Students Score Big At Super Book Bowl

Students Score Big At Super Book Bowl

One hundred and sixty elementary students participated in a variety of reading activities at the first annual Super Book Bowl held Friday at Jefferson Elementary School.

The event, sponsored by the NPPS HAL (High Ability Learner) program and K.I.D.S. Klub Community Connections, was a culminating event of a program started earlier this year called, “Score Big with Books.” Students from across the district formed teams and read twelve books nominated for the Nebraska Children’s Choice Literary Award.

Denise DiGiovanni, North Platte Public School’s HAL Director created Score Big with Books. “Providing additional enrichment experiences for all students is one of our priorities this year,” she said. “We wanted to do something which would bring students from all of our schools together. We also wanted to encourage students to read books, talk about them with others, and personally interact with different kinds of text. A district-wide reading challenge was a way to accomplish those goals.”

Twenty-five teams signed up and competed in the Super Book Bowl. During the competition, they fielded questions game show style from KNOP-TV Sports Director, Joe Swift. The winning team received a trophy and a prize bag filled with donated items from the University of Nebraska Athletic Department, A to Z books, Waldenbooks, and author Rejean Luebs Shepherd.

The teams were cheered on by family members and other students who were attending the Super Book Bowl Mega Day organized by K.I.D.S Klub. In addition to the reading competition, students had the opportunity to make bookmarks and pennants, play Bingo for Books, and vote for their favorite story. They also got to participate in reading and sports activities with the NPCC Knights, NPHS football players, and NPHS cheerleaders.

Local sports celebrities were also on hand. Division II Football Player of the Year, Danny Woodhead, read a book to the students and talked to them about the importance of practice and goal setting. Marcia Serrato, a NPPS teacher, shared her experience as an Olympic torch carrier.

The Book Fair was another highlight. Children attending K.I.D.S Klub’s before and after programs displayed booths they had made for each of the books on the reading list. Carrying Keep North Platte and Lincoln County Beautiful bags, students toured the booths and quickly filled their bags with small tokens related to the books. Kids visiting the booth of Tooth Fairy’s First Night, by Anne Bowen, for example, received a toothbrush donated by Dr. Barrett Klemm. At Sakes Alive, A Cattle Drive, by Karma Wilson, students pocketed cow finger puppets. At each booth, students could also sign up to win larger prizes. Prizes were handed out at the end of the day.

“We’re thrilled to have partnered with HAL and members of the community for another fantastic learning event,” said Michael Davis, Director of K.I.D.S Klub’s Supplemental Education. “By working together, we can impact a greater amount of students and deliver more unique educational opportunities, like the Super Book Bowl, that will help us achieve the district’s mission of student learning, student achievement, and student success.”