Dear Middle School Parents/Guardians/Caretakers,

Learning is a lifelong journey! Reading is a skill needed in everyday life and in every content classroom! The goal of the Walpole Middle School Summer Reading Program is to foster a love of reading that will promote curiosity, build vocabulary, spark conversations and encourage empathy towards others. Reading over the summer also aims to prevent the "summer slide" so students can maintain, or even improve, the academic gains that were made during the months of September to June.

This summer we will ask students to choose ONE BOOK from their grade level list that will provide them with some background knowledge on a topic that will be taught during the academic year.

Before students leave for the summer, they will select a book from the list below during one of their ELA classes. Teachers will be sharing an extensive BOOKFLIX presentation with the students so they can make informed decisions.

Students are encouraged to be active readers and engage in an oral book discussion in the Fall.

Please do not hesitate to reach out to me with any questions.

Happy Reading!

Mrs. Jodi O'Rourke

Middle School Humanities Coordinator

jorourke@walpole.k12.ma.us

STUDENT STEPS

Step One

Select a Title from this list

Step Two

Once you have chosen the book you would like to read this summer, you will be completing a Google Form in your Grade Level Google Classroom and submitting it with your name, grade and book choice.

Step Three

Accessing your summer reading material.

WMS subscribes to the Massachusetts Commonwealth eBook Collection, this is a shared collection of ebooks and audio books for schools. Use this link to access this collection. Most of our summer reading titles are available there. Grade 5 students will not be able to access this collection until early August when they "officially" become middle school students in the system.

There are several library options for accessing your summer reading. The Walpole Public Library, as well as, access to the Old Colony Library Network and the Boston Public Library Collections, have print, eBook or Audible books for you to choose from. You will need a library card to access any of these options.

Our Summer Reading List has been shared with these local booksellers, Park Street Books, An Unlikely Story and Barnes and Noble.

Step Four

Engage with your book as an "active reader"! Take notes as you read. Bookmark significant passages with sticky notes. Be prepared for an oral book club discussion in the Fall.