Starfish Initiative

Rockin’ Readers - Through this program designed for volunteers by the school district’s Curriculum & Instruction reading specialists, a volunteer reads aloud 1:1 weekly with a student throughout the school year to instill the love of reading and close the student’s vocabulary gap. The volunteer keeps notes on the student’s interest and progress and completes a feedback survey at the end of the school year.

Book Buddies - This program pairs a volunteer with a student to gift books to build the student’s home library. Four times throughout the school year, the students are guided by their teacher to create a drawing (e.g., What I want to be when I grow up). The drawing is sent to their volunteer who, in turn, sends a book relevant to that drawing along with a note to the student.

Dramatic Storytelling - Through this program Rita Mazer, in full costume and with props, conducts dramatic storytelling sessions for Kindergarten students based on books she selects with the teacher. The five books and supporting materials are gifted to all of the children to develop their home library. A new component was added to this program through which a volunteer extends the students’ experience through a linked art lesson.

Literacy-Linked Art Experiences - Through this program, students complete hands-on art projects that are directly linked to the story presented through Dramatic Storytelling. Materials kits for each project are provided by the Initiative.

TEE Starfish Thespians: Storybooks Alive! – To instill the love of reading, a troupe of volunteers uses minimal costumes and props to present Kindergarten students with entertaining and engaging live interpretative readings of children’s books turned into scripts.

Starfish Sensory Garden – Volunteers design, install, and maintain a special interactive garden for the entire school created to appeal to and stimulate the five senses, concentrating on a wide range of therapeutic, nurturing and calming sensory experiences. Students help to plant, make seasonal projects for the garden, and get in tune with their senses, which is important for higher learning and encourages exploration, learning, and improved concentration.

Starfish Initiative Food Pantry – A team of volunteers led by Marc Halman coordinates with the community’s All Faiths Food Bank to set up and implement food distribution at the school for food-insecure families from our Starfish school.