For Immediate Release

Friday, Dec. 6, 2019

Media Contact: Benjamin Paulin
Phone: 781-428-3299
Email: ben@jgpr.net

Medway Families Attend Literacy Night at Burke Memorial Elementary School

MEDWAY — Principal Amanda Luizzi is pleased to announce that Francis J. Burke Memorial Elementary School faculty recently invited students and their families to an evening of family literacy fun.

On Thursday, Nov. 21, families attended multiple workshops as part of the school’s Family Literacy Night. More than 60 families registered for the event, with nearly 25 more dropping in that evening. 

The event, organized by fourth grade teacher Shannon Tonelli, is held annually at the school, with a fresh set of workshops offered this year.

“This event is always a hit with families, and it’s great to see our students and their parents come together to share in their love of reading,” Principal Luizzi said. “I’d like to thank everyone who participated, as well as the faculty members who helped run the workshops this year.”

The four workshops families could attend during the event included:

Memorial Moth Hour: Given the power of stories, families learned how to captivate, surprise and delight an audience with a true story from their lives. Participants used bravery, humor and honesty to tell powerful personal stories. 

Family Book Club: Participants shared their love of reading by discussing and launching a family book club, where adults and children could come together to create a habit of reading or continue a beloved routine. The school plans to come back together on Thursday, Dec. 12 at 5 p.m. to discuss future ideas and opinions. Participants signed up in advance to read one of the following books: “The Get Rich Quick Club” by Dan Gutman, “The Year of the Dog” by Grace Lin, and “Stories for Kids Who Dare to be Different” by Ben Brooks.

Readers Theater: Participants gathered in the school cafeteria where faculty and staff performed a set of readings. Faculty members mixed their love of stories with acting, bringing their favorite books to life. Participants learned tips and rehearsed scenes, and could also perform a scene from their favorite book in front of the audience.

Reading Aloud: A final workshop was a read aloud session featuring Assistant Principal John Kelley and Principal Luizzi reading from some of their favorite books.

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