RAV Award Winners

Northumberland Elementary
Northumberland, Virginia
Read Aloud School of the Year
2005-2006

Willard Elementary
Norfolk, Virginia
Read Aloud Model School of the Year
2004-2005

Fox Elementary
Richmond, Virginia
Read Aloud Model School of the Year
2002-2003

Tazewell County, Virginia
Read Aloud County of the Year
2001-2002 and 2002-2003

Swansboro Elementary
Richmond, Virginia
Read Aloud Million Page Winner of the Year
2001-2002

Pemberton Elementary
Henrico County, Virginia
Read Aloud Highest Percent Participation of the Year
2001-2002

Northumberland Elementary School is proud to be the Read Aloud School of the Year 2005-2006. Our goal is to increase our Primary Grade participation to 100%, while extending that growth into the upper grades, eventually establishing RAV at the Northumberland Middle School.

Northumberland Elementary School sought community support from the Northumberland County Woman’s Club when looking for a way to implement Read Aloud Virginia three years ago. The County RAV Director, Jan Bates, knew that finding support for the teachers would “make or break” the success of RAV. The NCWC volunteered to sponsor RAV by contributing $5000 over 5 years and by providing volunteers to read aloud to children in illiterate households or as requested by teachers. They also provided clerical volunteers to assist with record keeping each month. They have continued to uphold their commitments to RAV and the children of Northumberland County.

Last year Northumberland ES held its first “All School Read”. NES families, faculty, custodians, cafeteria workers, secretaries, and even the County Board of Supervisors, ALL wanted to read Because of Winn Dixie! Many scholarship books were purchased by generous parents and community donations.

With the help of the NCWC and the leadership of Jan Bates, Pre K through 3rd grade students and families averaged 85% participation last year, with 3rd grade topping off at 100% participation!

The results . . . SOL scores in excess of 90% in 2005! Read Aloud Virginia promotes total communities supporting READING! Families reading together, volunteers helping out, kids succeeding! Congratulations, Northumberland Elementary School!

Jan Bates
County RAV Director
Northumberland County, VA

Tazewell County has developed a comprehensive read aloud program for the past 2 years. Presently they have hundreds of adult volunteer readers coming into their 8 elementary schools and are expanding their program to include Tazewell's middle and high schools. From Tazewell's Board of Supervisors, School Board, and energetic, 'gung-ho' volunteers, the program is connecting adults and children to love listening to books. One of Tazewell's elementary schools recorded a 30% increase in SOL reading scores and the principal attributed much of that increase to the Tazewell Read Aloud Virginia program.

Swansboro ES has achieved international attention for their read aloud efforts. In the October issue of Reading today, the International Reading Association Journal, an article by Jerry Johns, president IRA, states that, "Darlene Tucker and Gladys Wilder of Swansboro Elementary School in Richmond, Virginia reported great success about their school's involvement in the read aloud movement." Ms. Wilder reports, "Swansboro was delighted to be named Read Aloud Virginia School for the month of March. The school wide ice cream party, filmed by CBS affiliate Ch.6/WTVR on April 19, was a huge success! We would like to thank RAV. Because of Read Aloud Virginia, there has been a tremendous increase in the number of parents, teachers, and volunteers reading aloud to our students.

Pemberton ES was 'Read Aloud Virginia 2001-2002 School of the Year' but winning this award did not slow down the school wide effort for 100% parent participation. Pemberton ES Principal John Harding report, "Our second grade teachers had 100% participation in our Read Aloud Virginia program two years ago. Those same students passed to the third grade last year and again 100% parent participation was recorded. Those students took the statewide Standards of Learning (SOLs) tests and amazingly 100% of the students passed 100% of the SOLs. Pemberton ES plans to have 100% parent participation for the whole school by 2004!"

Fox ES started their RAV program two years ago and spent the first year getting everyone to buy into the program. Once the buy in occurred, the Fox program took off like a rocket! Fox ES is now doing a school wide read aloud pilot where the whole school is reading "The Trumpet of the Swan" and everyone is talking about Louis, the main character of the book. The children at Fox ES listened to over 63,000 pages during the month of October 2002, more than the total page count for their first year as a Read Aloud Virginia school!