Fairview begins literacy program

Fairview Elementary School Principal Tammy Miller welcomed several IU Herbert Presidential Scholars to Fairview Tuesday night to introduce them to the literacy program they will participate in with Fairview students.

Fairview, which has received two failing grades by the Indiana State Board of Education two years in a row, is implementing a literacy program and incorporating the help of the Scholars.

“It’s just phenomenal that we have connected,” Miller said.

Miller said despite what people think about the A-F rating system, students at Fairview aren’t receiving what they need to succeed.

Miller said about 90 percent of students at Fairview are on free and reduced lunch and 70 percent are behind in lessons they should be learning at their grade level.

The program will take place once a week during April and the sessions will last an hour.

The students who will participate in the program are ones the Fairview community believes will benefit from the program the most, Miller said. The parents of these children will also be involved with the tutoring sessions.

Miller said they hope parents will learn some new skills so they can help their children at home. Dinner will also be provided for the families.

Miller said about 30 Fairview students will be paired with Herbert Scholars on a one-to-one basis.

Miller told the Scholars to engage the students by doing activities such as asking them to imagine another character’s point of view and encouraging them to read throughout the week.

The students who participate in the program will be able to take an iPad home with them during the program. Miller said the Monroe County Community School Corporation has agreed to buy Hotspots for families without Internet access.

The program will also receive books from Barnes and Noble, and each week the student will be able to pick out a book to take home.

In the fall, Fairview hopes to start a year-round program.

Miller said she thinks the program will be beneficial for both the Scholars and the students and said the relationship will keep the children coming back.

“You bring many gifts and assets to our children,” Miller said. “We’re very grateful.”

The Scholars will spend their first day with the children next week.

Junior and Herbert Scholar Elizabeth Rettig said she volunteered for the program because she hasn’t ever worked with children. She also said she thinks she did well in school because she read well for her grade level.

“I wanted to challenge myself because reading is really important,” she said.