My 8th Annual "Read In"

Eight years ago, as the third teacher in a 3-way teaching cycle, teaching 6th grade English/Language Arts, I had an idea! Read. All. Day. And. Make. It. Fun.



To a 6th grader, that doesn't sound too promising, but add hot chocolate and cookies? Ahhh! When one girl said, "Oooo, that's decent!" I knew I was onto something! So I called it a "Read In", from the idea of historic "sit ins"

Since I started, I've taught three different grades, been a part of a two-teacher and three-teacher cycling team, was a  content area teacher (Science/Social Studies), and a self-contained third grade teacher! I've remained at the same school and experienced three different principals through the eight years of this event and as a 9th year teacher at the school.

Every year it got better and better. It morphed from a simple extended reading session with teacher-provided snacks into an experience that has included: gifts, new books for the day of the event itself (the Bluford Series which they loved), a little "commercial" I created, and homemade cookies by my big sis, Ms. Vanessa. One year our local councilwoman even came to read to them!

This year may have been the biggest metamorphosis yet!
My 8th Annual, "Mr. Flemming Read In"
(couldn't call it 6th grade "Read In" anymore, what, with all the changes and all)

I invited several guest readers to come and take part in the event by reading a story or two to the kids. Among the guests were my own mother and a local news reporter for our NBC affiliate!!

Mom brought goodie bags!
Mrs. Boehner, a retired librarian, brought class gifts including books!
Mr. George from NBC10 brought a little of what he does along with a story he did, in which I was interviewed.
And the college guys, my "nephs", fresh off the books for the semester, brought their hardy appetites! lol, jk (sorta)

Each guest read a book. In some cases, my students helped in choosing a book they wanted read to them!

Ms. Vanessa baked over a hundred cookies for the kids (and staff) to enjoy and ummm.....ENJOY, they did!! #Scrumptious!!! Chocolate chip was their favorite while many of my colleagues satiated their appetite with the oatmeal raisin and the chocolate on chocolate!!

For the past two years, "Mr. Flemming's Read In" has coincided with our school-wide Polar Express and Pajama Day! PERFECT!! We can come in pj's and read all day while enjoying snacks and listening to others read to us!!!

Last year, Cookie Monster pj's for me.
This year, Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles!

The day was great!!
(Personal thanks to my mom and to George, "Kate", Vanessa, Jeremiah, Eric, Marsalis, Ashley, "Principal" (nickname for a mentor of mine not associated with the school), and the parents of my kids who contributed one way or another!!

Interspersed throughout this post, you've undoubtedly noticed the flyers advertising the annual event down through the years. Here are additional ones, followed by this year's announcements!

This year:

This year: