GREEN: Thinking outside the box at Green Primary School has given pupils, parents and educators a gift that keeps on giving.In the first full month since Principal Kevin Finefrock unveiled his plan to bolster literacy within the school, 75 percent of his 950 first- through third-graders have met the first plateau: reading at least 400 minutes at home in October, with a chance to win tickets to a Cleveland Cavaliers home basketball game.Not only have the students been excited since the Sept. 23 assembly when the challenge began, but so have parents and educators.They have witnessed improvement in the pupils’ reading skills since the Cavs No. 1 overall draft pick, Kyrie Irving, a star from Duke University, came to the school, read to the students and agreed to donate tickets if the principal could make a basket from half court.The first shot was just an inch off, according to Finefrock, who had been a guard at Rider University in New Jersey. But Irving, who wasn’t aware of Finefrock’s collegiate prowess, told the principal, who is in his 12th year as an educator, to take a couple more shots. When the third shot swished through the net, the gymnasium erupted. Irving smiled and applauded.Finefrock is in his first year as principal of Green Primary after two years as an assistant principal at Green High School and principal last year at the now-closed Kleckner Elementary. He is still excited about making the ticket-winning shot and witnessing the aftermath in the voices and faces of the parents and students.“In our Free to Read program, we asked our students to read 20 minutes a night, or 400 minutes a month from October through early February,” Finefrock said. “Every student who meets those [monthly] goals gets his or her name entered into a drawing for two sets of two tickets for the student and a parent to attend a Cavs game, hopefully in March.” The students log their reading time daily on a chart, which a parent or grandparent must initial. The principal said the students can read whatever holds their interest, be it a book, magazine, newspaper or the comics.“I have had numerous parents comment on how motivated their children are to read daily because of the opportunity to win Cavs tickets. At this point, I could not be more pleased with the efforts of our students and parents directed toward our reading program,” Finefrock said.“Developing literacy skills is such an integral part of our mission at Green Primary. I am proud of our students, staff and parents for working together to develop lifelong learners.”Parent Carolyn Arny said, “Our kids are excited to go to school and tell the principal and teachers about their reading because Mr. Finefrock and the teachers get excited for them, which motivates them even more.”She and her husband, Curtis, have four children at Green Primary: Skyler, 9, and Taya, 8, both third-graders; Mya, 7, in second grade; and Sawyer, 7, first grade.The proud mother said all four are meeting the 400-
minute requirement, reading either to her or to their father, or sometimes to each other or just to themselves.“I think it has really motivated them. Skyler didn’t really care for reading, and now he’s reading an hour a night and says his favorite subject is reading. Our daughters like reading anyway, but it is motivating them to read longer and do more chapter books instead of just basic books.“We love the program. We like seeing our kids excited about reading. We don’t see it as a burden. They push the parents even when we are busy because they want to do it. It’s definitely a good thing.”Parents Kurt and Aisley Hosey have two children in the program, Brycen, a third-grader, and Kurt II, in second grade.Aisley Hosey said both pupils read 400 minutes a month, noting they started reading nightly in kindergarten. “Since [the school’s] program started, they are reading to me instead of me reading to them,” she said.“Both of our children are big on having a challenge or goal. They always want to do more. They are excited about turning in their minutes. It’s so much fun to listen to them read and see how well they are reading.“The best thing about the program is hearing them read to me. It’s the best feeling ever.”