STARPOINT: Reading program paints a good picture

PENDLETON March 29, 2008 02:23 am

— If a picture is worth a thousand words, then a live painting would have to be a million. Not that it matters how many words there are, because kids at Fricano Primary School would probably read every one of them.
Fricano principal Bonnie Calamita was turned into a live "Jackson Pollock" painting, a reward for Starpoint students in kindergarten through second grade, at the annual Parents As Reading Partners assembly Friday. Pollock was an artist known for his painting style, which was using a brush to randomly fling paint. The students had to read every night and meet a goal for the amount of time spent reading — which they did.
“They were challenged again to read for a minimum of 150,000 minutes,” Calamita said. “Right from day one, they were so excited about this. In the morning, they would stop on their way into school from the buses and tell me ‘I read for 25 minutes last night.’ They are really excited about this.”
Art teacher Patrick Root tied in the PARP reading mission by teaching the kids about Pollock in their art classes. During the assembly before Calamita was brought on stage, students picked out a work of Pollock’s from a slideshow of different pieces from a variety of artists. Calamita said teachers have noticed an improvement among students academically, thanks to the PARP and some of the other things Starpoint is doing in the classroom.
“It’s definitely increased their interest in reading and the amount of time they spend outside of school,” Calamita said. “We hope that this is just one piece, that could be attributed in conjunction with a balanced literacy program in daily instruction, to help improve their overall reading skills. We hope this fosters a love of reading.”
Children turn in a reading log, and according to Root, students have read about 200,000 to 250,000 minutes. Students are encouraged to read about 20 minutes a night he said. To further encourage the kids, there is a mural of Calamita that students put a paint dot on when they read. But Friday they got to see the real thing.
“It really gets them excited about reading,” Root said.
To start the show off, educational entertainer Glenn Colton performed a number of songs. One in particular dealt with reading, describing what the letters R, E, A and D stand for. When Colton began singing the chorus, the kids sang back, much to his surprise. He also showed a picture of himself from years ago and asked the students to say that he hadn’t changed.
“What you gain with reading will never change,” he told the kids.
Colton asked students who enjoyed reading, and hands shot up all over the auditorium. He also asked who was putting up their hands just because they wanted to put their hands up.
The hands came up again.
The kids sang along with Colton and even mimicked his dance moves. Colton picked out kids from the audience to help him with a song by holding up signs.
Mr. Bear from Fricano’s morning announcements made an appearance to say how proud he was of the kids. Later he introduced his brother, who got out of his wheelchair and ran around the auditorium jumping around and doing somersaults. Mr. Bear also chipped in with painting Calamita by using a broom to flick the paint on her.
Root started the Calamita painting by flinging with a paintbrush. Starpoint teachers used larger brushes, spray bottles and containers of paint to cover Calamita in a barrage of colors. Even Superintendent C. Douglas Whelan joined in, showing up at the assembly to tell the kids how proud he was of them... and to use a paint sprayer on Calamita. Root finished it by dumping green paint on Calamita.
The kids roared their approval.
Covered in paint from head to toe, Calamita said she felt like she needed a shower. But she was more than happy to do anything to get kids to read. In the past, Calamita has kissed a cow, been slimed and turned into a hamburger to help entice Fricano students to read.
“It’s always worth it,” she said.
Contact reporter Joe Olenick
at 439-9222, ext. 6241.

Fricano Primary School’s PARP success
• GOAL: Every year, students are challenged to read for 150,000 minutes
• RESULT: Fricano students have hit the goal all four years Bonnie Calamita has been principal
• INCENTIVES: The past three years, Calamita has kissed a cow, been slimed and turned into a hamburger to help entice kids to read

Photos

PAINTING BY THE (READING) NUMBERS: Fricano Primary School Principal Bonnie Calamita is doused with yellow paint by her secretary, Karie Myers, and other faculty members. Calamita volunteered to become a living painting as a reward for students participating in the Parents as Reading Partners program.