Childhood classrooms became full circle moments with the Read Across the ‘Boros event, hosted on March 11, which gave seniors the opportunity to return to their former elementary schools and read to current students.
This is the second annual year of Read Across the ‘Boros, and librarian Kimberly Honey hopes to continue it in the future. What started as community readers simply reading to the Northborough elementary schools has evolved into a more meaningful experience, allowing seniors to revisit their former elementary schools in Northborough or Southborough, and interact with younger students and teachers who started it all.
“[The elementary students were] in awe,” Honey said. “I think that was the biggest shift because having [a local community reader] come in, they are like ‘ehh,’ but when they see kids that they get to see at basketball games and soccer games and lacrosse games, they just love that and it makes it more special.”
Honey hopes the event will become a lasting senior tradition.
“I am hoping that it becomes more of a senior event that the kids see as a fun thing to do,” Honey said. “It is [also] a way to give back to the community because those elementary kids love to see you guys.”
On top of getting in contact with the librarians and making sure that there were enough volunteers to go around both towns, Honey emphasized the often-overlooked role of school nurses in ensuring student safety.
“Another part of the planning that people don’t recognize is the school nurses,” Honey said. “They look at all of our senior kids that are going to participate. Any kid who has a medical concern or condition, they need to let the nurses know, so elementary schools know they are coming.”
According to Honey, scheduling is the biggest challenge with this event. She wants to ensure that all students who want to participate have the chance to do so.
“It’s just looking globally at when we can find time for our very busy students to have time to do it,” Honey said. “Because if they are in sports, or if they are in DECA or if they work, they need to have enough time to know so they can plan things.”
Despite these challenges, the impact of the event makes it worthwhile. Honey often hears positive feedback from the elementary school staff after the visits.
“I hear from the elementary librarian that our kids are so respectful, and are so great with the little kids,” Honey said. “Then [they say] ‘Yeah, it was great they stayed for an hour after and visited all of their elementary school teachers.’ It’s this full circle moment that the elementary school teachers get to see students all grown up.”
Senior Stephanie Bernzweig shared her positive experience visiting Peaslee Elementary School in Northborough.
“I saw all my old teachers and it was so fun, I miss them so much,” Bernzweig said. “It was so weird seeing them being almost an adult now… [Peaslee] seemed a lot smaller, it seemed very familiar and nostalgic.”
Senior Cooper Davis also found the experience meaningful.
“I thought it would be interesting to go back to the elementary schools and read to a new wave of students,” Davis said.
Davis works with the kids at the Northborough Extended Day Program (NEDP) at Zeh Elementary School, so the kids were able to see a familiar face.
“My favorite part was walking into the classroom and there were five little second graders who went ‘Oh my gosh it’s Mr. Cooper,’” Davis said. “Their faces lit up because they didn’t expect to [see] me.”
Davis even wished that he could stay a little longer with the kids to interact with them more.
“I think there should be a fun activity where we do something with the kids because they asked us questions, but the second graders didn’t have much to say,” Davis said. “But I understand that it’s a lot of work.”
Honey left with a final note for the upcoming seniors.
“I hope all of the juniors who are reading this will save time for the second week of March next year, to be part of Read Across the ‘Boros,” Honey said.
