Family Literacy Night was held on Sept. 25 in the Central Library. It was the first ever Family Literacy Night, created to celebrate literacy, reading, writing, speaking and listening while celebrating students as well.
It was created to have mentors who have a connection with freshmen students. Sixty-five students volunteered by either reading to kids, presenting their pathways or even presenting things that they think were important.
Sixty books were given out to the freshmen that went for free. Even a Kindle raffle was being held, encouraging people to attend.
Librarian Jennifer Kawecki and freshmen English teacher Martha Omar were the ones that created it, even meeting over the summer on their own time about who they should invite to speak to the students, both being happy overall on how it went for it being their first time.
They went around putting posters around the school, and since Omar is a freshmen English teacher, she was spreading the word through her classes. Kawecki even went to freshmen’s classes to talk about the books that were going to be given out at Family Literacy Night, enticing the students to attend.
Drama club, Film Streams, Omaha Public Library and poetry groups all had a booth while also having a small talk with the students who attended. The community got together both from the school and outside of the school to make Family Literacy night a memorable evening.
Kawecki gave a speech to start off the Family Literacy night, mentioning how literacy isn’t something only done in schools, but is done everywhere. It is done almost every minute of the day, making sure to mention all the guests who attended and all the events available for the families to visit.
“Her speech to kick it off to me was a summary of what’s so amazing about Central. All the things she listed that we already do and how much literacy is a focus in not only the classrooms but in clubs,” Omar said.
Poet Matt Mason attended and gave a speech about poetry. “I loved how he talked about how poetry isn’t this stuffy and looking down on people, but it’s form of literacy that can bring also happy emotions as well,” Omar said.
Junior Angela Andrew and senior Leilo Aden both volunteered for Family Literacy Night and neither of them regretted it. They were able to help the library since they are a part of the Book Club, but were also able to attend the events held.
“I liked wandering around and seeing all the people who went, the performances in the Black Box were cool to watch; I never really interacted with the theater department, so I thought it was really fun to see them perform,” Andrew said.
“My favorite part was that I was able to speak to the poet of the year…I was able to get his signature on a book as well,” Aden said.
Everyone being happy overall with how the hour in a half went and noticing how it went by so fast.
“A lot of staff brought their kids, so I liked seeing the older students read to younger kids,” Kawecki said.
“It’s so cute to see senior Central students reading to kids that are 10 or 12 years off from being highschooler kids, but they are here at the high school getting excited already to become Central students,” Omar said.
In the future they wish on having more advertising while also possibly pushing it back into the school year so more students would be encouraged to attend.
