Last week, Orangeburg Consolidated School District 3 celebrated the launch of a program designed to increase literacy levels.

A community effort. A districtwide goal.

Every school in the district will participate in the Pathway to Reading Proficiency program, which is designed to “improve academic achievement across the district,” according to Director of Curriculum and Instruction Bonnie Moskos.

Community members, parents, students and OCSD3 leaders gathered at the gazebo and open yard area at Santee Town Hall. With a dozen or more booths set up on the lawn, students participated in various literacy-oriented activities.

Santee Town Hall staff, police officers, firefighters and additional volunteers read books to groups of students.

Festivities began with the grand entrance of The Cat in the Hat, who was escorted by a fire truck with flashing lights and blaring sirens.

Lake Marion High School drama teacher Patti Connor, playing the part of the popular storybook character, enthusiastically read excerpts from “The Cat in the Hat” and greeted students as they visited activity stations.

Parent Shanell Sheard of Elloree, whose son attends STEM magnet school, described Thursday’s “Literacy Liftoff” as “awesome” and “a great outreach to get the community more involved.”

Sheard was also pleased with the parental involvement.

“I’d give an A-plus on parent participation today,” she said.

Santee Mayor Silas Seabrooks said the Literacy Liftoff was “exciting and very unique.”

As part of the Pathway to Reading Proficiency program, kindergarten through eighth-grade students will spend the first 30 minutes of each day engaged in literacy activities, Moskos has said. At Lake Marion High School, ninth- and tenth-grade students will participate in reading intervention sessions throughout the instructional day.

T&D Correspondent Martha Rose Brown can be reached by e-mail at marfawose@aol.com. Discuss this and other stories online at TheTandD.com.

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