By Abby Hite, Staff Writer

It’s pouring down rain, so your beach plans are ruined. All your friends are working and you’ve already finished every Netflix show you can imagine. What else is there to do? Almost by fate, you see an old stack of books in the closet, dust one off and start reading.

This summer will be the third year media center coordinator Susan Sawin has provided a summer reading program at First Flight. The program has a list of books that have been picked by students and teachers that are relevant to a certain class.

“The summer reading program is a way to encourage leisure reading,” Sawin said. “It incentivizes reading for fun.”

In the past, the principal and the guidance counselor would choose articles that students would annotate and bring to the first day of school. Now, Sawin has transformed the program into something students and teachers can enjoy. 

“Working within the system, I got it to a point about five years ago where it was not articles, it was books from a list,” Sawin said. “Everyone is happy with it.”

Each book you read from the list, or one that was approved by Sawin, can gain you points toward a class. You can receive up to two points in the first quarter of any class you are taking, even ones in second semester for a third-quarter bonus. All you have to do is prove to Sawin that you read the book through a project or just by having a conversation about it with her.

Every Wednesday morning – except for July 3 – Sawin will be in the media center to talk with students or just help them find a good book.

Sophomore Siena Nason has participated in the program for the last two years and received points for every class she had, including AP Chemistry.

“There’s a lot of incentive to do it,” Nason said. “It’s two points so might as well just read.”

First Flight’s website contains all of the book lists and projects, which also can be viewed here.

Abby Hite can be reached at hiteab0304@daretolearn.org