Milwaukee Mayor Cavalier Johnson visited the school on March 5 and read to kindergarten and third-grade students. He read a book to scholars and then fielded questions from students for a Q&A session.
Milwaukee Scholars Principal Blaire Beyer said scholars enjoyed Mayor Johnson’s visit and were excited to welcome him to school.
Mayor Johnson’s readings touched on how everyone can love everyone else, which sparked a flurry of Grinch-themed questions from the kindergarten audience.
“He related themes of the book to the Grinch’s heart growing three sizes,” said Principal Blaire Beyer. “We kind of got pigeonholed with the Grinch, but they were excited to have him read to them.”
While the visit from Milwaukee’s mayor may have been brief, the face time with students is important. Johnson also got to see everything going on at Milwaukee Scholars and provide a connection point for the school with local government officials.
“It was really neat to be recognized by him,” Beyer said. “He took that time to come read with our kids. They understand that he is an important person and he set aside time to come connect with our school.
“Mayor Johnson visiting shows support and cohesion within the community and the recognition of us as a charter school and that there's support behind what we’re doing. It helps continue to foster that relationship that we have with both the city and the state, which is important because we are one of two National Heritage Academies schools in Wisconsin.”
National Reading Month is far from over for these scholars, though. The school has plenty of activities lined up to celebrate and emphasize reading.
March is Reading Month, and Mayor Johnson’s visit was just the first of many reading activities at the school this month.
The school plans on continuing its celebration of National Reading Month with a Literacy Night for scholars and their families on March 21. Scholars will also be participating in daily bingo throughout the month with books from the school’s book vending machine serving as prizes.
Way to celebrate reading and connect with community leaders, Milwaukee Scholars!
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About Milwaukee Scholars
Milwaukee Scholars is a tuition-free, public charter school in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, serving students in kindergarten-four through eighth grade. It is part of the National Heritage Academies network, which includes more than 100 tuition-free, public charter schools serving more than 65,000 students in kindergarten through 12th grade across nine states. For more information, visit nhaschools.com.
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