Berlin Elementary Principal Mrs. Jodi Cataldo’s focus on community outreach has developed an exciting new partnership with our district’s local librarians.
During the summer, Mrs. Cataldo saw an opportunity to team up with our community libraries in Stephentown, Berlin, Petersburgh, Grafton, and Poestenkill to help boost the summer reading program engagement for both the district and its community libraries. The alignment of the summer reading programs proved successful, with local library events, summer food programs, reading initiatives, and celebrations receiving robust turnouts. Upon returning to school, many BES Mountaineers shared about their summer reading and the valuable time they spent at their local library.
Literacy is a critical focus for Principal Cataldo and the staff at Berlin Elementary, with the main goal of getting books in the hands of Mountaineers. Some of the school-wide literacy initiatives taking place at BES include Drop Everything And Read (DEAR), where Mountaineers pause their day to read for 30 minutes, book buddy peer reading, and partnering with Berlin High School’s National Honor Society members and seniors in need of community service to volunteer to read to students in the afternoon.
Principal Cataldo faced a challenge this school year with the loss of an elementary Library Media Specialist, which is not a permanent vacancy but cannot be filled within this school year. As a measure to sustain the library program and the joy of visiting the school library and checking out a book, Mrs. Cataldo reached out to the local library directors to ask for support and lean into the growing partnership.
In September, Mrs. Cataldo invited the district’s local library directors in Grafton, Petersburgh, Berlin, and Stephentown to brainstorm, during a virtual meeting, different ways to sustain the BES Library program for the school year until the position can be filled next school year.
The outcome of the meeting was exciting, and the libraries saw this partnership as a way to reach the youngest readers in the Berlin CSD community and their families and introduce the Mountaineers to the vast programming and resources offered by our local libraries while also sharing their love of libraries in one of the most beautiful school libraries around on the second floor of Berlin Elementary.
The initial plan for the school year is for the Stephentown Library Director, Ms. Kim Ropolo, and Grafton Librarian, Ms. Meagan Salisbury, to alternate visiting during the first two weeks of the month through the school year to read with the students, teaching them how to use a library and its resources, as well as providing Mountaineers an opportunity to sign up for their very own library card. At the beginning of October, teachers at BES signed up for a timeslot to bring their students to the library or for a classroom visit from one of the local librarians.
“The students enjoyed their first visits from our local librarians, who presented the Mountaineers with a library card form to fill out with their families and return to their local library to obtain their very own library card,” said Mrs. Cataldo.
Mrs. Cataldo continued, “It is a great opportunity for our students, who will benefit from the programs presented by the librarians in our library.”
Berlin CSD is grateful for the partnership with the Grafton, Petersburgh, Berlin, and Stephentown libraries and looks forward to the opportunities ahead for the district’s Mountaineers.
Keep an eye out for a library card form being backpacked home with your BES Mountaineers
Photos from Stephentown Library Director, Ms. Ropolo visit with Ms. Hannigan and Ms. Wilson’s Kindergarten class.
Photos: BCSD Communications