City of Dublin
At Daniel Wright Elementary School, staffers face the daunting task of educating a linguistically diverse population of young children, many of whom are at risk of being unable to pass state-mandated tests.
Twenty-one languages are spoken at Wright. Regardless of how vibrant the minds that learn there are or how skilled the teachers are in bringing their pupils’ focus to the material, such language boundaries present nearly insurmountable demands.
That’s where outside help comes in, and Dublin’s network of philanthropic outlets becomes involved. Dublin AM Rotary, a chapter of Rotary International, has teamed up with the Dublin branch of the Columbus Metropolitan Library over the past few years to bring relief to the strained education system. By presenting authors of children’s books to the school once each spring, organizers hope to inspire fervor for reading in the children, which will help them succeed come test time.
Rotary and the library’s approach helps kids at Wright pass the pivotal third grade Common Core tests – no small feat. The elementary-level standardized testing is notoriously challenging for students and teachers and has received national attention for its high expectations of students’ comprehension skills.
One of the ways in which these local nonprofits contribute is by donating a book every week to the Wright school library, a practice which the library hopes will make literacy a more accessible advantage to the students.
“The library is delighted to be doing its part to foster literacy and help young minds start on the path to lifelong learning,” says Library Manager Michael Blackwell, a member of the Rotary board of directors.
On April 28, Rotary and the library will bring David FitzSimmons and his critically acclaimed children’s book Curious Critters to Wright to speak to the second grade student body about how he produced his book and to share his love of reading with the children.
“Rotary is involved with promoting literacy all over the world, and this is just one initiative that we have taken on in the local area,” says
Blackwell.
In addition, this is the second year the Columbus Zoo and Aquarium will bring animals to the event, a practice that emphasizes the event’s concentration on eco-consciousness while also providing a source of further entertainment for the students. At 2013’s literacy event, the zoo brought in various animals including a penguin, baby kangaroo, snake and fennec fox to give the children an interactive learning experience related to the book ZooBorns.
Aside from FitzSimmons, the event will feature community leaders from the City who will help read to the audience of second-graders and tell them how reading has helped area officials succeed. Local dignitaries include figures such as Dublin Police Chief Heinz von Eckartsberg and Washington Township Fire Chief Alec O’Connell, who, along with the author, aim to impress upon the students how literacy helps construct a happy, healthy community.
Zach Maiorana is a contributing writer. Feedback welcome at hbealer@cityscenecolumbus.com.
