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Reading week is big hit at Dobbins Elementary
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Neighbors | Submitted.Mahoning Valley Scrappers mascot Scrappy visited the classrooms at Dobbins on May 7 to kick-off the school's Right to Read week. Scrappy (left) let Elaine Fabrizi's kindergartners play with a beach ball during his visit.
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Neighbors | Submitted.The second-graders of Karen DeVito were all smiles during the first day of Right to Read Week on May 7, when Mahoning Valley Scrappers director of Group Sales Mark Libs (left) dropped in with mascot Scrappy to read to the students.
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Neighbors | Sarah Foor .Right to Read Week featured fun activities like sing-alongs to "Take Me Out to the Ballgame" and "Drop Everything and Read" Day. To follow the week's baseball theme "Reading is a big hit at Dobbins," students and teachers were invited to wear their favorite sports jersey and ballcap. The students enjoying the close of right to read week were, from left, Brody Todd (front), Erin Morell, Ryan Boano (back), Kevin Kushner, and Samantha Burnbrier. Kushner was also the lucky winner of a raffle basket containing baseball gear and 8 Scrappers tickets.
By SARAH FOOR
Dobbins Elementary celebrated Right to Read Week May 7-11 by going out to the ball game with the theme “Reading is a big hit at Dobbins.”
Dobbins kicked off the event on May 7 by singing “Take Me Out to the Ballgame” to start the school day. Officials from the Mahoning Valley Scrappers, including Director of Sales Mark Libs and Box Office and Merchandising Manager Stephanie Novak, stopped into Dobbins classrooms to read to the students. The team’s mascot Scrappy also dropped in the classes to cause some mayhem.
Libs read to Kim Aikens’ first-graders and then answered curious questions about Scrappy. Libs said the pesky dog has chewed up many baseballs at Eastwood Field and that Scrappy prefers nachos and hot dogs over regular dog food.
In Ohio, Right to Week celebrated its 35th anniversary. The event, which is unique to each school, promotes the joy of reading, improving reading skills, discussing ideas in books, and sharing a love of books within schools, families, and communities.
The rest of Right to Read Week at Dobbins included a visit from the Poland library to discuss its summer reading program and a “drop everything and read” day where students brought sports-related books from home to read.
On May 11, students and staff wore baseball jerseys and caps and sang “Take Me Out to the Ballgame” one last time.
Throughout the week, raffle tickets for a sports-themed basket were sold, with all proceeds benefitting the Dobbins school library.
Principal Cheryl Borovitcky said the event is special for her students each year.
“This week emphasizes the importance of reading for our students in a creative way. This week’s theme was just the right match for our reading efforts,” she said.
Third-grader Jackie Grisdale agreed.
“Drop everything and read time was really fun because reading is awesome. Scrappy’s visit was very fun, too,” she said.