Free Books Marks Start of Summer at Morris Elementary

Click the above photo to see more from the Literacy Night event at Morris Elementary School.

Yes, yesterday was the last day of school, but that’s not what the celebration was all about last night at Morris Elementary – on the contrary.

The race car and the jugglers and the balloon animalist on the front lawn were just bait to hook the kids and their families.

The event was only the first in a series of Literacy Nights that are planned throughout the summer thanks to a 21st Century Community Learning Center (CCLC) grant the school was awarded by the Iowa Department of Education.

The main attraction was the tent full of free books. And it’s portable. Seven times in June and July it will be making the rounds in the Morris bookmobile. The bookmobile calendar was printed on flyers and magnets that were distributed and so were the dates of six more Literacy Nights that will feature everything from hot air balloons to zoo animals to carnivals to art museums.

But the common denominator of all the events is increased emphasis on literacy and continued reading throughout the summer to minimize the attrition of skills acquired over the past school year. In addition to the 21st CCLC, United Way has kicked in with donations of books so students can check them out for keeps and for free.

Eventually a light shower forced last night’s festivities inside to the school gym. But it didn’t last long and when it passed a rainbow broke out in the sky over Morris like a vivid, radiant omen for the summer ahead. School’s out, but it’s far from over.