Hello Huntley 158 staff & families,
We are back with Huntley 158’s second installment of our community-wide summer reading initiative: Raiders Read Together. Last year, many of you came along with us as we explored Willy Wonka’s famous factory, collected golden tickets, and practiced important literacy skills along the way. This summer, I am thrilled to announce that we will be following the story of Auggie Pullman in the famous bestseller, WONDER! This story is not only a national New York Times bestseller, but is also a wonderful depiction of the power of kindness and courage through themes of acceptance, compassion, friendship and so many more.
Read Along With Us!
We are also excited to share a twist in this summer’s Raiders Read Together as we truly will be reading this story together, IN PERSON! Beginning June 5, we invite all Huntley 158 families to join us at the Huntley Area Public Library at 6:00 p.m. every Monday to read aloud with some community leaders, students, staff and special guests. These read aloud sessions will cover sections of the book you and your family have been reading together nightly. Today, your youngest child in the district will go home with a copy of the book and our community reading calendar. High school students who would like to participate have had the opportunity to pick up a copy of the book at the front desk at Huntley High School during finals week. For our youngest porcupine friends at ECC, we have sent home a copy of R.J. Palacio’s picture book, We’re All Wonders, so that your families can join in on the fun, as well.
Participate in Kindness Challenges! #D158IsKind
We encourage each of you to visit our Raiders Read Together website to learn more about kindness activities that you can engage in weekly all summer long. As you complete these acts of kindness, we welcome you to share or post your results on social media with our slogan: #D158isKind. You’ll also see #D158IsKind signs posted across our community in local businesses, parks and special locations. When you see a sign, be sure to make your mark and tell us what kindness means to you!
Practice Reading Strategies at Home!
Huntley 158 is excited to provide resources for parents to practice positive reading habits and literacy skills to use with their students over the summer months. Along with your family’s copy of the book, your student will be bringing home our community-wide reading calendar and a bookmark with QR code to access our Promoting Family Literacy video series at huntley158.org. These videos have been produced by our staff to share important tips and tools to aid in your student(s)’ reading journey at home and strengthen their skills outside of the classroom.
Raiders Read Together is developed to provide the ultimate, ‘Home, School, Community’ connection. We look forward to taking this journey with all of you!
Happy reading,
Jessica Lombard, Ed.S.
2023-24 Interim Superintendent
