This after-school event invited families to learn about the reading and writing initiatives going on throughout the school and reinforced how important these skills are for students. This year’s Winter Literacy Night hosted the final round of Advantage’s schoolwide Spelling Bee, where champions from each wing of the school were crowned.
Leading up to the event, all students could participate in their grade’s Spelling Bee. The winner from each grade level earned a spot in the final at Winter Literacy Night to face off against the two other winners from their wing. The K-2, 3-5, and 6-8 wings then had a final round with students studying from a list of grade-level vocabulary words.
Second-grade Teacher Latanya Culberath helped organize the evening, and she said it was exciting to see students engage in the curriculum while they prepared to spell.
“Kids from across all grade levels were able to make connections to their learning,” Culberath said. “They were learning to blend sounds, encode and decode words, and saw the linear process of learning to read. Once you make the learning tangible, that’s when the light bulb goes off.”
While the Spelling Bee finals were in the spotlight, Winter Literacy Night also served as an opportunity for parents to get a sense of what their child’s classroom and curriculum looks and feels like.
Advantage also made sure to provide parents resources to help their student work on these literacy skills at home. With events like these, the school is bolstering its relationships with parents, making for a positive learning experience for students.
Culberath said building these positive relationships with parents is extremely important for the school and the student.
“We can’t do what we do without that parent support,” Culberath said. “We’re not expecting parents to be teachers at home, but we are asking them to be encouraging. We want to be on the same page in the same book, speaking the same language.”
With spelling champions earning their crown and parents building their partnership with the school, Advantage’s Winter Literacy Night was a success once again this year.
What a great event! Keep up the great work, Ms. Culberath and all of Advantage!
About Advantage Charter Academy
Advantage Charter Academy is a tuition-free, public charter school located in Baker, Louisiana, serving students in kindergarten through eighth grade. It is part of the National Heritage Academies (NHA®) network, which includes more than 100 tuition-free, public charter schools serving more than 65,000 students in kindergarten through high school across nine states. For more information, visit nhaschools.com.
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