Donation helps continue Read by 3 program
The Bartholomew Consolidated School Foundation announced that the Read by 3 program will continue, thanks to a $5,000 donation from Duke Energy.
Modeled after a program launched in the 2011-12 school year in Indianapolis Public Schools, Read by 3 teaches phonics through systematic and multi-sensory instruction. It seeks to lower statistics that show children who are not reading at their grade level by third grade are four times less likely to graduate as those who can read at grade level.
Read by 3 was piloted last school year in six kindergarten classrooms at Taylorsville Elementary and Columbus Signature Academy — Lincoln Campus. It showed an increase in the number of kindergartners reading at grade level by the completion of the school year: 89 percent of the 140 participating students during the 2014-15 school year were reading at grade level, up from the 81 percent reading at grade level the previous year, according to a Bartholomew Consolidated School Foundation news release.
“Phonemic awareness skills improved greatly among the participating students, and participating teachers have had very positive reactions to the program,” said Laura Hack, Director of Elementary Education at Bartholomew Consolidated School Corp.
This year, the program will expand to include first grade classes at Taylorsville Elementary.
Trinity Lutheran open house planned
Trinity Lutheran High School, 7120 N. County Road 875E in Seymour, will host an open house from 8 to 10 a.m. Saturday. Please enter through the gymnasium.
Information: 812-524-8547
Rotary Youth Exchange conducting info meeting
Students interested in learning a new language or meeting new people are encouraged to attend one of the Rotary Youth Exchange informational sessions Wednesday.
Questions will be answered by the district Rotary Youth Exchange chairperson and a Rotary Exchange student at the 3:30 p.m. meeting in Room C110 at Columbus East High School, 230 S. Marr Road, and the 6:30 p.m. meeting in the cafeteria of Columbus North High School, 1400 25th St.
Bank offering $1000 Tools for Schools grants
Old National Bank is giving communities a chance to vote on the schools they want to see win a $1,000 Tools for Schools Grant.
Public and nonpublic schools in the bank’s footprint and that are listed on the state’s department of education website are eligible for the grant. A total of 14 grants will be awarded. Voting lasts through Sept. 30. Vote once per day at oldnational.com/toolsforschools.
If Old National’s Facebook page gets 15,000 “likes” by the end of voting, the school with the most votes will receive a $5,000 grant.
