PSS launches summer reading campaign

The CNMI Public School System is launching an intensive mass media campaign aimed at promoting reading.

The campaign promoting reading begins on Monday, June 20, 2005, with a summer reading program at public elementary school libraries.

Education Commissioner Rita H. Inos explained that each participating child shall receive a “passport” issued by the PSS. The passport includes the student’s name, date of birth, photograph, the school the child attends, and stamped on the front of the passport is the official PSS seal and the READ logo developed by the PSS.

Inos said the passport enables the child to take trips anywhere in the world and take his/her whole family on this summer vacation at no cost and with no immigration and other bureaucratic issues.

Inos stated that the passport enables the child to take home one book every day. The child reads the books and writes on a page in the passport what he/she liked best about the book. The child then signs and the parents review what the child has written and sign and date below their child’s signature. The next morning the child goes to his/her school library and returns the book and selects another book.

The Commissioner noted that the summer reading program at the public elementary schools begins at 7:30am and ends at 12:30pm. She added that a nutritious breakfast, mid-morning snack and lunch will be served to each of the participating students at no cost.

Inos explained that the campaign promoting reading will feature advertisements showing children spending time with their friends at the library reading books. These advertisements will appear in local newspapers starting today and television and radio commercials will be aired inviting students to visit the school library and read.

Inos said that the TV infomercials will also be aired during the KMCV7 News and on three other channels, Nickelodeon, KQED and ABC Family. The infomercial conveys the message that going on vacation is as easy as visiting the school library this summer.

The Summer Reading program, the Commissioner explained, is just the first part of a much larger campaign to increase public awareness and understanding of the successes that PSS students and teachers have achieved, as well as the challenges that the school system confronts on a daily basis. The campaign has a logo—Read Today—with READ standing for Reading for Enjoyment, Achievement and Discovery. It will involve the students, parents, teachers, principals, leaders, businesses and the community. The program is designed to inspire families to read together and parents to be more involved with their children’s learning needs, teachers to engage their students to read and encourage the community to form partnership to build literacy. The program encourages parents and community leaders to join with educators in the challenge to help students achieve the 2008 goal of reading on or above their grade level. (PR)