Thursday was the perfect day to reward Central Manor Elementary School students for keeping up with their reading over summer vacation.
As the temperature hovered around 90 degrees, a TJ’s Ice Cream truck pulled onto the playground to dispense frozen treats to nearly 300 students who had completed a reading challenge over the summer.
The students read a minimum of 15 minutes per day at least four days a week throughout the summer, keeping logs to document what they read. On Thursday, they enjoyed ice cream sandwiches, Popsicles, Icees and other treats as a reward for their efforts.
“I was thrilled with the number of students who chose to participate in the summer reading program,” said Michele Transue, Central Manor assistant principal. “For a first-year effort, I felt this was an excellent turnout.”
Transue said it is common for children to lose some reading progress over the summer months. “With an incentive like the ice cream truck in place, we felt more students would be apt to put a book in their hands and read,” she said. “This makes their transition back to school smoother and gives them an advantage as they enter the next grade level.”
The Central Manor PTO funded the project.
“Without them, and their dedication to our students’ achievements, this would not have been possible,” Transue said.
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