The 2015-16 school year at East Aiken School of the Arts was filled with many “highlight” moments in student literacy aided by terrific support of the school’s “Rotary Readers” program from the Aiken and Sunrise Rotary Clubs and members of St. Paul Lutheran Church.
Celebrating completion of the third year of the program, during which students have read over 31,000 books, Principal Lisa Fallaw and program director Melanie Starks recently detailed a wide range of reading improvements for Aiken Rotary Club members. During the school year, over one hundred students at the school were joined each week by 67 Rotary Club volunteers.
Ms. Fallaw also thanked club members for their portion of a $500 donation which helped the school’s “book fairies” provide a new book to each student.
“Our school’s Rotary Readers are real difference makers in the lives of our students,” she commented. “They are true champions for literacy and give freely of their time as our students improve as readers.”
During the presentation, Ms. Starks stated that in the Fall of 2015, all of the school’s Pre-Kindergarten students were reading below expectation levels. However, by the Spring of this year, not only were those same students meeting expectations, but over 31 percent of students were now exceeding them.
In 2012, only 19 percent of the program’s fifth-grade students were meeting monthly reading goals, but that figure has now improved to 68 percent.
“These outstanding reading achievements are a result of many hours of hard work by our students and the ongoing dedication and service of our Rotary partners,” stated Superintendent Dr. Sean Alford. “We certainly thank each and every one of them and congratulate them on another job well done this school year.”
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