NEW SHARON – The howls began after the elementary students packed into the Cape Cod Hill School hallways. Soon the dogsled appeared, pulled ahead by some of the school’s finest readers.
The Iditaread competition is in its third year at CCHS, tying student reading together with the famed Alaskan Iditarod race. Each class’ progress depends on the number of books or number of minutes students read; everything is tracked on a big board listing way stations associated with the famous dogsled race. Kindergarten through 5th grade participate.
This year’s winning musher was teacher Kate Perry’s 4th grade class. Perry’s class was tied with those of Delana Yeaton and Alison Hatch, each reading 380 minutes a day to hit a new way station on the race track, but Perry’s students put up an extra 2,249 minutes of reading to salt away the win.
It’s the third year Cape Cod Hill School has hosted the competition, which is a popular one across much of the country. It began earlier this spring, with younger students tracking the books they read and older ones the number of minutes they spend reading. Teachers chip in 15 minutes per day, librarian Lori Ellis noted.
Additionally, the event allows teachers to tie the Iditarod into their lessons. Students study sled dogs and the race itself.
Bravo, Cape Cod Hill readers/sledders and their teachers!
Congratulations and well done!
I love the drive this give the kiddos to read, thank you!!!
Congratulations to Mrs. Perry’s class and to all of the Cape Cod Hill Readers!!
Mrs. Pike
Great job, kids!