Sebring Local Students, Staff, Local Partners Shine the Light on Literacy at Community Event
SEBRING, Ohio (September 19, 2023) – Nearly 300 students, families and Sebring Local Schools staff gathered together under the lights at the school’s Schaefer-Davies Football Stadium to read books, interact with special guests and participate in family-fun educational activities at the school’s second annual “Literacy Under the Lights” community event.
McKinley students representing Language Club, Cross Country, Basketball, Cheerleading, Football and Volleyball led stations for students in preschool through 9th grade, who wore VIP badges.
Stations included reading, crafting bookmarks, reading pointers, story puppets, and alphabet bracelets, as well as playing spelling games, journaling/writing stories, playing games and listening to stories in Spanish, and learning and spelling cheers.
Special guest, Northeastern Ohio author, Sally Kurjan, and her one-eyed rescue dog Bernie, the star of her series, “Bernie the One-Eyed Puppy,” as well as illustrator, Shannara Harvey, were available for a meet and greet, free-giveaways, and even gave a tutorial on how to draw Bernie.
Other special guests included the Sebring Library’s mascot, “Booker the Bear,” who provided free resources and giveaways. Texas Roadhouse mascot “Andy the Armadillo” handed out free kids meals.
During halftime, students and families set up blankets and read together on the field.
Guests had the chance to participate in a book swap, and new books were collected to hand out to students in the district. More than 25 prizes were awarded, including a grand prize of a Reading Nook!
“We’re grateful for the many hands that went into making this event possible,” says Jill Dennis, family engagement coordinator for Sebring Local Schools. “We’re really proud of our older students for taking the initiative to be leaders and role models, and our younger students for their excitement to read and learn.”
Students also had the opportunity to receive purple postcards for displaying and reciting the B.L. promise, “Be responsible, be respectful, be safe and be positive,” organized by members of the school’s Positive Behavioral Interventions and Supports team.
In addition to Sebring’s students and staff, the event was made possible through the support of its partners, including B.L. Miller Elementary Partners in Education (P.I.E.) and PBIS team, Sebring Library, United Way’s Success After Six program, Texas Roadhouse, author Sally Kurjan & Bernie the one-eyed dog, former alumni, Carl & Josie Scarpitti Foundation, and Friends of Sebring Parks.
