Roz the robot will greet Great Bend elementary students when school resumes in January during the 2024 Great Bend Reading Initiative. “The Wild Robot,” by Peter Brown, has been selected as this year’s book, and the whole community is invited to get involved.
The Great Bend Reading Initiative, GB Reads for short, first launched in 2015 to promote student literacy skills through school and family engagement.
“GB Reads is a shared experience for children and parents,” said JoAnn Blevins, director of teaching and learning for USD 428.
“There is a positive link between family involvement, literacy skills, and success in school. GB Reads is a fun and engaging way to build vocabulary, foster an enjoyment for reading, and strengthen parent-child relationships,” said Blevins.
GB Reads will launch on January 8, 2024, with all USD 428 elementary students from kindergarten through sixth grade receiving a copy of “The Wild Robot.”
“We always look for books that will engage our readers in both English and Spanish,” said Holly Tittel, USD 428 librarian. “The themes of friendship, resiliency, conservation, and STEM (Science Technology, Engineering, and Math) will be explored in the book and brought to life by our awesome community partners who will visit our schools and share lessons with our students.”
GB Reads is sponsored by USD 428 and presented in partnership with numerous community members. This year, over 1,300 students will receive a copy of the book, along with a calendar providing a schedule for reading the book and information on supporting activities and events.
2024 GB Reads highlights include:
• Free book for all USD 428 students, Kindergarten through 6th-Grade
• Great Bend Public Library Robot Training/STEM Day, Jan. 27
• Classroom visits from the Kansas Wetlands Education Center Barton Community College STEM, 4-H/K-State Research & Extension, and Shafer Art Gallery
• After-school “Roz the Robot” craft class with the Great Bend Rec
• Choice boards and prompts to get the family involved
• Robots in the Wild Community Scavenger Hunt
New this year, local businesses have sponsored a community-wide scavenger hunt using a mobile app called Goosechase. Families are invited to complete “missions” in the app to seek out robots that have been hand-made by students in the manufacturing class at Great Bend High School. Family fun prize packages will be awarded to five families who earn the most points in the scavenger hunt.
About the 2024 GB Reads book:
When robot Roz opens her eyes for the first time, she discovers that she is alone on a remote, wild island. She has no idea how she got there or what her purpose is – but she knows she needs to survive. As Roz slowly befriends the animals, the island starts to feel at home – until, one day, the robot’s mysterious past comes back to haunt her. “The Wild Robot” is described as a heartwarming and action-packed novel about what happens when nature and technology collide.
For more information about GB Reads, contact the USD 428 District Education Center, 620-793-1500, or visit www.gbreads.net.
By ANDREA BAUER
Great Bend USD 428
