The Summer Is A Great Time To Learn!

During the summer of 2005 Reaching Heights helped connect community resources with school resources to support three book clubs for 9th graders.

Reading well is one of the keys to being a successful student. That is why Mark Sack, teacher leader of the REAL School at Heights High, partnered with Reaching Heights to form three book clubs to keep a targeted group of students reading and writing over the summer.

The small pilot program matched nine participating REAL School students with three volunteer book club leaders who met weekly at a CH-UH public library. Over the course of the summer the groups read the two books assigned for all REAL School students

– The Pact: Three Young Men Make a Promise and Fulfill a Dream and The Secret Life of Bees .

The partnership was a perfect fit. Mr. Sack identified the need and the students, defined the curriculum, and recruited district literacy specialist Helen Hirsch to train the volunteers. Reaching Heights recruited the volunteers, arranged for places to meet, and found sponsors to buy the books for club members. An adult book club funded one of the groups.

Three highly qualified adults are lead the club discussions. They included Ron Curtis, a Heights High alum and University Heights resident who completed his masters degree in education earlier in the year and worked as a special education substitute teacher at Heights after 14 years in the insurance business. He was joined by Cleveland Heights residents Reva Leizman (see photo above), a recently retired Heights High French teacher, and high school parent and alum Felecia Loretz who is working on an education degree. All three were enthusiastic about the clubs, the quality of the conversation, and the student commitment to push themselves as readers.

The four young men who met with Ron Curtis raced through The Pact. Two readers liked the book so much they finished ahead of schedule. The students compared and contrasted their life experiences with the boys in the book.  According to Mr. Curtis,  “ At our last session, we ran 15 minutes over and the boys did not even notice because they were so engaged in the discussion. ”

Thanks to the individuals who purchased books for the summer readers.  Rest assured, they were read!