Students in the Auburn elementary schools are always encouraged to grab a good book, but reading really takes center stage during March. Several district-wide programs and individual school activities are underway to promote the importance and joy of reading.

Abner's RBIs Club, a joint project sponsored by the Auburn Doubledays Baseball Club and the Auburn Education Foundation, invites students to Read Books in School and earn great prizes. Entire schools, specific classes and interested students are trying to score “runs” by reading four books. Each time a student “scores,” he or she earns a free Doubledays ticket. Top readers will win special prize packages. As an extra incentive, team mascot Abner will go to school for a day at the winning school.

Special guest readers #- Auburn High School football and volleyball players, parents, school officials and community leaders #- are visiting classrooms throughout the month to share their love of books with students. At home, parents are setting aside a special time to read together with their children each day.

Reading committees also have planned an assortment of activities at each school to get students to read. Some programs include reading challenges with interesting incentives.

At “Camp Read-a-Book” at Genesee Elementary School, “campers” have a very entertaining reason to read. Bass Pro Shops donated sleeping bags for two special readers. It also sent 1,000 rubber bait worms. Each time a student completes a book, s/he drops a worm into the bait bucket. If 1,000 books are read, the worms will be mixed into a big, muddy mess and physical education teacher Bob Lee will climb in with the worms!

Designed with a sports motif, “Reading Superstars” is the theme at Seward Elementary School. If students reach the school's reading goal, they will compete against their teachers in a number of fun sports activities like relay races and cup-stacking contests.

To kick off the “Reading Rally” at Casey Park Elementary School students and teachers created alliterative pennants like “Anderson's Awesome Angels” and “Liberatore's Lively Learners” to boast about their classes. Teachers have traded classrooms to share stories, students are reading to their stuffed animals and parents are participating as reading partners. Each class also has a “buddy” class, and they take turns reading to each other.

At Owasco Elementary School, everyone takes a 15-minute break each week to “Drop Everything and Read.” Students set aside assignments and select a book to read during that time. Another fun time to read is at the start of the day when special persons are invited to school for “Books and Breakfast.”

The parent-teacher organization has been busy coordinating the reading activities at Herman Avenue Elementary School. The group is holding a book fair on two evenings and hosting the “Books and Breakfast” program.

The highlight of the reading activities will take place during the week of March 20-24 when writer/poet/photographer Charles R. Smith Jr. will visit each school to work with students. Classes have been preparing diligently by reading Smith's books and writing poetry. Some students have even created a digital photography slideshow accompanied by their own haiku poetry.

As a special treat, students will join Smith in two evening performances. A program geared towards middle and high school students will take place 6 p.m. Monday, March 20, at Booker T. Washington Center. An elementary program will be presented 6 p.m. Wednesday, March 22, in the YMCA gymnasium. Student groups will present a slideshow and perform poetry, drumming, rope jumping and ball handling skills.

The events are sponsored by ATTAIN; the Auburn Kiwanis; the Eat Well, Play Hard program and the Auburn Education Foundation. Both presentations are free and open to the public.

Leslie Leary is a foundation consultant for the Auburn Education Foundation