WESTFIELD – 57 volunteers from the Westfield community, including local business people, Westfield State hockey players, parents and school administrators visited the six Westfield elementary schools on Thursday as part of the Reach Out And Read (ROAR) program. Organized by VIPS (Volunteers in Public Schools) coordinator Tiny Macy, the readers brought new books donated by Shurtleff Children’s Services and read them to children in grades 3, 4 and 5, before presenting the books to the schools for their libraries.
Westfield Public Schools CFO Ronald R. Rix read to Amy Haramut’s fifth grade at Russell Elementary School for ROAR on Thursday.
Westfield Public Schools Chief Financial Officer Ronald R. Rix volunteered to read at Russell Elementary School. The school had practiced a lockdown drill earlier that day, according to Principal Alison Hamilton, who said other readers that morning had included two of the WSU hockey team players who wore their jerseys when they read to the third graders. “The kids thought that was fabulous,” Hamilton said.
Before reading, Rix introduced himself to fifth grade teacher Amy Haramut’s class, who were sitting on a rug in a circle before him. He said he works for the school district, used to be the principal of South Middle School and North Middle School, and before that he was a science and health teacher.
One student said he liked Rix’s tie, which was covered with math symbols. Rix said it was one of the school ties his daughter gave him and that he used to wear it to math meetings. He said he also has a science tie.
Opening the book, “Seven and a Half Tons of Steel” by Janet Nolan, Rix said he hadn’t read it himself yet because he wanted to learn the book with the class. Rix asked how the students pick a book to read. Some said by looking at the cover, on the back, and at the information inside the cover
Rix and the fifth grade students had a lively discussion.
“Sometimes I take a look through it,” Rix said. Opening to various illustrations, the class surmised that the book was about a tragic event somewhere. Opening to the first page, there was an illustration of a jet flying into the two towers, and Rix said the story was about 9-11.
Some of the children had never heard about 9-11. Their teacher told them they weren’t born yet when it happened. Rix read that the World Trade Center towers came down, and almost 3,000 people lost their lives. People brought flowers, photographs and candles to Ground Zero.
The book showed workers melting down the steel from the towers. Seven and a half tons of steel, once a beam in the World Trade Center, was now the bow of a Navy ship, the USS New York.
Rix read that once built, the USS New York sailed past the Statue of Liberty to a 21-gun salute. He explained that in a 21-gun salute, seven guns are shot three times in the air to honor those that passed away.
One girl expressed concern about planes flying overhead. Rix said they shoot blanks. He read that when the ceremony ended, the ship sailed to do its work out to sea.
On Sept. 11, 2011, on the 10th anniversary of 9-11, the USS New York sailed back home, bearing the crest, “Never Forget.” Rix said the theme of the book is that something bad happened, but was turned into something good.
During an informal discussion following the reading, one student asked Rix if he was going to come back. Rix explained that he comes to the school once a month, and is in charge of maintenance, technology, and also works with Food Service.
“If you’re a part of the Food Services, can you bring back Nacho cheese?” asked a student, “and salt on the pretzels?” asked another. Rix said he guessed that Food Service was looking at nutrition, but promised to check on it and report back.
Students in Kelly McMahon’s fourth grade class played with homemade slime before cleaning up from recess.
“Would you consider being a substitute teacher?” asked another student. Ron said he would love to. “I love teaching,” he said. He then thanked the students for chatting with him, and allowing him as a stranger to come into their class. “We know who you are. You’re a principal, we trust them,” said a student.
“Have fun. Always do the right thing, even if no one’s watching. Always trust your gut,” Rix said before leaving. “Why not your heart?” asked a student. “Trusting your gut, means if something doesn’t feel right, don’t do it,” Rix replied.
Another volunteer reader at Russell Elementary on Thursday was Alberta Humason, who read to Kelly McMahon’s fourth grade class. “This is a great group, I’m the luckiest teacher in the world. They are kind and respectful to each other,” said McMahon, on welcoming her into the classroom.
The class was just finishing up a 15-minute in-class recess, during which some of the students were playing with home-made slime they had made earlier in the day out of liquid starch and school glue. They cleaned up, put away their activities, and sat down on the reading rug.
Alberta Humason was a school nurse at Highland for 16 years, and is the mother of State Senator Donald F. Humason, Jr.. She introduced herself to the class though as the grandmother of Quinn, who attends first grade at Russell.
Alberta Humason reading about the suffrage movement to Kelly McMahon’s fourth grade students.
The book Mrs. Humason read to the class was “Around America to Win the Vote: Two Suffragists, a kitten and 10,000 miles.” By Mara Rockliff. “They ask us to say why we do this, and why we like to read. When you read, you can go anywhere, do anything,” Humason said.
“Do you believe in 1916, women couldn’t vote?” she then asked, as she explained that the suffrage movement was to gain women the right to vote. Some of the girls expressed disbelief on their faces.
She read that back in 1916, there weren’t many cars on the road. Roads weren’t very good either, as they were for horses and wagons. She said cars had cranks, and no keys. “That’s a lot of work,” one student commented.
Alberta Humason also said that the book has a lot of yellow in its illustrations, because yellow was the color they adopted for the vote for women. Following the reading, she said that women didn’t get the vote until 1920, and then read the 19th amendment granting the right to vote from a small copy of the Constitution she had.
During their discussion, one of the students said he had a 280 page book he reads every day. His teacher said to him that he has been the most excited about reading of any child she has taught. The student said he was hoping for Christmas to get the special edition of the book, which displays secret messages when the lights are turned off.
McMahon said the day before on Wednesday, the class had received their book order from Scholastic Books. The kids (and teacher) ordered $120 worth of books, and received 10 or 11 free books with their order, she said.
At the end of the discussion, Humason presented her copy of the Constitution to the class.
The next ROAR event will take place in the spring. Anyone who wants to volunteer may contact Macy at 413-572-6345 or by email at [email protected].
