March is National Reading Month
Hi, Friends! I hope you are all enjoying the first few days of March, a time of year when we start to daydream about snowmelt and spring flowers, all while reveling in the last days of winter. It’s also Women’s History Month and, as the title of this week’s Guide Grab Bag states, National Reading Month. As a mother and a trained librarian with a masters degree in library and information science, fostering a life-long love of reading is extremely important to me. I started reading to my now 12-year old son, Elliott, before he was even born!
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A former member of our Old Mill Road Media team reached out to us recently about an upcoming local reading initiative she is involved with. We jumped at the opportunity to spotlight Kait Zwagerman Tyler. Kait is very involved in our community, working with organizations like GNAT-TV, teaching yoga classes, and serving on the boards of both the Manchester Business Association (MBA) and the Manchester Elementary and Middle School (MEMS). Thank you, Kait, for bringing MEMS’ One School One Book initiative to our attention. Once a member of the Old Mill Road family, always a member!
~Megan Demarest, Editor of The Guide​
One School One Book
by Kait Zwagerman Tyler
During the month of March, the Manchester Elementary Middle School (MEMS) will be participating in the One School One Book initiative, where all students and staff come together to read the same book. This year, we are reading Wishtree by Katherine Applegate, a heartwarming story about a wise and caring tree named Red who serves as the "wishtree" for a community, where people come to share their hopes and wishes. The book beautifully explores themes of hope, kindness, and the importance of community.
Artwork by Benny Redlein, Courtesy MEMS
March is filled with events promoting literacy, and our entire school community is coming together to celebrate the power of reading. We are hosting a Literacy Dinner on March 27 for families, working on exciting projects with WEQX and GNAT-TV, collaborating with the Manchester Community Library, and hosting several guest speakers in the school to inspire and engage our students. In addition, students will be completing several literacy-based activities in their classrooms to encourage a love of reading and learning.
As we embrace the themes of Wishtree—hope, kindness, and community—we are also raising funds for Make-A-Wish to help grant a life-changing wish for a child with a critical illness.
We are also looking for local business support with food donations (casseroles, zitis, pastas, salad, dessert) for the community meal. We have a lot of families to feed and it runs 100% on donations. If you’d like to donate food for the event, please contact Taryn Cocheo at taryncocheo@gmail.com.
Last year, my now 5th grader took part in MEMS’ first Literacy Month, and I watched the school come alive with activities centered around The Wild Robot by Peter Brown. My daughter started kindergarten during COVID, a time when so many kids, including her, missed out on crucial social interactions and community connections. Seeing the school come together for this initiative—and sharing a delicious meal as a community—was truly inspiring.
This year feels even more special. My son, who was just a newborn when I left the Old Mill Road team, is now at MEMS, as well. He’ll get to experience this program alongside his big sister, making it an even more meaningful tradition for our family.
For more on Manchester Elementary Middle School, click the link.
