The important bond between home and school was strengthened even more last Friday when nearly 300 people attended the Books for Bingo program at the Tyrone Area High School.
The program, which is designed to distribute children’s books to students and their families in order to promote reading, has been a staple at the high school since the first program held back in April of 1998. Then, it was sponsored by the Title I Reading Program, but now the Tyrone Elementary Parent Teacher Organization has also jumped in, allowing both organizations to assist in the important program and watch as it grows.
According to Gail Nale, Title I Reading teacher, flyers were sent home with all students in the K4 preschool program plus grades K through 3, inviting their entire families to participate.
“So, we had toddlers all the way up through grandparents joining us,” she said.
The format was regular Bingo with Lemoine Zimmerman of the Tyrone Elks organization calling the numbers. Nale said the group made certain that everyone present had the opportunity to choose at least one book.
“Many children left with two or three,” she said.
The books were all children’s literature – paperbacks, fiction and non-fiction. They were ordered by Title I reading teachers and were for students preschool-aged through intermediate level, and included chapter books and novels.
The first program, held at Logan Elementary School, saw about 30 people attend. The next year, the number rose to about 100, and last year, the groups saw the largest crowd attend when nearly 340 people walked through the doors of the TAHS cafeteria.
Even with the frigid temperatures this year, Nale said about 290 people attended.
“This is the second year that the program has been co-sponsored by the Tyrone Area Elementary PTO, as their additional funding allows enough books to be purchased so that all children in grades K-3 and K4 preschool, not just Title I students, can participate,” said Nail. “The goal is to distribute children’s books to students and their families in order to promote reading.
“In addition, the program provides for an evening of family-oriented fun and togetherness,” she continued. “It helps to strengthen that important bond between home and school as nearly the entire Title I staff – teachers and instructional aides – as well as PTO parent volunteers, are present to help with the program and interact with the families.”
According to Nale, one of Title I’s initiatives has been parent and family involvement, and she said Bingo for Books has been the group’s most successful programs in terms of number of people attending.
A small snack of juice and pretzels was also provided.
“There were lots of smiling faces,” she said.
