Schools

(Photos) Golden Valley City Leaders are Reading by Example

Noble Elementary students shared a lesson in literacy with important people in the community.

All eyes in Mr. Hubred's fourth-grade class were focused on Golden Valley Police Chief Stacy Carlson as she opened the cover of Bat Night at the Library and began to read last Friday at

"I've never met a police chief before," 9-year-old Wynter said. "And I've never had one read to me either."

For the past three years, Noble staff invited firefighters to read to their students, and reading specialist Melissa Kivi said that made an impression.

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"Our kids are coming in further and further behind," she said. "We need to do whatever we can to find new ways to reach kids—especially the ones who are struggling."

Kivi figured if firefighters could make an impression, then certainly the mayor or the police chief could, too. So as a way to recognize Golden Valley’s 125th anniversary and to increase community involvement in the school, Kivi developed the "Leaders are Readers" idea.

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"When you have important people at your school, it makes you feel important," said 9-year-old Gunnar. "It's also a lot of fun."

Golden Valley Mayor Linda Loomis, Mayor-Elect Shep Harris, council member Dede Scanlon, Police Chief Stacy Carlson, Commander Mike Meehan, and members of the Golden Valley Police Department and Golden Valley Fire Department spent time reading to different classes during the afternoon.

When Mayor-elect Shep Harris told a group of fifth-graders that his favorite book was Confederacy of Dunces, it didn't go over as well as, say, Harry Potter. But then their teacher explained that the kids were also reading historical fiction.

"That's so cool that we're reading the same genre," one student said.

At the end of the day, all the "leaders" joined the kids in the gymnasium for one big—and very quiet—reading event.

Doug Hubred, a fourth-grade teacher at Noble, said it's good for the kids to hear how important reading is from someone other than him.

"We say it every day, but it means something different when they hear it from an important person," he said. "And when they see an important person in their community sitting next to them reading a book, that makes a lasting impression."

Kivi said in the end, the program is even more valuable than teaching the importance of picking up a book.

"When an adult shows value in what they're doing, it's huge in helping them succeed in whatever they do."

Police Chief Stacy Carlson says events like this one benefit the whole community because they help cut down the number of kids who commit crimes.

"Kids who are involved in productive activities have less down time after school—a critical timeframe in which juvenile crimes are frequently committed absent adult supervision and/or something else to fill the time," she said in an email.  "For me, it’s always a day brightener because I get to hear the perspective of great kids, and kids are just fun to be around, period."

And Mr. Hubred's fourth-graders agree.

"What a wonderful opportunity this is," 9-year-old Serena said. "Some kids don't get this opportunity and I'm really grateful."


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