The joy of reading

SHARON — Volunteers from the community gathered at Sharon Center School (SCS) for the annual Read Aloud day on Feb. 12. Read Aloud day is coordinated by the Northwest Corner of Connecticut Chamber of Commerce and sponsored by the Alcoa Foundation. Alcoa provides funding to purchase the books that are read to the students (and are then donated to each classroom’s library). The Read Aloud program is meant to emphasize the importance of reading to elementary school children in the Northwest Corner. Volunteers arrived at SCS for a buffet breakfast in the library before being taken by a classroom representative to read.Kevin LaFond read “Black Rabbit” by Philippa Leathers to the kindergarten class. Emily Bartram and First Selectman Brent Colley read “Nugget and Fang: Friends Forever — or Snack Time?” by Tammi Sauer to the first-graders.Kathy Amiet read “Lucky Ducklings” by Eva Moore to the second-grade class.Selectman Jessica Fowler read “The Eagles Are Back” by Jean Craighead George to the third-graders.Barclay Prindle read “Each Kindness” by Jacqueline Woodson to the fourth-graders.John Mathews read “Nelson Mandela” by Kadir Nelson to the fifth grade. Kim Fallon read “Gandhi: The March to the Sea” by Alice McGinty to sixth-graders.Janet Manko, Meg Szalewicz and Liz Shapiro read “Razia’s Ray of Hope” by Elizabeth Suneby to the seventh and eighth grades.