The Kosciusko School district is starting a new program to get kids reading 20 minutes every day.
Dr. Zachary Bost, the district’s superintendent, announced the new Read 20 initiative during the Kosciusko School Board’s Monday meeting.
“Students who read 20 minutes a day scored in the 90th percentile for standardized tests,” said Bost. “If we want to make a big difference in this community and this district, we’re going to work as hard as we can between those four walls. And the more we engage our community, the better we’ll be. So we want to challenge people to read for 20 minutes a day.”
The initiative is districtwide. Students in grades pre-K-5 received reading partnership pacts Monday. The forms were taken home for the children and their parents to sign and return to school.
“We’re just asking the parents to set aside 20 minutes per child,” said Lisa Crosby, the district’s pre-K-5 curriculum director, after the meeting. “If they can read, we would like for the child to read to the parent. If they cannot read, we would like the parent to read to the child. This would be an everyday thing.”
The pacts are a way for the school district to form a relationship with parents, Crosby said.
“For the parents to be an integral part of their child’s education,” she added. “We want to do this together.”
The state championship winning Lady Whippets fastpitch softball team members were also honored at the meeting. Each member who attended was presented a certificate by Bost and Athletic Director Macy Wilbanks.
“We haven’t had a good chance to celebrate y’all, so congratulations on behalf of the whole community,” said Bost to the team members. “You have raised pride for our whole school and what it means to be a Kosciusko Whippet, so thank you for your hard work and what you have accomplished.”
Bost also gave an update on the turf at Landrum Field.
“We’re hoping to get that moving pretty soon, toward the end of the month,” he said “We’re hoping to be in time for the second home football game. That’s our wish right now.”
The turf company has had backorders, but as soon as the turf gets in, it will be ready to go down on the field. “That’s what we are waiting on. Once they get it all lined up, we’ll be good to go.”
Kosciusko’s first game of the season, which was originally set as a home game against Yazoo County, will now be played at Yazoo City rather than its home game alternative, Holmes Community College. Holmes is having the same issue with turf since it is using the same turf company.
A community pep rally is coming up on Aug. 16 at the Attala County Courthouse.
