Kelloggsville — When second-grader Neveya Cavasos-Loonsfoot enters the library, her first action is to check out the books beside the reading chair.
She flips through “Gossie and Gertie” by Olivier Dunrea, the book she’ll soon be reading to a kindergarten class.
“It’s fun when I get to read to the class,” said Neveya, who is a reading ambassador at West Kelloggsville. “I like helping the other kids.”
Developed by media secretary Jen Cole, the reading ambassador program is new to West Kelloggsville this year. The program gives second-graders an opportunity to serve as role models by being mentors to the younger students, Cole said.
“It’s about building a sense of responsibility and leadership with the second-grade students,” she said. “I also wanted to give the students something, a fond memory, that they could carry into the next chapter of their lives.”
Making a Connection
Being a reading buddy is something that Cole herself talks about fondly. A Kelloggsville alum who attended West Kelloggsville during her school years, Cole said she could remember the joy it brought her to work with younger students.
“The elementary used to have up to sixth grade in the buildings,” she recalled. “There used to be fifth-grade reading buddies, which was something that many of the students looked forward to doing.”
To accommodate growth, all of the district’s third- through fifth grades were consolidated into Central Kelloggsville, which opened in 2021. Sixth- through eighth grades are in middle school. Young Fives, kindergarten, first and second grades are housed at Southeast and West Kelloggsville elementary buildings.
“Even though the upper elementary is not here, the school still has an upper class, which is the second-graders,” Cole said. “I thought, why not get the older students involved with the younger ones?”
There currently are 18 students in the reading ambassador program. To be part of the program, a student has to be recommended by their teacher.
There are nine Young Fives through first-grade classes, so each class has two ambassadors who will work with that class throughout the year. Cole said this helps the students in that they know who their ambassadors are and are able to connect with them.
Opening Books, Opening Opportunities
It was easy to see the connection between Neveya and her kindergarten class, as several ran up to her to hug or greet her as they came into the library.
Ambassadors perform a number of duties, Cole said. They read to the class during library time, help students find and check out books and spend time reading with individual students.
“It is so fun to see them be so enthusiastic about it,” Cole said.
Working with other students has broadened her own reading options, said second-grader Stella Byrom.
“I like learning about the books that they are reading,” Stella said. “You might be able to get one when you come back for your own library time.”
Second-grader Laredo Massey said his favorite activity is checking out the books with students.
“I don’t like reading aloud, but if reading makes them so excited and happy, then it makes me excited and happy,” Laredo said.
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