SSPP School Williamsville to host 2nd annual PARP

46-year-old literacy program will encourage elementary students to read

Press Release

Learning to read is the single most important activity in a child’s education. Studies show that children who read at home are better prepared to succeed in formal education. For the second consecutive year, Saints Peter & Paul School in Williamsville is hosting a weeklong program to encourage childhood literacy.

PARP (Pick A Reading Partner) is a statewide literacy incentive program that asks a partner (parent, grandparent, babysitter, older sibling, cousin, friend, etc.) to read with a child for 15 minutes a day. PARP, developed in 1978 by New York State Sen. James Donovan, encourages a love of reading in children and cements the necessary bond between the home and school. The program was originally named Parents As Reading Partners, but was changed in 2015 to support more inclusive language.

Saints Peter & Paul School in Williamsville is bringing the program back this year, to encourage a lifelong love of reading in its students. The year’s theme is “Every Hero Has a Story” and will run April 12-22. A pep rally will kick off PARP at 1 p.m. Friday, April 12, with local heroes reading books and answering questions about how reading is important in their work.

“The purpose of PARP is to motivate a love of reading and strengthen communication skills between school, community and home,” said Marc Bandelian, principal, SSPP School Williamsville. “Saints Peter & Paul School is hosting PARP again this year because of our mission to encourage strong literacy in our curriculum and foster a lifelong passion for reading.”

Other activities include schoolwide DEAR (drop everything and read) time, reading incentives for prizes, including Barnes & Noble gift cards and tickets aboard the Maid of the Mist boat tour in Niagara Falls. There will be a wear a readable shirt and “dress like your favorite book character” days. Monkey See Monkey Do online bookstore will host craft corners and a two-day book fair for students and parents. The students will also be spending a morning with Williamsville Judge Jeffrey Voelkl reading his new children’s book, “Lulu The Comfort Pup.” PARP will conclude with a book-signing event with local author and illustrator Charles Roberts and Zachary McCabe of Buffalo Bills-themed children’s books.

Saints Peter & Paul School is a Catholic Elementary School in Williamsville, which is conducted by the parish to provide a thoroughly Catholic education that is centered in the person and gospel of Jesus Christ.