Forest Home Avenue Elementary School Promotes Literacy and Community Involvement with Martin Luther King, Jr. "Read-In"

Milwaukee, WI February 25, 2004-—Volunteers will be assigned to a classroom, where they will read a book and follow-up with a discussion with the students. Becca Klaver, AmeriCorps*VISTA member and this year's Read-In coordinator, explains, "The discussion topics may range from the book's contents to the life of the volunteer, with an emphasis placed on the idea that literacy has been an integral element in the volunteer's life accomplishments."

Many parents will read to classrooms in Spanish, as over 80% of the school's population is Hispanic. A dozen students from South Division High School who volunteer weekly at Forest Home Avenue School will read to their regularly assigned classrooms instead of their usual tutoring or classroom help. In addition, fourth- and fifth-grade staff members of Forest Home's new bilingual student newspaper will visit kindergarten classes on Tuesday to read the latest issue of the newspaper in English and Spanish.

Volunteers may read from 9:00 AM until 3:30 PM on Tuesday and Wednesday. Alderman Sanchez is the first scheduled volunteer on Tuesday morning. Alderman Donovan will read later that morning, and Mayor Pratt will read to a first grade classroom at 2:00 PM on Tuesday.

Forest Home Avenue is an MPS school that serves students in Pre-K (Head Start) through Grade 5. Located in the heart of Milwaukee's south side, Forest Home has one of the largest elementary school populations in the state. Its main focus is traditional multicultural education. Specialty programs include bilingual education, SAGE, exceptional education, GEC and ESL. It has been a recipient of the 1995 YWCA Racial Justice Exemplary School Award, the Mayor's Cup Award, and the Warner Cable Hang Tough Milwaukee Video Award for three years. The staff is committed not only to continuing to increase academic success, but also to endowing students with discipline and confidence. This is an important and vibrant time at Forest Home Avenue. Test scores are rising, new programs and strategies are being implemented, and the commitment to excellence has never been stronger.

Contact Information:
Forest Home Avenue Elementary School
1516 W. Forest Home Ave.
Milwaukee, WI 53204
Contact Person: Becca Klaver, AmeriCorps*VISTA
Phone: (414) 902-6237 (school), (414) 418-5182 (cell)




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