”

Ainsley Brady, 8, felt the same way about playing with the trains on the track because “you get to control the train.”

Another popular exhibit was the bubble room, where kids used big wands to make bubbles, and even got to stand in the middle of a huge bubble. It was Roxy Bairez’s favorite room.

“We can move them wherever we want,” the 9-year-old said of the bubbles.

Her younger brother, Joshua, 7, couldn’t decide on his favorite part of the museum.

“I like everything,” he said.

The culminating event for the summer reading initiative will take place in September on the new Uniondale High School track. The date has yet to be announced. Students who finish 15 books this month will be invited.