June 24, 2025
It was a slam dunk reading year for City Academy’s 1st graders, who combined the excitement of March Madness with a record-breaking milestone — one million words read!
Students participated in the March Madness fun with a “Book Bracket” led by Humanities Teacher Celest Wilson. Sixteen books were read aloud throughout the week, with a bracket structure inspired by the NCAA tournament. In earlier rounds, students voted on paper ballots and wrote short sentences explaining their choices, encouraging thoughtful reflection and critical thinking.
The day of the championship matchup, the classroom was decorated with basketball-themed elements, and students snacked on treats like Cheeto balls as mini basketballs.
For the final “read-off,” Dr. Noah Hollenkamp performed his best country twang impression while reading The Wonky Donkey, while Ms. Wilson turned up the dino drama and Rappy the Raptor. This time, students voted on their iPads, with results displayed live on the screen. Rappy the Raptor emerged victorious, sparking a roar from the students when the winner appeared on the screen and again when the book cover was moved to the “Champion” line on the classroom bracket.
Just weeks later, the entire grade reached another big milestone: joining The Million Word Club. Since August, the 34 1st graders had been tracking their reading totals on a classroom whiteboard. In April, they reached one million words — a remarkable average of nearly 30,000 words per student.
Librarians Marybeth Huff and Martha Altvater marked the milestone by bringing in colorful pom poms, scattering them in the air as they presented an oversized certificate to the class — complete with “Celebration” by Kool & The Gang playing over a portable speaker. The room exploded with dancing and cheers, capping off the achievement in a big way. A pizza party followed a few weeks later, after the class returned from a field trip to the Forest Park Nature Playscape — an extra treat to celebrate their reading accomplishments.
End-of-year STAR testing confirmed the impact of these efforts. First graders grew an average of 1.9 years in reading, closing out the year with an average grade-equivalent reading level of 3.7. These milestones highlight City Academy’s commitment to fostering early literacy through creative engagement and high expectations — ensuring every student is set up for success while developing a lifelong love for reading.