Quinn, a 4-year-old from Baker Elementary’s Extended Day Preschool, says she is excited to read with her reading buddy, Ali Martus.
They hold hands as they walk down the hall to find a quiet place to read Ali’s favorite childhood book “One Fish, Two Fish” by Dr. Seuss. Once seated, the two get busy reading while Quinn points out the different colored fish in the book.
“I loved Dr. Seuss books when I was a kid,” said Ali, a junior at Wayland Union High School and Student Council member. “It’s fun to read them to younger kids.”
Ali is perhaps best known as an athlete, a starting guard on the conference and district champion Lady Wildcats basketball team and three-time state qualifying golfer.
Pam Swan, preschool aide, and Nicole Cardosa, Student Council advisor at the high school, coordinated the reading buddy day where a student council member was paired up with a preschool student to read their favorite childhood book.
“It is important for our student leaders to share their love of reading and model that to our young students,” Cardosa stated.
The reading buddy program is one of many reading month activities happening in all the elementary buildings in the district. Various guest readers are visiting classrooms and schools are asking students to log their reading time. Baker Elementary is holding a Scholastic Book Fair in their media center this week.