On Friday, students across Great Bend will welcome the hardworking, Little Red Hen to their classrooms. Celebrating literacy and community involvement, the Great Bend Reads program kicks off district-wide on November 1. 

“This year we’re focusing on our early readers,” said Misty Straub, principal of Lincoln Elementary School and 2019 Great Bend Reads chair. “The idea in mind is to encourage the love for reading using a children’s book that enables families to read and re-read a simple story with a meaningful lesson.” 

Great Bend Reads is sponsored by USD 428 and presented in partnership with the Great Bend Public Library. This year, nearly 1,000 students from pre-k through second grade will receive a copy of the book to take home. The book is also accompanied by a calendar, providing prompts on where and how to read the book each day.

“Read in the car, read with a pet, read with a neighbor … we’ve shared some fun ideas with families to help the story come to life in new ways each day,” said Straub.

Students beyond the ages of k-2 will also participate in Great Bend Reads in various ways. In some buildings, older students will serve as reading mentors and at home, families are encouraged to read together. Great Bend High School’s theater department will also visit each school to perform a skit for students.

At the end of the end of the two-week program, the Great Bend Public Library will host The Little Red Hen’s Barnyard Bash from 10:30 a.m. to noon on Saturday, November 16. The event will include flour and bread baking demonstrations from the Stafford County Flour Mill, touch a tractor, crafts and games planned by the library staff and community partners. 

“The community is invited to join the fun,” said Straub. “The book shares lessons of hard work and responsibility that everyone can appreciate and enjoy, no matter your age. 

For more information about Great Bend Reads and this year’s programing, contact Misty Straub at Lincoln Elementary School, 620-793-1503.