Press Releases
05/17/2019
Governor Lamont Launches 2019 Summer Reading Challenge
Winners of the 2018 Summer Reading Challenge Recognized
(HARTFORD, CT) – Governor Ned Lamont, State Department of Education Commissioner Dianna R. Wentzell, and State Librarian Kendall F. Wiggin today announced the launch of the 2019 Governor’s Summer Reading Challenge – an annual, statewide program encouraging students to read books during the summer months. This year’s theme is “A Universe of Stories.”
Coordinated by the Connecticut State Department of Education in cooperation with the Connecticut State Library, the challenge is a statewide competition for schools based on student population and grade level. Each year, the schools with the highest percentage of participating enrollment and the highest number of books read by participating students at the end of the summer are recognized for their accomplishments.
“Research indicates that children who do not read during the summer can lose reading progress made during the past school year,” Governor Lamont said. “We want to encourage all students to read, learn, and have fun with books during the summer months.”
“Now that the 2019 Governor’s Summer Reading Challenge is under way, we encourage schools to get as much student participation as possible to support their efforts to ensure every child becomes a proficient and confident reader,” Commissioner Wentzell said. “The challenge is a fun way to keep students’ minds active during the summer break so they retain the reading and comprehension skills they learned during the previous school year but, just as importantly, it also provides an opportunity to get kids excited about books and begin a lifelong enjoyment of reading. Congratulations to the 2018 top-performing schools and students and our sincere thanks to our school and library partners for their help to make this program successful each year.”
“The State Library is proud to be a partner with the State Department of Education in promoting the Governor’s Summer Reading Challenge,” Wiggin said. “The Governor’s Summer Reading Challenge is a wonderful opportunity for our state’s students to visit their local libraries and explore the universe of books in Connecticut's public libraries.”
Student journals, district reporting forms and all other materials related to the program are available online. The Governor’s Summer Reading Challenge supports community programs run by local public libraries. Many public libraries will utilize the READsquared Reading Program, which allows students to access their summer reading logs anywhere they have an internet connection (including mobile devices). Schools that coordinate with their public library may choose to have students use this online reading log, rather than a paper one.
Students have read millions of books since the program began in 1996. The summer reading program also supports community initiatives run by local public libraries and recognizes “Outstanding Public Library-School Partnerships.”
The top-performing schools from the 2018 Governor’s Summer Reading Challenge are:
Elementary Schools
- Alcott Elementary School - Wolcott Public Schools
- Booth Free School - Regional School District 12
- Burnham School - Regional School District 12
- Frisbie Elementary School - Wolcott Public Schools
- Lee H. Kellogg School - Regional School District 1
- Kent Center School - Regional School District 1
- Wakelee Elementary School - Wolcott Public Schools
- Washington Primary School - Regional School District 12
Middle Schools
- Amity Middle School-Bethany - Regional School District 5
- Amity Middle School-Orange - Regional School District 5
- Ellington Middle School - Ellington Public Schools
- Hillcrest Middle School - Trumbull Public Schools
- Irving A. Robbins Middle School - Farmington Public Schools
- Tyrrell Middle School - Wolcott Public Schools
High Schools
- Norwich Technical High School – Connecticut Technical Education and Career System
Unique/Private Schools
- Riverview School - Unified School District 2
- Saint Gregory the Great School - Diocese of Bridgeport Catholic Schools
- Talcott Mountain Academy
Additional information on the Governor’s Summer Reading Challenge is available on the State Department of Education’s website.
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