A Trip Down Goshen Lane
As we close out the school year I’ve squeezed in a few more things with students. One thing we squeezed in was hearing what it takes to work at Lucas Film. I have a friend who works in the editing department of Lucas Film and she made a video to share with students what its like to work there. We also talked about coding and being safe when accessing digital resources. We also covered coding and revisited and reviewed all the topics covered this year. I love hearing what your students remember and take away from class. They bring such great insights and discussions to class and I love it.
Now that summer is almost here, all classes talked about the Summer Reading Program at the Columbus Library. We talked about how practicing reading skills allows us to be like soccer greats Messi or Ronaldo, (or other hero your student looks up to) because they have to practice soccer to be the best of the best, and as a reader we have to practice to be the best we can be. The CML program is a great way to earn prizes and to engage your student in reading over the summer.
Here are some tips and ideas to use over the summer
1- Columbus Library has ebooks, audio books, and other content available online that you can access from anywhere. Use your library card to check out materials to a kindle, a phone, or even read on your internet browser. Its a great way to go to the library even if its not possible.
2- Practice your reading skills in other ways. Practice comprehension by asking questions, who was the main character, what was the setting, what events happened, what was your favorite part of the story to things such as movies or tv shows or any events you might see.
3- Good readers set a reading goal. I’ve told the students my reading goal is to beat my goal from last summer which was 57 books! (yes the total was 57). Reading things such as chapter books, graphic novels, picture books that they know and love will still get their skills going and keep them strong.
4- Read in different ways like audio books, e books, print media and so forth. Really let your reader figure out what preferences they have and find out who they are as a reader.
5- Don’t push reading and make it homework. Yes students need to read over the summer, but don’t make it mandatory or burn them out. Try to read 15 minutes or so a day, but if you don’t read everyday that's fine.
6- Finally if your student reads something amazing over the summer, have them write about it and bring it to me when school starts, I am always looking for book recs for me to read as well as ones for to purchase for the school.
Here are some other Summer Reading Programs! You can enjoy!
At Gahanna-Jefferson Public Schools, we have traditionally used an August 1 cutoff for kindergarten eligibility.
Beginning with the 2026–2027 school year, new state legislation creates a single, statewide standard. Children must be five years old on or before the first day of instruction in the enrolling district to be eligible for kindergarten. For GJPS, this means children must be five years old on or before August 20, 2026 to be eligible for kindergarten registration.
Registration for new GJPS kindergarten students for the 2026-27 school year is open.
Registration is now open and spots are limited! Join this free summer event and grow your love for reading, too! This year’s theme celebrates the USA’s 250th birthday, and they've created a patriotic, kid‑friendly reading adventure to match.
Did you know your child can access their online educational apps at home like they do in school? These resources include Lexia and DreamBox, educational accounts to build reading and math skills. Click here to read how.
Mark Your Calendars!
May 28: Quarter 4 Report Cards
