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A middle school reading program from E3
The middle grades are pivotal in the development of literacy skills. It
is during these years that students shift their focus from learning to
read to using reading to learn. Strong literacy skills in grades
6 through 8 pave the way for success in high school and beyond. And
while we've made great strides in elementary reading skills, these
skills drop dramatically in middle school and high school. In fact,
nearly half of all students do not meet the tenth grade standards for
reading in Oregon. ( See benchmarks.)
Literacy Partners connects community volunteers with identified
students who share their love of reading and help students improve their
reading skills by doing simple reading excercises.
Community Update
Co-chaired by Superintendent Jeremy Lyon and Intel's Education Manager, Morgan Anderson, the Hillsboro Literacy Partners effort launched in 2006 at all four area middle schools. Tied to one of the district five strategic initiatives - continuing the Hispanic outreach programs to ensure all students meet standards and graduation requirements - this program pairs mentors with Hispanic students in English Language Learner classes.
Together mentor pairs engage in a variety of activities that involve reading. Whether it's reading and discussing Harry Potter, researching college websites, or solving a word puzzle, mentors help students build literacy skills. The program runs weekly for an hour, either in the early morning or during lunch. A working knowledge of Spanish is helpful, but not essential.
Literacy can impact one's income level, occupation, education, housing, and access to medical care. Literacy Partners aims to help Hillsboro students develop a love for reading and be poised for success in school and life.
Mentor recruitment continues on an on-going basis. Mentors are asked to make a 15 week commitment throughout the school year. To learn more, please contact Saideh Haghighi.
If you are interested in getting involved in Literacy Partners in Hillsboro contact:
Saideh Haghighi
Hillsboro School District
(503) 844-1500
Saideh Haghighi
Thanks! 2006-2007 Participating Employers
Comcast
IBM
Intel
Kaiser Permanente
Microsoft
Umpqua Bank
Founding Leadership Team
Co-Chairs
Jeremy Lyon, Hillsboro School District
Morgan Anderson, Intel
Team:
Mario Alba, Thomas MS
Morgan Anderson, Intel Corporation
Gustavo Balderas, Hillsboro School District
Lu Biado, Brown MS
Jill Brooks, Bank of America Loan and Mortgage Center
Don Brown, Brown MS
Joel Carey, Umpqua Bank
Shannon Grosswiler, Comcast
Saideh Haghighi, Hillsboro School District
Jeremy Lyon, Hillsboro School District
Gail Merrion, Hillsboro School District
Ann Mulroney, Pacific University
Deanna Palm, Hillsboro Chamber
Dave Parker, Evergreen MS
Wendy Ray, Kaiser Permanente
Rane Stempson, Microsoft Corp
Greg Timmons, J. W. Poynter MS
Greg Vandehey, Verizon
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