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Barrington’s Grove Avenue School wins International Reading Award
Grove Elementary first-grader Allie Edwards shoots for the second bucket. Pysical education teacher Jay Rosenberg helps while Principal Dr. Cindy Kalogeropoulos announces results over the loud speaker. | Sarah Ewing~For Sun-Times Media
Updated: April 8, 2013 6:40AM
BARRINGTON — It’s quite an achievement to win an International Reading Award — and Grove Avenue Elementary school has collected two in the last six years.
Grove was recently selected as the state/provincial winner of the 2012-13 International Reading Association’s Exemplary Reading Program award.
Grove Avenue Principal Dr. Cindy Kalogeropoulos credited the win to the school’s five-week family reading program. The initiative encourages kids to read more at home, with motivational targets set for each grade level.
The theme for this year’s program was Peter Pan because students were able to earn a trip to Chicago to see a performance. Other reading rewards included a pancake breakfast and an hour of game time.
“I so believe that to capture the commitment of kids you have to make it fun,” said Kalogeropoulos, explaining that she aims to have students walk in the doors excited for school.
Rewards are earned by students who read every day. Those students are selected to redeem prizes in a bucket toss contest similar to Bozo’s Grand Prize Game, an event that takes place every day during the five-week program after the morning announcements.
With up to six prizes on the line, students are cheered on by fellow classmates and teachers.
“It’s been a blast,” said physical education teacher Jay Rosenberg.
Dr. Kalogeropoulos, who called the program a “spectacular tradition,” maintained that the teachers deserve recognition for Grove School’s reading prowess.
“Students are definitely excited; there’s such a contagious feeling going around it’s hard for students not to read,” said fifth-grade teacher Jonathan Sricharmorn.
After the five-week program, each grade level receives another special surprise.
This year fifth-graders will take a day trip to Camp Timber-lee, fourth-graders will go to the Indianapolis Children’s Museum, second- and third-graders are headed to The Museum of Science and Industry, and first-graders and kindergartners will spend a day at the zoo.
On April 20, Dr. Kalogeropoulos and two Grove teachers will fly to San Antonio to receive the International Reading award.
