Third Graders Become Engaged Citizens for World Read Aloud Day

In celebration of World Read Aloud Day, third grade students connected with residents from Gramatan Village, who served as guest readers at Bronxville Elementary School. The experience fostered community engagement, promoted empathy through literature and reinforced key values, such as perseverance and the joy of reading. 

Third grade teacher Diandra Salmeri expressed that by connecting students with local residents, the initiative supported the district’s commitment to engaged citizenship – one of the key dispositions of the Bronxville Promise. 

“I hope the students took away a sense of the joy and power of reading, as well as an appreciation for the importance of storytelling,” teacher Krystle Tawil said. “By having the residents from Gramatan Village come in and read aloud, the students were able to connect with a wider community. Most importantly, I hope the experience helped foster a love of reading that will stay with them throughout their lives, motivating them to continue to develop their reading skills and imagination.” 

During their visit, the residents read “I Am Human: A Book of Empathy” by Susan Verde, which connected to the students’ schoolwide theme of empathy. The book explores the difficult sides of being human, including failure. 

“In our classroom, the students are consistently being encouraged to never give up in the face of challenges,” teacher Danielle Biskup said. “We often have class discussions about how to respond when we fail or do not achieve a certain outcome we are hoping for. The book gave great examples of times to persevere in life, and those scenarios led to great conversations with the resident who visited our room.”